"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 16:27:30 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

Therefore if I was replacing the floor (and we'd thought about slate)
then
I'd want to take the lot up and stick some particularly meaty, flat
external
WBP ply down, fix down firmly and then lay on top of that.

Sounds like too much work to dig up the old stuff, although the ply on
top
might be good. The kitchen units are already going in. I can't live
without
a kitchen any longer and only have a couple of weekends free to fit it.
The
floor will probably be done in 3 or 4 month's time. I can allow height
now
when adjusting the units, appliances, and worksurface height if I know
how
thick the floor will be. I won't be tiling under the units.

So, in terms of height, we have:

4mm hardboard (can't be bothered to remove).
6mm WBP plywood
3mm heat resistant compound
3mm Underfloor heating
4mm Flexible floor tile adhesive
10mm Slate

Giving a total of 30mm. That's going to be one annoying step,
unfortunately.

I've no idea what heat resistant compound is, but I'm told I need it. No
idea how thick it is really.

Christian.


Christian, before you rush into floor heating, I am wondering whether
you really need it.


I have slate throughout my ground floor apart from the living room and
dining room - i.e. the hall, kitchen, cloakroom, utility room and
conservatory. Both parts of the house have concrete floors. I don't
think that in the main part there is insulation under the floor - the
place was built in 1985 so I am not certain if it was required then.
In the conservatory floor there is 100mm of styrofoam.

The slate is an average of 10mm and was laid directly onto the
concrete floor with the correct tile adhesive for the job (Howtex
something or other). The heating is with water radiators.

We do not wear shoes (even inside ones) in the house, and typically no
socks either, so bare feet.

The floor never feels cold underfoot, even in the depths of winter.
I have a feeling that slate is not as good a conductor as other types
of stone or ceramic, which may be responsible for those materials
feeling cold.

Slate has the highest "admittance" of any masonry material. Well worth
installing on floors and especially in eco/solar applications.



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