Stone Floor - How to restore???

[nova30]

I have found that my Kitchen floor is actually flagged under my current ceramic floor tiles. I now want to restore the flags but am unsure what to do! I have three questions that hopefully someone might know the answer to.

1. What is the best method to remove the ceramic floor tiles?
2. How would I prevent moisture from coming through the flags?
3. Which sealer would you recommend to coat the flags when I have finished? (I want to retain the original colour of the flags and also make sure that it is long lasting)

 

[simonh1024]

Hi Nova, I deal in ceramic tiling , so I can answer some of your questions.

Firstly, taking up floor ceramics is always a pain, it all depends on the type of adhesive used to put the tiles down with.

Usually, a hammer and bolster does the trick, even better a sds hammer drill with the right tool bit, but you don't want to damage the flags. Basically, the ceramic bracks either well or comes off in little bits, and usually leaves some of the dried adhesive on the surface. Thats the tricky park, getting rid of the adhesive without damaging the flags. A small chisel with light hammering comes to mind.

I don't quite understand why you are worried about moisture, if there is moisture problems in the first place, the ceramics would have never stayed down long, how long have they been down? Do you know what was used to put down the flats and what the floor was they went down upon?

If you have got the ceramics off, got the old adhesive off and theres a little roughness to the flags, a pro stone expert can use a cutting machine which takes a bit of the surface off the he can do a final 'buff up'.

Finally, he could seal, or you could seal it, just go to a good tile shop, not homebase etc, and they will sell you the right thing.

Personally, I'd get a stone expert in and let him do the work because it's a cow of a job which I'd never touch!!!!!