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Property/DIY

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Original poster

I just want a flagstone floor! Why is it so hard?

25 replies

loveka · 12/10/2018 20:31

I am having a farmhouse style kitchen refit.

I really want a flagstone floor, that looks old. The house is old, so it's very fitting.

I was going to get tumbled or riven limestone, had got loads of samples etc.

Then the fitter said they would be a nightmare to fit, and that underfloor heating wouldn't work and the floor would have to be dug out and a watermain moved as they are so thick.

And then lots of people say they are rubbish.

I have got some slate samples now, but I think they wont look the way I want.

I want the uneven sort of chipped edge look.

For the love of god, someone help me before I totally lose the plot! Please.

OP posts:

GreyGardens88 · 12/10/2018 20:33

Well worth the effort surely, I don't have one myself but they're just gorgeous

bestegg · 12/10/2018 21:13

What about a flamed yorkstone? It has a texture similar to riven and looks 'older'.

What depth was the flooring you were looking at?

ChocOrangePlease · 12/10/2018 21:22

I've got tumbled limestone in my old house, we put it through most of the downstairs.
https://www.mandarinstone.com/product/dijon-tumbled-limestone/
It's beautiful, practical and hides all the dirt.
We bought it during the sales. It wasn't a bargain due to fitting and extras like grout and sealants but it's a great choice for rustic country.

user1484830599 · 12/10/2018 22:27

I'd dig you my (original) flagstones up and you can have them They never look clean, and bits get stuck in the grooves. They do look lovely, but I would never choose to have them!

Is it the sort of thing you can pick up at reclamation yards?

Original poster

loveka · 13/10/2018 06:02

The depth is 20cm. Floors of Stone say underfloor heating will work, my fitter says not!

OP posts:

averylongtimeago · 13/10/2018 06:04

Is your fitter a plumber?
For an answer ask the underfloor heating supplier.

SylvesterTheCat · 13/10/2018 06:09

20cm? That's quite deep isn't it?
I'm watching this thread with interest as I also like flagstones and we'll be doing a kitchen soon.

Soontobe60 · 13/10/2018 06:21

I've got large tiles that look like flags in my kitchen. They are beautiful! Far far cheaper than the real thing, less dusty ( flags can be really dusty!) and more durable, cheaper to lay and underfloor heating works well with them.

I just want a flagstone floor! Why is it so hard?

Snowglobes · 13/10/2018 06:23

ChocOrangePlease they are gorgeous!!
We’ve inherited a black slate floor and it always looks filthy and dusty. Although still a rustic look it’s a far cry from the gorgeous flagstone floor. The issues seem to be around the fact that it’s 20 deep. Maybe give them &. Mandarin Stone etc a call asking if thinner are available & what they recommend. Failing that I’d be finding a different fitter! Or at least getting a second opinion.

Allgirlskidsanddogs · 13/10/2018 06:27

Don’t.

I have them. They look great but they’re hard, unforgiving and soooo very cold.

SylvesterTheCat · 13/10/2018 08:24

@Soontobe60 they're really lovely. Where are they from (unless you inherited them)?

SylvesterTheCat · 13/10/2018 08:26

(Oh, and your whippet is lovely - or is it greyhound?)

RandomMess · 13/10/2018 08:29

20cm deep sounds ridiculous???

Do you mean 2cm

WhoWouldBeAnEngineer · 13/10/2018 08:33

20 cm or 20mm? The thicker the stone the longer it will take to heat up, conversely the longer it takes to cool down - thermal mass.
What stone are you thinking of what you say flag stones? I've been fitting 15mm and 20mm limestone in the hall and livingroom (small area not the whole room) and I've found it b very practical.
To fit wet underfloor heating it's not uncommon to have to dig the floor out, this usually means totally stripping the room though. The digging out is to fit the pipework and insulation required.

Knitwit101 · 13/10/2018 08:34

I would think heat would take a long time to get through 20cm of stone. Are you sure that's right? I guess eventually you would feel heat but it would be hugely inefficient and expensive to run. So maybe the stone salesman is being overly optimistic so you will buy his stone and the plumber is being more realistic about how it will actuàlly work in real life.

WhoWouldBeAnEngineer · 13/10/2018 08:35

Topp "Devon Bone" is a porcalin tile that mimics limestone. It's hard as hell, pretty and 6mm thick!

whitemarble · 13/10/2018 09:33

These look like the sort of thing you're after and say they are suitable for underfloor heating, the issue with thickness and whether you have to move a water main etc is a different matter though. Have you tried asking a different fitter?

www.farmhouseflagstones.co.uk/products/gallery/old-mill-interior-flagstones

BubblesBuddy · 13/10/2018 10:05

They are not 20cm!!! 20mm is less than an inch. Some flagstones have differing depths and are a nightmare over underfloor heating. You need an even depth.

They are a nightmare to clean. The “lived in” look is often uncleanable yuk! It gets in the riven uneven finish and often they have wide grout joints which also harbour yuk. Everyone I know that has them is either rich so gets them cleaned professionally or wishes they had something else. Large old flagstones are very difficult to find.

Slate is just too grey for a farmhouse. Look for a much smoother stone and go for something you can actually clean unless you get professional cleaners in of course. My cleaner also went to a barn with a stone floor. She nearly cried over trying to clean it! Total nightmare apparently.

Original poster

loveka · 13/10/2018 11:22

Sorry yes 20mm!

OP posts:

Original poster

loveka · 13/10/2018 11:24

Tbe problem with the fitter is he is doing the whole renovation. So I would have to get someone else in which might piss him off.

OP posts:

cujo · 13/10/2018 22:23

I’ve got a limestone flagstone floor with underfloor heating. I did have to dig down to the block and beam to get the depth in my kitchen and it does heat up differently to the extension where there is more screed depth but they look amazing, are easy to clean and heat up well.

You need a decent fitter to fit the larger slabs but they are beautiful when in

I got mine from quorn stone near Leicester and they were v reasonable. Mine are Dijon blend tumbled in the free length slab format

nononsene · 13/10/2018 22:40

We have this in our hall with underfloor heating and I love it.

We do have radiators as well, the underfloor heating was just to take the chill off the floor underfoot. The electrician said it wouldn’t work but it was lovely and warm underfoot.

nononsene · 13/10/2018 22:43

I would agree with a previous poster that it was a bit of a pain as to really get it clean I had to get down on my hands and knees and scrub it with a scrubbing brush as mopping really didn’t get into the indentations.

nononsene · 13/10/2018 22:45

We also put them at the bottom of an original stone staircase so had to get something that wasn’t too thick otherwise the proportions of the bottom step would look wrong.

MidLifeCrisis2017 · 13/10/2018 22:46

I inherited rustic slate and it was impossible to clean, dirty water just collected in it.

Now have the Topps Devon with underfloor heating and my only regret is not having darker grout.

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