Slate tiles Help

[ianhutchinson]

Hi

I have had a builder in at the weekend to remove a load bearing wall so we can create a large kitchen dinind room. He asked me what floor finish I was going to put down (natural slate), but he said this would all lift and chip despite PVA etc and that I should consider a fake porcelain tile instead.

Part of the floor I would be tiling is concrete, the other part I would cover with marine plywood and PVA.

Any advise would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

Ian

 

[Softus]

You can tile onto the concrete, but remove all dust and consider sealing with a proprietary treatment.

For the plywood covered part, just buy the correct tile adhesive - flexible AND "for wood". Buy the best quality adhesive you can find. Whether you use premixed or powdered (for you to mix) is a matter of personal choice.

Don't use PVA for any of it.

 

[ianhutchinson]

Thanks

You say do not use PVA, but will the wood not need PVA before adhesive applied
Thanks

 

[roboughton]

I think if you PVA it the adhesive sticks to the PVA and not the sub floor thus it can then come unstuck very easily meaning your tiles will be poping off all the time with movement

 

[Jasonb]

Most of the decent powdered adhesives will go straight onto the ply. Some of the readymixed may need a primer, see what it says on the tub as it varies between makes.

PVA generally weakend the bond so avoid it unless it specifically says to use it for the adhesive you choose and then make sure it is a waterproof PVA.

Jason

 

[Softus]

You say do not use PVA, but will the wood not need PVA before adhesive applied

Not only will it not need it, but, as someone has already pointed out, it's better without.

I get the feeling that you're one of the many people who think that PVA is an adhesive, and that it has almost magical properties. Neither of those things is true.

PVA is effective with some those materials whose surface, without the use of PVA, would be likely to break down and fail to hold onto whatever you're trying to stick to it. It works because it soaks into the porous surface and binds it to the layers underneath, AND because it acts to prevent ingres of whatever you're applying to the surface. For this reason it's important, when using PVA, to let it become very tacky, or even dry, and not rush ahead when it's still wet.

 

[ianhutchinson]

Thanks for all your advice