Installing slate tile kitchen

Hold the trowel at a degree angle to the floor and spread the thinset thick enough that the top ridges are full and sharp but not so thickly that the grooves at the bottom of the thinset pattern completely obscure the backer board. The backer board should be slightly visible in the grooves. Position the edge tiles by matching the numbers on the backs to the numbers on the wall, and use spacers as you did during the dry-install. Install full tiles on the row next to the edge tiles, using spacers and seating each tile.

Repeat the process along the rest of the same wall, working in 5- or 6-foot spans. Work your way from one side of the room to the other, installing one or more rows of tile at a time. When you get to the far side of the room, install the tiles along both edges of the doorway, and install the tiles closest to the doorway last to keep from working yourself into a corner.

Remove the spacers between the tiles and wipe the tiles clean with a damp silicon sponge dipped in warm water. Let the tiles dry completely. Fill a plastic spray bottle or a small pump sprayer with grout and tile sealer and spray the slate tile evenly, making sure to get the sealer on the inside edges of the tiles. Because slate is porous, it can draw the moisture out of wet grout too quickly, and the grout residue can adhere to the surface of the slate, making it difficult to remove.

Allow the sealer to dry. Mix dry grout with water as directed on the grout package and apply with a rubber float to the joints between the tiles. Even though you sealed the tile, take care not to get excess grout on the slate surface. Press and smooth the wet grout evenly into the joints. You are welcome to rate it on a scale of with 1 being "I hate it" or 10 "I absolutely love it. Have a great day! Caulking gun 4. Lets take a moment to talk about some safety issues.

The speed with which the grinder turns is extremely easy to take for granted, always respect your tools. Make a plan of construction. Our objective was to go for an old world look as well as blend the outside patio area with the inside kitchen. To do this we used the same tiles that we used on tiling our patio bar and half wall instructable coming soon. Since we used ungaged slate tiles different thicknesses we needed to figure out what we had to work with.

We didn't want to put a really thick tile next to a really thin tile so we laid all the tiles out. We wanted an even flow to the tile. When tiling you want to start in the center of the project and work your way to the out side.

We did the following two things: a. We offset the tiles in a brick layer style b. We started from the bottom row and worked our way up. We wanted to show only full tiles if possible, that was the reason for starting at the bottom.

The fewer the cuts the better. Put on Safety Glasses 1. Load "Loctite Power Grab" adhesive in caulking gun 2. Lay out the tiles for the first row below where they will be attached to the wall.

Find the center of the wall and make a mark, a tile will be placed on each side the tile. Pit a tile spacer centered exactly on the mark you made in step 3. Start the first row of tiles. Pick up your first tile, squirt a dime size amount of adhesive on the back of the tile, and place it flush with the counter top edge. Pick up the next tile and decided which direction you want to continue the line towards. Repeat adhesive instructions and place the tile on the wall. This time place a tile spacer between the first and second tiles.

Continue placing the first row of tiles until you have placed all the tiles that you can. Remember to put tile spacers in between each tile. Beginning Row 2 1. Make sure you offset the tiles and continue placing tiles as you did on row 1. Continue placing tiles and spacers until the row is completed. Gaps where tiles need to be cut later are ok, they will be filled in soon enough. Row 4 is the top and final row in our project. It is at this point that we will have to measure and cut every tile for this row.

Using the bricklaying pattern you can basically start this row anywhere you like. Remember to put a spacer on top of row 3 when you are measuring your tile to be cut. Place your tile flush underneath the cabinets and mark a line with your black marker even with the top of the spacer and that givers you your tile width to cut.

You can continue this for the entire length of row 4 or you can do a few and then go and cut them and start gluing them up. Lets go to the next step and cut some tiles. Time to cut some tiles. Since we are using a dry tile saw you will definitely want to cut the tiles outside. The dust factor here is something to think about. Beware of cutting hazards.

This particular adapter can be dangerous this one will take a finger off in half a second. There are several ways to cut tile, but this was cost effective way for me. I used this saw and cut all of my tiles in short time and created lots of dust. Stand upwind when cutting and wear a dust mask Cut your tiles. Applying slate tile to a vertical wall is a project that can be performed by diligent homeowners who don't mind doing some planning, using some elbow grease and getting a little messy.

Slate mosaic tiles can add texture, color and interest to any wall tile design. Although larger slate tiles often vary dramatically in thickness from piece to piece, mosaics can be installed without this issue; any size variation between the pieces adds to the texture of the wall. Slate tile, quarried from metamorphic rock formations and cut to uniform sizes, is a high-end flooring product that offers a natural floor option for both interior and exterior use.

Removing Grout Lines Removing tile grout is remarkably easy, clean, and fast. Before starting with the installation you should clean the walls. Use neatly cut square tiles for an almost groutless uniform appearance with a contemporary feel, or set variously sized tiles in wider grout lines for an old-fashioned, country appearance.

Large slabs of slate are available for stair treads or fireplace surrounds. And some DIY packages sold at home stores consist of about six differently sized pieces that interlock into a random pattern.

Planning the Floor. Before beginning installation, remove any existing floor coverings and baseboard trim. Make any necessary repairs, such as renailing any loose boards that might squeak. Slate tile can be installed over a cement or wood floor that is structurally sound and dry. For concrete floors, use a leveling compound to ensure the subfloor is all in the same plane. Fasten the reinforcing sheets to the subfloor, spacing screws every 8 inches on center.

For plywood subfloors, apply a thin coat of water-based polyurethane to prevent the water from soaking into the wood and causing it to swell beneath the slate. Sketch a floorplan to calculate how many tiles you require, including any special border features or decorative patterns.

Keep in mind that thick grout lines between joints will impact how many tiles will fit on the floor. Prepping the Tiles. As mentioned earlier, cleft or riven tiles can vary in thickness, so sort them accordingly before laying the floor. Tiles that are notably thicker can pose a tripping hazard if the edges stick up above the normal plane of the finished surface.

When installing it is smart to start with the thickest slates and use adhesive to build up the thinner tiles. Also, check for surface damage. Set aside any chipped pieces of tile to cut for edge pieces. With the tiles sorted, the next step toward a new floor is to lay out the tiles in a dry run. Lay rows of tiles or blocks of pattern along each line, starting at the center point and running them all the way to the edge of each wall.

Use tile spacers if you prefer visibly distinct grout joints. These maintain uniform joint spacing during layout and installation.