I see a lot of people discussing wether to grout and seal tile or slate or not to based on cleaning preference. I wanted a way to ensure easy cleaning and yet also grout the tile as I didn't want gaps for my dragons nails to get stuck in so decided to tile a piece of wood the same size as my floor. This way I could just lift it out and clean it thoroughly when needed. This was done for a crossfire viv so YOU MUST cut the two pieces in half so you can get each one out and pass the trim. I drilled a 3/4 inch hole under each piece so I could stick a heavy dowel through to lift each piece. I suppose someone could devise a handle or something.
The Process
I used melamine because I had extra laying around. You could use plywood but I would suggest at least 3/4 inch as you dont want it to bend and twist when your taking it out to clean because the grout would most likely crack.
I had a friend who owns a tile saw which made it easy to make the cuts. He had to take the wood to his fathers house to cut it, this is where I made a small mistake and had to make extra cuts on the slate. What he was suppose to do before cutting the pieces in half was to lay out the tile and cut accordingly. Instead he blindly cut it. No big deal though. easy fix.
I then took the tile and glued it down with liquid nails. Once that is dried I will then grout it. It actually makes grouting much easier doing it this way. Grouting is messy and needs to be cleaned which would have been a bit more time consuming trying to do it inside the viv.
Once I am done with grout I am going to seal it with Aqua Sealer. http://www.aquamix.com/products/pg_detail.asp?pdid=25875&pgid=37155
This sealer is not only water based but is made for food preparation areas so I figured it has to be safe for our beardie. It is a tad expensive but you only need a quart which will do up to 5+ applications. I plan on putting at least 3 coats of this sealer on the slate.
I will update the finished floor when done.
Here are a few pics:
Here is a pic of the slate sitting on the melamine before our final cuts.
After being glued
The Process
I used melamine because I had extra laying around. You could use plywood but I would suggest at least 3/4 inch as you dont want it to bend and twist when your taking it out to clean because the grout would most likely crack.
I had a friend who owns a tile saw which made it easy to make the cuts. He had to take the wood to his fathers house to cut it, this is where I made a small mistake and had to make extra cuts on the slate. What he was suppose to do before cutting the pieces in half was to lay out the tile and cut accordingly. Instead he blindly cut it. No big deal though. easy fix.
I then took the tile and glued it down with liquid nails. Once that is dried I will then grout it. It actually makes grouting much easier doing it this way. Grouting is messy and needs to be cleaned which would have been a bit more time consuming trying to do it inside the viv.
Once I am done with grout I am going to seal it with Aqua Sealer. http://www.aquamix.com/products/pg_detail.asp?pdid=25875&pgid=37155
This sealer is not only water based but is made for food preparation areas so I figured it has to be safe for our beardie. It is a tad expensive but you only need a quart which will do up to 5+ applications. I plan on putting at least 3 coats of this sealer on the slate.
I will update the finished floor when done.
Here are a few pics:
Here is a pic of the slate sitting on the melamine before our final cuts.
After being glued
