Stone Flooring - Laying Natural Stone Flooring

supplied by Wickes.co.uk ©2008 All rights reserved.

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FLOOR PREPARATION

It is important that concrete floors are completely cured and dry. Natural stone should not be laid on "green" or wet concrete or screeds. There should be a damp proof membrane below the surface to prevent rising damp. Since the floor tile adhesive can be applied as a thin bed or a thick bed, the floor does not have to be perfectly smooth although this is preferable.

If the internal concrete is very uneven or it is damaged use our floor levelling compound to make it smooth.

Suspended wooden floors can be successfully tiled but you must be sure that they are sufficiently strong to carry the very considerable extra weight of tiles, that they are rigid and that the area below the floorboards is well ventilated. If the floor is weak and shows any sign of movement you must strengthen it. Use a sheet material such as our exterior grade plywood building up to a minimum 18mm thick covering screwing it into place at no more than 200mm centres.

 

It is absolutely essential that a suspended timber floor is made 100% rigid. Any movement will first cause the grout to break, allowing moisture ingress and, subsequently, the tiles will break or lift. Check that the subfloor is strong enough to take the extra load and seek professional advice if in any doubt.

 

General information on Floor Tiling

Tiling commences in the corner of the room furthest from the door but as with wall tiling you cannot rely upon existing wall corners to be square or walls to be straight so again battening must be used to provide the starting point.

Using a measure and a chalked string line mark the centre line of the room from the door end to the far end. Find and mark the centre of this line.

Loose lay tiles complete with spaces from the centre point alongside the line to the far wall. Fix a straight batten to the floor at 90° to the line of tiles where the edge of the last whole tile is.

Loose lay further tiles towards the corner of the room and fix another batten at 90° to the first alongside the last whole tile.Check that the corner produced is exactly square, and that the positioning of neither line of tiles will result in narrow tiles having to be cut to fill in around the perimeter once the battening has been removed. Tiling commences on the prepared corner following the instructions on the adhesive.

Important: Tile adhesive setting times are quoted for ideal conditions and is intended only as a guide. Where temperatures are low, the air is damp, thick tiles are used or the substrate is of low porosity, setting times will be increased, sometimes greatly.

 

USING WICKES NATURAL STONE FLOORING PRODUCTS

For centuries natural stone products had been the only choice when laying a floor. However these became less popular and comparatively expensive with the introduction of mass produced linoleum, carpet and ceramic flooring.

Wickes now has a comprehensive range of natural flooring that is competitively priced and is long lasting and hardwearing. This leaflet provides details on how to lay these products and most importantly how to maintain them.

There are four different types of stone in the range: Granite, Marble, Limestone and Slate.

Use Wickes Natural Stone Adhesive following the instructions on the pack. You may have to use Wickes Wall Tile Spacers to avoid the tiles moving. Grout with Wickes White Wall Tile Grout. The tiles should be sealed with Wickes Natural Stone Gloss Finish.

When cleaning tiles under no circumstances should you use any product designed to remove lime scale. The use of such products will irreparably damage the surface of the tiles.

 

WICKES SLATE FLOOR TILES

These are suitable for internal and external use.

 

EXTERNAL USE

These tiles must be laid on to a base constructed from well compacted hardcore and with a minimum of 100mm thickness of concrete. Thickness of hardcore should be at least 200mm on clay, sandy or peat subsoil.

Remember that if the tiles are to be against the house wall, the top surface must be at least 150mm below damp course level and the tiles must slope away from the wall.

Natural slate tiles vary in thickness considerably and therefore to achieve a relatively level floor you will first need to locate and lay the thickest tiles.

Use Wickes Ceramic Floor Tile Adhesive or Wickes Rapid Setting Floor Tile Adhesive following the instruction on the pack.

 

It is important to ensure the adhesive totally supports the tile leaving no voids.

Do not walk on the tiles for at least 48 hours or until the adhesive has fully set. Thinner tiles are made level by building up the thickness of the mortar. As the tiles are cut from a natural material the size can vary slightly. Therefore we recommend that a joint width of a minimum of 9mm is maintained between tiles.

Grout/point with Floor and Wall Tile Grout and ensure that excess grout is removed from the surface of the tiles. Remove as much excess as possible with a sponge and water and if necessary clean with Wickes Grout Film Remover.

Important: The composition of natural slate tiles can vary, even from the same quarry. Before using Wickes Grout Film Remover, always test it on a spare tile from the same batch. Failing that, test on a small hidden area. In the unlikely event you encounter a problem, use Wickes Natural Stone Grout & Film Remover instead. For added protection a coat of Wickes Natural Stone Gloss Finish should be applied and regularly maintained.

 

INTERNAL USE

These tiles can be laid on a prepared concrete floor or on to a suitably prepared timber floor. See details on Floor Preparation. Natural slate tiles vary in thickness considerably and therefore to achieve a relatively level floor you will first need to locate and lay the thickest tiles.

Use Wickes Ceramic Floor Tile Adhesive or Wickes Rapid Setting Floor Tile Adhesive following the instruction on the pack.

 

Ensure the mortar bed completely supports the tile leaving no voids.

Thinner tiles are made level by building up the thickness of the mortar. Do not walk on the tiles for at least 24 hours or until the adhesive has fully set. To protect the slate surface use Wickes Tile & Stone Protector and Wickes Floor Tiles Clean & Shine.

 

LEMON YELLOW MARBLE FLOOR TILES

Marble is a totally natural product and has very attractive colour variations. To ensure an even spread of such variations, and to prevent 'blocks' of colour, we recommend that packs are opened and the contents mixed.

Due to their smooth surface they may become slippery when wet therefore you should take suitable precautions such as using absorbent mats in doorways or halls. These tiles can be laid on a prepared concrete floor or on to a suitably prepared timber floor. See details on Floor Preparation.

Use Wickes Natural Stone and Porcelain Tile Adhesive to lay the marble. Prime porous surfaces with Floor Tile Primer and Admixture.

 

It is essential that you use the 'Solid Bed' method of bonding. Air pockets under the tiles must be eliminated.

The marble tiles are subject to some thickness variations. Always bond the thickest tile that you can find first, ensure that it is perfectly level from side to side and back to front, then leave it to set hard. Later lay all other tiles up to the level of the first one. Maintaining levels is critical to avoid differing reflections from the polished surface.

Width variations do occur so we recommend that you lay your tiles with minimum 5mm gaps left for grouting. This will eliminate the risk of tiling running off a perfect straight line. Use our Floor Tile Grout to infill the gaps when the tiles have set. Do not rub the grouting into place or you will damage the polished tile surface. Push it directly into the gaps and tamp down firmly. Clean off excess carefully, with a clean damp cloth. Wickes Building Supplies stocks a range of products to assist in the care and maintenance of our marble floor tiles.

 

UNDERTILE WARMING

The Wickes Undertile Warmer allows all the benefits of tiled floors with the added luxury of underfoot warmth and it is suited for use with ceramic, clay, slate and marble tiles. This makes them ideal for kitchens, hallways, bathrooms and conservatories.

supplied by Wickes.co.uk ©2008 All rights reserved.