Slate tile walkways & concrete walkways?

Question

I was told that you can use slate (indoor/outdoor flooring) tiles outside on walkway if you mortar them over a concrete walkway.Do they have to be mortared to a concrete walk or is there another way to place the tiles?Part 2. Can you use concrete you mix at home from a bag for laying a new small concrete walkway or do you have to order mixed concrete from a concrete supplier?

The tiles are from Home Depot and are manufactured slate flooring tiles.They are indoor outdoor tile.They are shown as an outdoor patio in their current sale paper.Thank you both for your informative answers.

Answer 1

If what you're talking about is REAL slate milled into "tile" then it is the same as Field Stone, but far more brittle. Natural slate is extremely porous, and much like Plywood, it's a natural Laminate substance.

Just a day or two ago I answered a similar Q. Certainly answer number one is valid in suggesting that "TILE" be secured with an even coat of Exterior mortar, in your case, allowing there will be no voids. You could even install the tile by pressing them down enough, to push the mortar up through the seams/joints, allowing then, that you don't have to grout. Smoothing the lines will be similar however.

The problems with natural slate and the conditions it will endure would likely disappoint you if you mortar textured REAL slate onto a patio. Slate Flakes, Chips, Cracks, and absorbs water. If in fact these are manufactured slate tiles, they still will need an exterior grade sealant, and re-sealing on occasion.
If they are natural slate/Field Stones, I personally would use tamped sand, or better, tamped, crushed limerock for the base. That won't be possible with manufatured TILE usually at 1/4 inch thick Plus or Minus.

Depending on the size of the concrete walk, you may want to consider having a load delivered, or renting a mixer. To do any space with BAGS will be more costly, (given that a 60 - 80 lb. bag only covers approx. 1.5 CU. FT....then time consuming, and may in fact be a dissapointment. YES you can use premix, but if you order a load it will be mixed in the proper formula/ratios, from the supplier.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

Walkway Tiles

Answer 3

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RE:
Slate tile walkways & concrete walkways?
I was told that you can use slate (indoor/outdoor flooring) tiles outside on walkway if you mortar them over a concrete walkway.Do they have to be mortared to a concrete walk or is there another way to place the tiles?Part 2. Can you use concrete you mix at home from a bag for laying a new small...

Answer 4

Slate must be firmly attached to a base of something as it is very brittle on its own.

You can use bagged concrete for a walkway but if you are going to put slate on top it must be at least 3" thick and that is a lot to mix by hand.

A better idea would be to make stepping stones with the slate on them and use those to make the walkway. You could use the bagged mix and make a couple at a time at bout 2" they would be fine. If you use the bagged mix get the one with the fiber in it if you are gonna do the stones.
Good luck