I may have asked this before, but have since forgotten the sage advice. Laying floor tile, natural stone, square edges, three different sizes on concrete slab. 16″, 8″ and 4″ tiles. I am finding that they are not all guaged to exactlky the same thickness, resulting in some slight toe catchers…usually not more than 1/16″. Should I go back with a rotozip and break the edges? I usually see the difference when the tile is laid, and I try to get them even, but it doesn’t always work. And I really don’t want to pull up a 16″ stone tile from wet thinset to try to get it level…they’re fragile enough.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell’em “Certainly, I can!” Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
The craftsman formerly known as elCid
Replies
Are you using a big enough trowel - say 1/2" by 1/2" - for the thinset? The taller ridges should get you enough play to set a thicker stone a little further. (If it don't fit, get a bigger hammer)<G>
No, I think it's 1/4". And I am paranoid about breaking tiles, since they were special order high dollar stuff from Italy, and I broke three just unpacking.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
The craftsman formerly known as elCid
Ed when I have to lay natural stone, I will measure the thickest stone and this will set me up for the rest of field.
1. use 1/2 " trowel
2. if it is a large field I will set a course, then set a sacrifical course at other end of room at same elev. as first course (ie: lazer them in.) or use wood to get me to same elev. with a strip of wood thats screwed on top. This will allow me to string line stones. Either strecthing string and holding with stones or strecthing string and screwing it down tight.
3. levels and aluminun straight edge
4. really can't picture using a rotozip at this point as some stones will have a chamfer edge as others won't. Can't really think of a good fix at this time short of starting over, which is probably not a good option.
good luck hope this helps next time
And I really don't want to pull up a 16" stone tile from wet thinset to try to get it level...they're fragile enough.
Well .. too bad... 'cause that's the usual answer.
For bigger tiles/stones ... use a bigger notch ...
and ... mix the thinset thicker.
A tighter mix will help keep them from settling ...
But ... some will settle ... or slip as ya try to lay them gently down ...
and those ... have to be popped ... and some more thinset has to be slung under there.
Breaking fragile tiles comes with the territory ... that's why the 10 to 15% extra goes up to almost 25% in some cases.
Extra is good.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I have only laid a starter area, about one tile wide by 4-5 tiles long. The 16" tiles are checker-boarded, and the 8's and 4's fill in. The thinset is mixed (for me) quite thick, so there's no problem with the tiles sinking...I think the problem is with slight tile thickness variations.
The idea behind rotozipping the edges is to remove the sharp edge. Yes, there will be some chamfered edges, but I thought that would be better than sharp edges against bare feet.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
The craftsman formerly known as elCid
I'd work my with a straight edge getting the surfaces as close to flush as possible ...
the rotozip area sounds like lotsa work that might screw up a finished product.
How big are the grout lines?
1/16th isn't really that much lippage to have grout help fix ..
I tell people that pick slate for their floors ... gauged or not ... that if all 4 corners aren't in the same plane ... which they ain't ... that the floor's not gonna be "perfectly flat" .... and we'll jusy have to rely on the drout to help smooth things out.
Worst jobs is when they go so some ultra-modern look using an old product like slate to "add texture" ....
sure it adds texture .. that's why the floor isn't flat!
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
1/8" joints. And I don't think any is more than 1/16" off...but with square edges anything shows/feels wrong.Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Did a little more checking, and discovered that the tile thickness does vary. I am making more effort to get the tiles flush, but sometimes it can't be done. I have also discovered that my random orbit sander and 100 grit paper does a nice job of leveling the edges.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt