DIY Network

Tiling with Stacked Slate This rock tile has a great rough-hewn feel. From "Bathroom Renovations" episode DBTR-503

Stone isn’t just for fireplaces: Amy Matthews shows how to take tiling to the next level by using stacked slate on an interior wall.

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Dress up a wall with stylish slate.

Materials:

pine or plywood for batten board
screws
thinset tile adhesive
drill with paddle bit
1/4" x 1/4" square-notched trowel
tape measure
marker
wet saw
safety glasses

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

Tiling with Stacked Slate

• This beautiful stacked slate will cover the wall over and around the custom vanity in Andy and JP’s new bathroom. The teak vanity countertop will be installed later to protect it from damage during the project, so Amy cut a long piece of wood – called a batten board – and attached it to the wall so that the top edge rests where the top of the countertop will sit. Screw the batten board into the wall studs to prevent it pulling out of the cementboard wall.

• Dry-fit the tile on top of the batten board to see if any cuts are required (figure A)

• Wearing a dust mask and safety glasses, mix thinset tile adhesive according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For this large tiling job, Amy and the homeowners used a drill with a paddle bit to mix a large quantity at once.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and a dust mask when mixing thinset adhesive, powdered grout or any other tiling material. Also, use caution when working with a power drill or any other power tools.

• Installing the slate follows the same procedure as for any other tile: Apply thinset to the wall with a 1/4" x 1/4" square-notched trowel (figure B), place the tile and wiggle it into place for maximum adhesion (figure C). This design doesn’t use any grout; set the tiles flush with each other on the wall.

  Note: If taking a break during tiling – whether for lunch or to cut some custom tile shapes – make sure to scrape any excess thinset off the walls so that it doesn’t dry on the wall.

• The new bathroom design includes wall-mounted faucets and hardware. To fit the slate around these fixtures, line up the tile over the fixtures and mark the width on the tile (figure D). Then, measure the height of the fixtures and mark the height.

• Wearing safety glasses, use a wet saw to cut the slate as needed (figure E). To make holes for fixtures, first use the saw to cut at each edge of the material to be removed, going up to the height of the fixture. With these cuts done, run the tile through the saw several times to remove material between the edge cuts.

  Safety Alert: Always use caution and wear safety glasses when cutting any type of tile, whether with a power saw or with hand tools.

• If one of the stacked slate pieces comes away from the tile – as it did during this project – don’t despair. Simply butter the piece with thinset and set it in place when mounting the main tile.

• For pieces that are cut to go around plumbing fixtures, butter the back of the tile with thinset instead of applying the adhesive to the wall. Place the tile and wiggle into place to adhere.

• Once the tiling is complete, let the adhesive cure according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

RESOURCES :
Stacked-Slate Tile
American Slate Co.
Website: www.americanslate.com