extra slate for living room...type S ok?

[waynebergman]

This slate on my entrance way will also be used for under my wood burner in living room. Hardwood Maple floor is what I will be puting this slate over top. Just in the area of a new woodburner I have aquired. I guess I will sand the varnish of the hardwood and then place slate. I am wondering if I can use the same type S mortar (mixed 3 sand to 1 mortar) on my hardwood application as I used on the pizza oven or if I should buy thin set ? Also not sure if I can use this type S to fill in the spaces between slate as I did on the pizza oven. I mixed it a bit dryer that the rest of the mix for the spaces on the slate. Nor sure to shop for grout made for slate or go with the mortar mixed a bit dry. I would rather not bother with the grout if I can use the type S. It worked just fine on my small application on the oven and the woodburner site is small also... maybee 30 square feet.....thanks wayne

[dmun]

Hardwood may be too flexible to apply slate directly on top of. You could use a glue-type tile adhesive, but the grout would still crack. I would be inclined to nail a half inch of concrete board as an underlayment, perhaps with thin-set underneath it to reduce any flexing where there are high spots. The problem with this is that it may raise the new floor too high.

If this is under a wood stove, there may be special requirements for heat shielding. I know when I installed a wood stove years ago, code called for two layers of quarter inch asbestos board under the tile. They don't sell this anymore (and shouldn't have then), so something else may be required.

[CanuckJim]

Wayne,

Have to agree with Dmun. The problem is flex. I'd go with a fireproof underlayment that has been glued to the floor, then use Thinset Granite and Marble to stick down the stone. Type S and sand was fine outside on concrete, but it will not flex without cracking. I'd use standard tile grout inside for this application.

Jim

[waynebergman]

Thanks guys....you have saved me some greif. I am in a rural area and help at the building store is hard to get. They may have the products but they cant help that much for the application. Again thanks muchly...wayne