Hi, newbie here so go easy please! 
Apologies for the long post!
I'm replacing a number of black and red Victorian quarry tiles in a number of areas in an otherwise good floor. The originals seem to have been set directly into lime mortar but have a very hard, cement-like, grey grout.
In one area I have removed a brick arch with two stub walls. Here I have successfully cut out a small section of tiles that had been trimmed around the stub walls and am planning to refix whole tiles (other than where they are cut into triangles at the edge of the floor which is laid in a diamond pattern). So here I have a part brick, part lime mortar subfloor. The lime mortar is generally sound but has obviously broken away a bit where I removed the tiles.
In two other areas I am filling in gaps one of which appears previously to have had a timber stud wall or maybe a doorway with a wooden threshold and the other is in a doorway to a room which has a suspended timber floor - here I am 'filling in' the gap between the carpeted room and the tiled floor.
Of these two latter areas one is very small (the 'threshold / stud wall' - (a door's width by one tile) and probably only 2 or 3 inches deep, the other is a little larger (ie. a door's width by say 12") but this one is probably a foot or more deep.
My questions are:
1) what, if anything, do I need to do to the brick / lime mortar before I apply the tile adhesive.
2) will a standard tile adhesive work ok on the lime mortar and can I build it up to 'infill' the broken mortar, or should I try and add new lime mortar to level off first?
3) In the areas which did not previously have tiles I need to bring the subfloor level up enough to get a matching finished level. What is / are the best way(s) to do this?
4) What grout should I use and what can I colour it with as I obviously don't want bright white grout lines!
I'm guessing I could build some shuttering and pour a new subfloor but in that case should I try and match the lime mortar or use concrete? I know that lime mortar takes an age to dry out, but equally am nervous about introducing new concrete alongside old lime in an old house.
Alternatively, maybe I could try cutting back the floor joists to enable me to fix down some 25mm WBP ply. I know this will mean weaker joists but as they are in a doorway they should not be bearing much load anyway? Are there any other options?
I do have a supply of ready mixed lime mortar as well as some fine lime filler paste in my possession.
Thanks in advance!
Apologies for the long post!I'm replacing a number of black and red Victorian quarry tiles in a number of areas in an otherwise good floor. The originals seem to have been set directly into lime mortar but have a very hard, cement-like, grey grout.
In one area I have removed a brick arch with two stub walls. Here I have successfully cut out a small section of tiles that had been trimmed around the stub walls and am planning to refix whole tiles (other than where they are cut into triangles at the edge of the floor which is laid in a diamond pattern). So here I have a part brick, part lime mortar subfloor. The lime mortar is generally sound but has obviously broken away a bit where I removed the tiles.
In two other areas I am filling in gaps one of which appears previously to have had a timber stud wall or maybe a doorway with a wooden threshold and the other is in a doorway to a room which has a suspended timber floor - here I am 'filling in' the gap between the carpeted room and the tiled floor.
Of these two latter areas one is very small (the 'threshold / stud wall' - (a door's width by one tile) and probably only 2 or 3 inches deep, the other is a little larger (ie. a door's width by say 12") but this one is probably a foot or more deep.
My questions are:
1) what, if anything, do I need to do to the brick / lime mortar before I apply the tile adhesive.
2) will a standard tile adhesive work ok on the lime mortar and can I build it up to 'infill' the broken mortar, or should I try and add new lime mortar to level off first?
3) In the areas which did not previously have tiles I need to bring the subfloor level up enough to get a matching finished level. What is / are the best way(s) to do this?
4) What grout should I use and what can I colour it with as I obviously don't want bright white grout lines!
I'm guessing I could build some shuttering and pour a new subfloor but in that case should I try and match the lime mortar or use concrete? I know that lime mortar takes an age to dry out, but equally am nervous about introducing new concrete alongside old lime in an old house.
Alternatively, maybe I could try cutting back the floor joists to enable me to fix down some 25mm WBP ply. I know this will mean weaker joists but as they are in a doorway they should not be bearing much load anyway? Are there any other options?
I do have a supply of ready mixed lime mortar as well as some fine lime filler paste in my possession.
Thanks in advance!
