About to lay my tiles

[skier-hughes]

Fast worker that I am......

I am about to lay my floor tiles, 62 sq clay tiles.

I'm only repairing broken/damaged/loose ones, so it's 6 here half a dozen there.

I didn't seem to get a reply last time I asked, when I was taking some up!!!! a while ago

How should I fix them down?

The ones that came up appear to have been set with cement. Removing this and some investigation digging through some sand gives me earth.

Should I use sand and lime?
If so, should I mix it up so it's slightly sloppy so that the tiles bed into it easily?
Should I use a bed of sand and tamp them into it?
Sand mainly then a top coat of sand & lime but only just wet and tamp them into it?
How much sand to lime?

I've searched some tile sites but can't find an answer anywhere, what's your opinion? Or how did you do yours?

Graham

 

[Gervase]

There seem to be as many ways of laying tiles as there are tilers, but this is what I've done in the past...
If the soil underneath is nicely compacted and undisturbed, lay them on a thin (half-inch) blinding of sand, topped with a thin (not much more than the difference between the highest and lowest points on the tiles) 1:3 hydraulic lime and sand mortar mixed quite sloppy (blocklaying consistency).
Or you could forget the blinding and lay them on a bed made just of !;£ hydraulic lime and sand, mixed very stiff, so it's almost crumbly (stiffer than repointing consistency).
Grout them with the same 1:3 mix or, if your gaps are very fine, a 1:1 mix of fine sand and non-hydraulic (fat) lime.

 

[skier-hughes]

That's probably why I didn't have a definitive answer to my question or my searches

The earth is fine, some of the sand is still well compacted.

I'll drop some sand down, tamp it down well, then try the wetter mix first and if I don't get on with that then I'll try drier.

One lot is right in front of the Rayburn.... WARM... should I keep this damp with some spraying to stop it drying to quickly, or turn the rayburn off for a few days while its still mild, or not fret about it at all.

How long are we looking at before walking on?

I can put some thick ply over the repairs I'm doing to ensure people and the dogs don't disturb the tiles.

Graham

 

[Gervase]

If you're using hydraulic lime (which is sensible under tiles, as fat lime will take a century or more to carbonate!) then I wouldn't worry about spraying or anything. A few damp teatowels should sort the grouting out, but otherwise I wouldn't take any special measures.
As for walking, I would allow a couple of days for hydraulic lime to set, so have the stirling board or ply ready...

 

[skier-hughes]

Thanks a lot. I have a busioness meeting tonight and am probably away tomorrow and Wednesday morning so it'll be Thursday when I get back to it.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Graham

 

[DevenishEstates]

Graham,

How did your tile setting go? - I've just posted a very similar query to yours so would be interested in your advice as you've already been through the work on this one.

Cheers

 

[Moo]

When our pamments had to come up it transpired that they had been laid straight on to earth. So our builder just put them back on to earth.
Ten years on they're right as rain; no wobbles, nothing's shifted (and no damp).

 

[skier-hughes]

Well mine are still waiting to go back down, due to the cat incident and then other things coming up that needed sorting sooner.

Moo, I expect them to be down adn level at the same time a honey production starts !!

Graham