Which Adhesive for Slate???? does it really cost £53 per 20KG!!!!

[JohnnyC]

Hi

I just bought some Natural Grey Slate Tiles - and was sold 6 x 20kg BAL Natural Stone Adhesive ........at £53 a bag!!!!

Was this necissary? or could I just use plain old Grey Tile Adhesive at +/- £25 for a 20kg bag????

I was told that for natural stone this was the best option.........if it is the best have I just been taken for a ride on the price?

THANKS

[Droopy]

I've never used Bal Natural stone addy.
But that is a horrendous price for any addy IMO.

Pretty sure a normal SPF would have done you.
I would have used Nicobond Natural Stone Speedfix, or Xtra, though.
Both well under half the price of what you paid.

[monty]

I rang topps up before for price on materials.....and he advised topps own brand fast flex for there rustic black static slate?? Can this adhesive be used for slate??

Cheers

[Turkish]

What about BAL PTB? Is that any cheaper? Think that`s pretty good for slate.

Turkish

[Droopy]

I rang topps up before for price on materials.....and he advised topps own brand fast flex for there rustic black static slate?? Can this adhesive be used for slate??

Cheers

Yes it can.
I prefer to use Nic' Natural Stone addy, just because it is far better for building up than normal Rapidflex.
But even their (Nicobond) non flexi fast set can be used with slate, as long as you are not going onto a wooden floor.

[monty]

Yes it can.
I prefer to use Nic' Natural Stone addy, just because it is far better for building up than normal Rapidflex.
But even their (Nicobond) non flexi fast set can be used with slate, as long as you are not going onto a wooden floor.

Cheers mate...

[JohnnyC]

Hi

I was sold this at Topps !! I think I am going back 2morrow!

Very impressed with this forum!! Thanks you.

[Grace'sDad]

£53 is the RETAIL price - not trade.

It is expensive but it's also a good premium product. You get what you pay for.

Ask on here what addys others have used. Afraid I can't suggest another as I am still a slate virgin! (done just about every other stone though, including Basalt)

[Droopy]

£53 is the RETAIL price - not trade.

It is expensive but it's also a good premium product. You get what you pay for.

Ask on here what addys others have used. Afraid I can't suggest another as I am still a slate virgin! (done just about every other stone though, including Basalt)

The retail price of Nicobond Natural Stone Speedfix is about £30.
That is also a good premium product.

[whitebeam]

I use porcel flex by sovereign on slate and any other dark natural stone £16.50 for 20kg grey, Don't knock it until your;ve tried it.

[wayne]

the nicobond gear is great and specially designed for stone. doesnt go off too fast either which is a bonus when its a bit warmer

[ToppsTilesHelp]

Hi, yes the price you were sold at was retail price. If you are a trader the price for toppfix(palace adhesive) 20kg flex white is £16.49 If you havent got a trade account get signed up, Nearly 50% of all stated tile prices and more on adhesive and grout. Thanks scott.

[dock]

Hi

If its uncut slate of variable thickness then cost out Mapei Adesilex P4, bed thickness can be varied up to 20mm thick to accomodate variable thickness of slate. If slate is cut and of same thickness cost oiut Mapei Keraquick

you might save a few bob!!

dock

[CTD HAYLEY]

Hi There ,


I work for CTD and i have just priced Bal Dunlop large format & natural stone adhesive 20kg at £17.80 each + vat this excludes trade discount at 20%

If you need any further assitance please contact me on 0800 7837007

Or if you would like to open a trade account please send address details

[TilingLogistics]

Hi, yes the price you were sold at was retail price. If you are a trader the price for toppfix(palace adhesive) 20kg flex white is £16.49 If you havent got a trade account get signed up, Nearly 50% of all stated tile prices and more on adhesive and grout. Thanks scott.

I used to find the price varied too much with Topps from shop to shop and Manager to Manager.

Kev

[JohnnyC]

Hi All

thanks for your response - We took the Adhesive back to Topps and they exchanged it for BAL PTB adhesive and gave us a great discount at around £20.

now lets see how the wife gets on with the tiling!!!

[dock]

I can see that you are keen to keep the labour cost down but is that a wise decision!!


dock

[sWe]

Check out Ardex's products. They've got some good gear for fixing slate.

[Selina]

I use porcel flex by sovereign on slate and any other dark natural stone £16.50 for 20kg grey, Don't knock it until your;ve tried it.

I see this product requires new concrete and cement screeds to have matured for a month. Does that waiting period apply to most/all similar products, and will the same apply if we use some kind of exterior grade self-levelling floor compound such as Adesilex P4?

We're tiling over some rather thin and patchy concrete which was laid about 4 years ago. It's going to need some kind of something first to cover where weeds are breaking through (!) as well as levelling to get rid of a slight slope.

[kilty55]

hi selina,what do you mean weeds are breaking through?

are you tiling outdoors ie over slabs?

[Selina]

I'm tiling outdoors, yes, but over some concrete laid four years ago over bare earth, Seems it was laid a bit thin in places!

[kilty55]

so thin concrete poured righton top of earth?

i wouldnt advise tiling that selina

[Mike]

it's probably sinking in areas hence the cracks. as above not good enough to tile on. the concrete would need relaying on a solid(whacked) bed of gravel . i'd put a dpm in it too

[Selina]

That's what I was afraid someone would say.

So maybe I need to clean it up and put another layer of concrete on it first?

[Mike]

by clean it up you mean remove it? i would, then dig down 4 to 6 inches of soil then put hardcore/sub-base down whacking a few times then dpm then 100mm to 150mm of concrete. if you're mixing it yourself make sure you put additives in to prevent cracking in cold weather and expansion joints if it's a large area

[Selina]

I didn't do the job myself. As I recall, the guy that did it did in fact put hardcore down (sorry for misleading you all), but the hardcore must have had enough earth mixed up with it for weeds to have pushed through in places.

I didn't intend to leave it for four years before putting something on top of it to keep it dry.

[doug boardley]

if the concrete has cracked Selina, then so will the tiles whatever adhesive you use.

[whitebeam]

As above to all, it needs ripping out and redoing..

[Selina]

if the concrete has cracked Selina, then so will the tiles whatever adhesive you use.

I don't think it's cracked so much as holes have worn through near the edge where the concrete was spread too thin. I haven't seen any cracks as such ... I'l have another look tomorrow in the daylight.

[Selina]

Thanks though, all of you, for your advice. It is gratefully received even though it may not be what I want to hear!