slate tile

[jzucosky]

We are in the process of enclosing a screened in porch. The concrete floor had pavers over it and was pitched to the center to go to a drain. I've removed the pavers and the floor is in good shape. The room is now enclosed and is ready for a floor covering. The drain is removed and I would like to have the floor flat and level. The room is 20 x 16 and needs to be built up about 1 1/2" on the sides and about 3" in the middle. Self leveling underlayment seems the way to go but it seems like this amount wouldn't be a diy job. Who would I call to get an estimate? The game plan is ditra over the underlayment then some kind of tile. If anyone has any different suggestions please let me know.

[Brad Denny]

Jack,
It would be less expensive to use a mortar bed. In this case, I'd try to bring it within a tolerance of about an inch, let it dry, then use an unbonded reinforced mortar bed. Do a little searching and you'll get lots of details.

[cx]

Welcome back, Jack.

What Brad said, except, keep in mind that the minimum thickness for the reinforced mud bed is 1 1/4 inches.

[Davy]

I'd mud it once, the whole thickness needed and bond it to the slab with thinset. Then apply a paint on membrane over the whole thing after it sets a few days.

[jzucosky]

I am going to be setting ungauged slate tile. It is going over laticrete spectra mat which has been thinsetted down to a concrete sub base. The tiles are 3/8" thick for the most part, some are a little thinner. Should I use a medium bed setting material or regular modified thin set? I am going to be using the mlt tile leveling system.

[cx]

Is this your screened porch project, Jack?

How flat did you make the final floor to be tiled?

A LHT (Large & Heavy Tile) mortar might be helpful if the gauging is particularly poor on your slate, but you may also be able to use a standard thinset mortar.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[916tile]

How big are the tiles? 12x12 regular thinset is probably ok.
Anything bigger I would go medium bed with a 1/2x1/2 notch.

[Premier Designs]

Custom makes a Marble and Granite that is a medium bed, I use it almost exclusively, it's good and sticky ..

[jzucosky]

Yes it's the screened porch. The floor is now dead flat. I'm setting 16 x 16 and 8 x 8 tiles in a pinwheel design.

[Houston Remodeler]

Laticrete 4XLT will be a great alternative

Be ready for a hair pulling experience with those un-gauged tiles. The cuss jar will be overflowing.

You have our deepest sympathies.

[jzucosky]

My wifes got her earplugs ready.

[Ron]

Keep a 1-1/2" wide worn out wood chisel nearby. As you are setting the slate tile in mortar, if you have a particularly thicker surface here and there due to the natural cleft, just lay the chisel flat on the other tile holding the handle loosely with your fingers and give it a tap with a hammer to knock off the high spot. There, you will have a cleft surface again without "lippage". So easy to do. Looks much better. I used to do that all the time with the rougher Chinese and Indian slates and quartzites. Not with pretty Vermont or Brazilian slates though.

Seems no one is selecting slate anymore around here.

[Ron]

I'd like to recommend my favourite sealer for this type of stone tile... if'n you wanna enhance the colours:

Miracle Sealants Enhance & Seal

http://miraclesealants.com/index.php...d=9&Itemid=178

[916tile]

What Ron said

We usually set the tile and the next day go around a cleave off the irregular high spots.
We lay a margin trowl flat on the lower tile, hit the bottom of the handle and it will pop the high spot off.

[jzucosky]

I realized I never posted pictures of the final project. Most of the tiles were an 1/8 to 1/4" out of square and varied in thickness. Needless to say I didn't get too many square feet set each weekend. If somebody is thinking about laying Indian slate, be prepared to get very frustrated.