How to grout a slate floor under a wood stove?

Not sure I’m in the right place for this question. I have a Jotul combi fire #4 ( the one that looks like an Easter island head) . It sits on a grouted slate floor

After years of use the grout has dried and the slates have come loose. My best guess is I used the wrong grout when I laid the tile some 20 years ago

I need a recommendation as to how to best lay the slate so it does not come loose

First, make sure the substrate (the surface UNDER the tile) isn't to blame for the grout failing. If you are going to re-do the slate tile, it'd probably be good insurance to put some cement board (Durock NextGen or Hardibacker) down for a new, clean, and ready-to-go surface for your tile......Use good thinset and good grout, and it'll be a cakewalk.......

On the plus side, it worked for 20 years, but a slate floor should have held up longer, and I would suspect a material failure somewhere.

If you are going to replace/reset the entire floor I agree with Scotty, clean everything really well, install a good cementitious backer board and use quality thin set and grout. These are not products to skimp with IMHO.

Cheers!

Anyone that says tile is a cakewalk is either a professional or is just plain crazy! ha.

Tile is very easy in my opinion!

Thank you both


I'm going to replace the Jotul with a progress hybrid.. which calls for a subfloor with an r ~0.8. With an "ash lip" (do they mean ash pan?) this goes down to 0.4.

1/2" Cement board, R=0.39, and tile, R=0.02, meets this lower spec

One thing I'm thinking about is mineral board under the tile.I found one product below, it has an R=1.04.. My tile area is roughly 4x6 so I'd need several sheets ( they come 2x4). The advantage would be to exceed the R spec

Anyone have any experience with mineral board? Anyone know another vendor?

TIA

--G


SBI Micore-300 Mineral Fiber Board -

http://www.efireplacestore.com/sbi-...nnelid=FROOG&gclid=CK3yo-PUk7QCFS-RPAodDgcAGA

Opps.. they do not mean ash pan

They mean a small plate that extends out in front of the stove

http://woodstocksoapstoneco.blogspot.com/2011/11/progress-hybrid-with-front-ash-lip.html

Not a professional . . . or plain crazy . . . just very methodical and I listened to what folks here were saying about how to build a hearth and tile . . .

tile is a Cakewalk.....

Now hanging stone veneer is a tad harder....this is what I'm into right now....

No I am NOT a professional. Yes I AM crazy......

Good advice already, they gave you a good start. 20 years did well for you. I did a slate for my hearth rebuild. I removed the old wood that had split and dried out resulting in cracking mortar and loose tiles. If putting in a PH, make sure you have plenty of strength in the floor below it to reduce deflection which would cause popped tiles. I rebuilt using metal joist hangers, new 2 x's toenailed in. Construction adhesive on top of the 2 x's, 3/4" plywood screwed and glued down, then hardi and concrete to bring it to level. There will be a lot of weight sitting on that hearth. Good luck. Be sure to put up some before and after photos.