Travertine floor over slab

14 years ago

I think we have decided to do a travertine floor for our kitchen / dining room remodel. About 300 square feet. I have the old floor (peel and stick tiles) mostly up. (The floor before that was glued down asphalt tiles.) We are on a concrete slab in a 50+ year old home.

I have two questions - what do I need to do to prep the floor (beisides a good scrubbing.)

Do I need to use one of the "mesh" mats I have read about underneath the travertine? (I am shcoked how much those mats cost.)

Any help will be greatly appriciated.

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Comments (5)

azstoneconsulting
14 years ago
The success or failure of doing what you are proposing will rest on 99.999%
on the prep you give the slab - so your question is VERY GOOD .....

You'll need to get as much (if not ALL) of the remaining adhesive that was use
to hold the asphalt tile down to the concrete - OFF. The concrete needs to
be as clean and latent adhesive free as possible. IF your home is 50+ years
old - there's a VERY GOOD CHANCE that the tiles you tore up contain
ASBESTOS!!!! - AND the adhesive may contain it too.... THIS IS IS A VERY SERIOUS
SITUATION - because of the health risks of asbestos particulates in the air,
and your inhaling them.

The BEST way to resolve this is to have an asbestos abatement company come
in and do an analysis on the tiles and the adhesives that are on your floor -
BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER!!!

Since the tiles (I'm presuming) are already ripped up and discarded - your
only current issue is the adhesive - so you need to have it checked to see
if it does indeed contain asbestos too.. my guess is - is that it will. IF this
is the case - you'll need to do some research to see what your local regulations
are in dealing with it - to remove it from your home.

IF it is asbestos free - then all I'd do is to either - mechanically remove it -
by scraping it off and getting as much off as I could - OR - have a Blast Track
machine come in and blast it off and get down to smooth clean concrete -

Then.... fill any low spots - put cleavage membrane over all cracks, and start
setting your tiles if you are a DIYer. if not - a reputable Pro Contractor
willl know how to handle this scenario and give you a finished product that
you'll LOVE.....

Sorry to put the scare on you with the Asbestos thingy - but the "A" word
is a really big deal for us in the Industry - and should NEVER be taken lightly IMHO!!!

hth

kevin
bill_vincent
14 years ago
It all depends on how good a shape the concrete is in. If there are no cracks, I'd say go right over it with a good modified thinset. Usually, that's not the case, though, so instead, I'd recommend using an orange waffled uncoupling membrane made by Schluter called Ditra over the concrete. It's the best protection you can offer your new floor.
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azstoneconsulting
14 years ago
Hey Brother Bill:

Have you ever used an polymer emulsion over the floor, then a modified
latex thinset?

Back in the day - I had really good long term results when I "painted" the floor
with pure latex/polymer emulsion, then mixed my thinset with the same
latex (remember PCI's Rapid Set-Schnell and their Polymer additives?)

I used to use Hydroment's Latex additive and the Premium Dual Purpose Thinset
with the Latex added @ 100% purity as well...

both products (PCI or Hydroment) NEVER FAILED and worked like a charm for me!!!

Never had a failure when I did the floors that way........
bill_vincent
14 years ago
The only time I'll do that is if I'm going over lightweight concrete (like Gypcrete). Beyond that, it really doesn't help. The latex in the thinset is more than good enough, so long as the slab is sound and clean. If it's not, it should be (clean), and if it's not sound, then, as I said above, it needs to be membraned.

I used to use Hydroment's Latex additive and the Premium Dual Purpose Thinset
with the Latex added @ 100% purity as well...

I take it you used Flexalastic latex and Tile mate thinset? It's a good system, but for concrete, it's overkill. Hydroment's Singleflex would be more than sufficient.
PoorOwner
14 years ago
Ditra for sure..
I tiled over my bare front porch slab before learning about ditra, now one tile is loose.
If you need it, then you need it. I did a quick look at the price, and it looks like you will save alot if you get the Ditra 20 + ditra 10 to cover 300 ft then getting the big ditra 30 roll. (About $450 vs $600)

and check for asbestoes, it is a valid concern.

Travertine floor over slab

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azstoneconsulting

bill_vincent

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