I couldn't get quarry tiles to match the ones I already have so have got some fired earth tiles to make up the number I need to relay the floor. What is the best way to lay the tiles? I want to avoid digging out the existing earth but want a durable levelled floor.
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quarry/fired earth tiles on earth floor
- Thread starter MrT
- Start date
Gervase
Member
- Messages
- 1,500
- Location
- North London
The existing earth is likely to be well compacted, so don't touch it! Just blind it with a couple of millimetres of silver sand, lay the tiles and grout them with lime putty. Or lay the tiles onto a very thin screed of hydraulic lime.
If your new tiles are a different thickness to your existing ones you've got a lot more work, however. Then I'd suggest laying onto a stiff hydraulic lime mix just thick enough to accommodate the difference in tile thickness and letting it cure for at least 10 days before anyone walks on the floor. Then grout it with lime as per usual.
If your new tiles are a different thickness to your existing ones you've got a lot more work, however. Then I'd suggest laying onto a stiff hydraulic lime mix just thick enough to accommodate the difference in tile thickness and letting it cure for at least 10 days before anyone walks on the floor. Then grout it with lime as per usual.
Thanks Gervase,
Much of the floor, under the remainig floor is well compacted but where someone installed a soil pipe under the floor in 1986 has not been well compacted. This is the same idiot who persumably checked away the missing tiles, I've found a few smashed up in the floor. I'm removing the pipe as the bathroom is being located and plan to fill the void with gravel and then attempt to compact the soil with a rammer. I will mix some dry sand in to get the floor to the desired height.
The new tiles are 33mm the old ones are about 38mm so I need to make about half a cm so not to bad a match.
Yes a thin layer of hydraulic lime seems the best option.
Much of the floor, under the remainig floor is well compacted but where someone installed a soil pipe under the floor in 1986 has not been well compacted. This is the same idiot who persumably checked away the missing tiles, I've found a few smashed up in the floor. I'm removing the pipe as the bathroom is being located and plan to fill the void with gravel and then attempt to compact the soil with a rammer. I will mix some dry sand in to get the floor to the desired height.
The new tiles are 33mm the old ones are about 38mm so I need to make about half a cm so not to bad a match.
Yes a thin layer of hydraulic lime seems the best option.
rebeccac
Member
- Messages
- 97
- Location
- Cornwall/Italy
This is very interesting.
Our house in Italy had a damp room and the 1960's tiles sloped down to the middle of the room.We have dug out about 3ft of soil and large rocks,filled some 'rat' runs with lime mortar and now have a reasoably compact clay floor with 3ft of depth to refill!
Should we simply refill with our local soil which is high in clay? Or use the stones which are quite big then we risk airpockets with soil dropping through again.I've read that if you rake in 5cms of lime to a clay floor it creates a very good compact layer to put tiles on.
We solved the damp problem.Our neighbours had a dripping outside tap which could fill 5 litre container every 2 days!the water was going straight down into our floor.The tap has now been disconnected.
Our house in Italy had a damp room and the 1960's tiles sloped down to the middle of the room.We have dug out about 3ft of soil and large rocks,filled some 'rat' runs with lime mortar and now have a reasoably compact clay floor with 3ft of depth to refill!
Should we simply refill with our local soil which is high in clay? Or use the stones which are quite big then we risk airpockets with soil dropping through again.I've read that if you rake in 5cms of lime to a clay floor it creates a very good compact layer to put tiles on.
We solved the damp problem.Our neighbours had a dripping outside tap which could fill 5 litre container every 2 days!the water was going straight down into our floor.The tap has now been disconnected.
chuckey
Member
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- 883
- Location
- wenslydale
Depending how big your "big" stones are, fill to within 12" of floor finished level, then 6" of stone about 1/3 to 1/4 the size, then top off with quarry chippings. Each succesive layer of stone fills in the holes in the layer beneath, rather like sharp sand but on a bigger scale.
Frank
Frank
With 3ft to fill, I would be tempted to leave it (if sensible) and put in a suspended floor in. It keeps the floor well away from potential damp and you can tack a good layer of insulation under the floor. You would need cross ventilation under the floor though.
rebeccac
Member
- Messages
- 97
- Location
- Cornwall/Italy
thanks for your replies.It does seem that everyone I speak to has a slightly different opinion and its difficult to decide what to do !
Our Italian builder wants to put concrete on a dpm which is out with us!I also 'spoke' to a forum member who put in a limecrete floor in the UK which appealed but we do not have our own cement mixer and I know that getting the correct lime/aggregate mix is tricky and we need to do this when the temps are not too low.So a bit more tricky.Possibly if we were putting in under floor heating.
We are on a slight slope with good drainage and light soil with clay so possible a suspended floor could be more expensive for little gain?The budget is tight.
Anyway just wanted to say thanks !
Our Italian builder wants to put concrete on a dpm which is out with us!I also 'spoke' to a forum member who put in a limecrete floor in the UK which appealed but we do not have our own cement mixer and I know that getting the correct lime/aggregate mix is tricky and we need to do this when the temps are not too low.So a bit more tricky.Possibly if we were putting in under floor heating.
We are on a slight slope with good drainage and light soil with clay so possible a suspended floor could be more expensive for little gain?The budget is tight.
Anyway just wanted to say thanks !