Different tile thicknesses

cL0h

We managed to bring some antique ornate tiles back from Morocco and want to incorporate them in our kitchen floor. Trouble is they are twice as thick as the floor tiles we are putting down. There are only 5 small ones 3"x3"
Can it be done? Can the tiles be ground or the parts of the concrete floor be chipped out?

charlesD

Personally I am not sure how effective that would be. You might be able to sand the tiles down, depending on what they are made of, but you risk damaging them and they would end up being much weaker.

I think chipping out the concrete floor would be a bad idea. If it were me, I would either wait until the floor needs to be replaced and find tiles that are the same size or use them somewhere else.

RKQ

Don't damage the tiles.
Dig out the conc if you have too (provided you don't have UFH!) with an SDS drill with chistle.

Seems a lot of work / dust for a few tiles!

cL0h

RKQ wrote: »

Don't damage the tiles.
Dig out the conc if you have too (provided you don't have UFH!) with an SDS drill with chistle.

Seems a lot of work / dust for a few tiles!

Some people pay wads and travel hundreds of miles to watch 90 minutes of football in the pi$$ing rain... and they do it in their spare time.

Thanks for the advice.

gsxr1

it would really tricky to chisel with out cracking the neibouring tile. ye would need to be really careful. These tiles must be really nice

cL0h

gsxr1 wrote: »

it would really tricky to chisel with out cracking the neibouring tile. ye would need to be really careful. These tiles must be really nice

Sorry dunno if i mentioned but we are tiling the whole floor not just inserting the tiles. It is currently lino.

So if the easy option of grinding down the tiles is out then what's to stop us:

• Laying it out with spacers and no grout,
• Then marking the positions of the decorative tiles,
• Taking up a the tiles in the immediate area around and knocking out some concrete. That's 5 holes 15mm deep a bit bigger than the tiles (leaving some space around just in case measurements move a bit when placing).
• Pour a small amount of concrete if necessary to even up the holes
• Leave the concrete dry
• Then lay the rest of the tiles.

This is not really a lot of work for a nice job.
Am I missing something here?

RKQ

cL0h wrote: »

Sorry dunno if i mentioned but we are tiling the whole floor not just inserting the tiles. It is currently lino.

This is not really a lot of work for a nice job.
Am I missing something here?

Yes - no point in cutting out conc to repair or back with conc! A thin crush of conc - 25mm or less is likely to crack and break.

If removing conc then best way IMO is mark area on floor.

• Cut out conc, to reasonable depth with con-saw or angle grinder. 25mm deep.
• Make cut marks at 25mm centres in a diagonal pattern, creating small diamond shapes.
• Chistle out conc 25 x 25mm diamonds with SDS drill.
• Use grount to level and secure tiles.

Sounds easy but will be dusty and time consuming. Invest in goggles and dust mask. Cover the units in plastic sheeting.

Not sure about football in the pi$$ing rain... and they do it in their spare time.Shoot the messanger!

ART6

Looking at it the other way round, could you not fix down wooden boxes the size of the special tiles in the places where you want them to go, then use self levelling screed to bring the rest of the floor up to the point where the rest of the tiles will be at the same level. When the screed is set, take out the wooden boxes and lay all tiles. That might make the floor a few millimetres higher over all, so doors might need adjustment, but it seems like an easier way to me. Cutting concrete is a hell of a job and using an angle grinder on it will create dust clouds like something out of the Sahara!

gsxr1

ART6 wrote: »

Looking at it the other way round, could you not fix down wooden boxes the size of the special tiles in the places where you want them to go, then use self levelling screed to bring the rest of the floor up to the point where the rest of the tiles will be at the same level. When the screed is set, take out the wooden boxes and lay all tiles. That might make the floor a few millimetres higher over all, so doors might need adjustment, but it seems like an easier way to me. Cutting concrete is a hell of a job and using an angle grinder on it will create dust clouds like something out of the Sahara!

I have to say.

that has to be the idea of the week. Its class!! I would never have thought of that..

RKQ

gsxr1 wrote: »

I have to say.

that has to be the idea of the week. Its class!! I would never have thought of that..

I'll second that! Good stuff Art6

cL0h

Right so. Will get back to ye with the results. Maybe a pic or two
Thanks a mil!

the GALL

rent out a cable chaser with the hoover attachment
set it for required dept and cut out section needed
that an awful lot of floor leveler to be buying with no guarentee that youll bring the floor up to the correct height......the more I think of it if your floor isnt level to start with you could be in a world of hurt
1) youll be messing with the level of the kitchen to ajoining rooms
2)youll be cutting doors, have you saddles down?
3)thats an awful lot of mess youll be makin to raise the floor up that tcouple of mill

cL0h

the GALL wrote: »

rent out a cable chaser with the hoover attachment
set it for required dept and cut out section needed
that an awful lot of floor leveler to be buying with no guarentee that youll bring the floor up to the correct height......the more I think of it if your floor isnt level to start with you could be in a world of hurt
1) youll be messing with the level of the kitchen to ajoining rooms
2)youll be cutting doors, have you saddles down?
3)thats an awful lot of mess youll be makin to raise the floor up that tcouple of mill

Points noted but it's a small kitchen and there should be no probs with the two doors or the units. If the floor isn't level then it's a good idea to use a screed layer anyway right?

GreeBo

How much thicker are these new tiles?
can you nto just get your tiler to use a thicker bed for the rest of the tiles?
That or put down some hardboard or something. You might have the same issues with doors not closing but it will avoid any issues with your fllor suddenly becoming level for the first time in 20 years...:eek:

the GALL

cL0h wrote: »

Points noted but it's a small kitchen and there should be no probs with the two doors or the units. If the floor isn't level then it's a good idea to use a screed layer anyway right?

Wrong
Dont mix up uneven with unlevel
floor leveller should not be used for a floor screed it should be used to take out any uneveness
the floor leveller wont bring the floor up the 5mm and if your floor is in any way unlevel you'll be useing bags of the stuff to sort out the floor

the cheaper way and (relatively) hassle free way would be to cut the floor with the cable chasser
keep us posted on how you get on

Carlow52

DEPENDING ON THE FLOOR thickness and no pipes/wires etc: u could rent a 4 inch core drill and drill down the required depth and the chisel out the piece
3 inches square gives a diagonal of 4.25 so with a bit of 'shake' the 4 inch hole should be 4,25

this will be much cleaner than a angle grinder/consaw

the GALL

na mate thecore drill will have a pilot bit in the centre and if there is any pipes in the floor they may be hit
the cable chase (if used) could be set at the 7mm (say)and then chanels cut into the floor then use a chisel and hammer to clean it up