Christian McArdle wrote:

I'm going to install a slate floor in my kitchen. I'm planning:

1. 6mm plywood sheet over existing hardboard.
2. Adhesive
3. Slates
4. Lithofin MN Power-Clean
5. Lithofin MN StainStop
6. Lithofin MN Colour Intensifier

I'm planning to use Indian/Chinese style slate. The rough stuff with red
streaks in, anyway. Is this a reasonable sequence? The floor will be a
fraction over 10m2.

Some questions:

1. Is 6mm plywood a good base to start on? Should I PVA it first?
2. What adhesive should I use?
3. How many coats of StainStop and Colour Intensifier should I use?


Lots.


4. How many litres will I need of each?


Pass. Provbably only one or two.


5. At what point in the sequence do you grout? (i.e. before, after or in
between coats of the StainStop?)


Grout as the absolutely last thing you do before maybe a final seal coat
or two. Grout is impossibly hard to get off slates, so teh more there is
between teh salet and the grout, the better.

Having dne 55 sq meters of slate, let me tell 6you that THE most
crirtical thing, is to have a bucket of warm water and a kitchen sponge
at all times to INSTANTLY mop up anything yu spill on it of a cement
nature. You have t best 15 muntes with rapid set cement amnd most grouts.

Do NOT assiume ou will be able to grout the whiole lot, let it go off a
bit and clean teh surplus. Clean each slate as soon as laid, then clean
the whole row, then the whole floor.


6. Do I need a particular type of grout? What colour looks good and won't
look manky in five year's time?



Grey is nice. Lay with at least 5mm gaps. I used 3 on a large area nad
regretted it. If the slates are very uneven use even more - 8mm?

Take LOTS of time. I reckon if you can do 10 sq meters in a day, just
layng, thats good going. I'd say youo have maybe 4 days of work there at
least. Because you will lose concentration after about 6 hours. Stop.

The finsihed result, if you are very careful and patient, is stunning tho.

Best of luck.


Christian.