As you begin to prepare yourself for the anguish and the pain of installing slate tiling in your home, I commend you. For the choice of doing such a thing, I will provide my suggestions for the best tools for a job well done.
First off, you must most definitely need some tile grout! Yes, the grout that is often used in construction work. There is a grout for tiles, and what grout does is fill in the void that exists between two adjacent tiles, and seals the deal.
Grout is lined up between the slate tiles by way of a grout float. A grout float is pretty much a trowel-like tool. It is flat-edged and smooth, such that it smooths out the grout line you create in the first place. Also recommended is a grout sealer. It is a water-based applicant that you place over fully dried grout. It will keep oil and water out of your beautiful slate tile flooring.
You will also need mortar for this slate tile journey. Yes, it is the same “mortar” as the phrase “brick and mortar” store. It is the other half of the phrase that isn’t the brick. It’s the concrete-like paste that binds all of the bricks together, and it will be the paste you use to keep the tiles together.
Made up of water, sand and cement mortar is quite a construction staple.
To add to the madness, it is recommended that you have a variety of hand saws ready. One almost mandatory type of saw is a “wet saw”. This is a table saw that has a continuous stream of water spraying, such that the blades remain cooler and to keep the debris (from random slate tile edges) from flying out and becoming shrapnel to you.
Also, don’t forget your safety goggles!
One other item you should check out is a chalk lining tool. You unwind it by pulling it out of a measuring tape-like contraption, and it ends up being a twine full of chalk.
It is very easy to use. Just hold the container at one wall, pull the twine out to the opposite wall, and snap the chalk onto the surface. Immediately you will get a straight edge lined for you.
Do this for the opposite remaining 2 walls, and you will have a nice largely chalked intersection (where you can place down the first slate tile flooring).
So, there you have it. But, do not take my word for it. This is merely a list of recommended tools for your very first slate tile flooring project, and you can feel free to add more as you like. The better quality the tools, the better the quality will be seen in your finished floor. Good luck!
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