Jump to content

Bathroom floor tiles - advice please.


Hamster
 Share

Recommended Posts

We're having a complete new shower room, shower cubicle, toilet, vanity, no bath and wall to wall tiles including the floor. The floor appears to be 20 odd mm chip board secured with loads of screws but is creaky when stepped on, the plumber says he's done everything bar floor tiles before and isn't 100% sure the floor tiles won't crack !

 

My question is will it be adequate with the right sort of flexible floor grout, what is the bullet proof option ? Many thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hardibacker or ply the floor and then tile onto this using a flexible adhesive, screw the existing floor boards down, if needed lift them and glue to the joists and screw. Screwing should be enough though.

Hardibacker 6mm needs to be laid on a tile adhesive using a 10 mm notched trowel and screwed where it's marked no closer than 20mm to the edge and stagger the joints, once laid you tape the joints and fill with adhesive. Ply 9mm wbp is screwed at 100mm centres with the joints staggered aswell like plasterboard on a ceiling. Use flexible adhesive and grout and your tiles will be fine.

Russ

 

If you need any advice feel free to ask

Edited by pegleg31
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firstly you wouldn't want to lay tiles down on chipboard. Replace it with marine ply wood and add some noggins to the joists if they need firming up.

Then put the ply wood down, grid it every 6 inches and drive screws down tight.

Sounds like overkill but you'll regret a floor that moves because even if the tiles don't crack the grouting definitely will.

 

Cos

Edited by Cosd
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you are stripping so much down, can you lift and relay the sub floor to eliminate any movement?

 

If not can you add a further sub floor of say 12mm ply to stabilise it further before tiling?

this doesn't work most of the time Grr, mine is a floating floor with 12mm ply over board and it still lifted, although the work was carried out by the previous owner i had to rip out and redo the floor, even with Baal flexible adhesive it doesn't really work. I ended up putting a few extra screws in and latexing before putting down some decent vinyl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hardibacker or ply the floor and then tile onto this using a flexible adhesive

 

Won't this raise the floor to the extent it won't be possible to have a smooth transition into the hallway ? Or does the floor itself need to be lifted and binned ? Sorry not a builder type. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to be involved in the tile industry and i'd advise screwing the chipboard down until there is no more movement then overlaying with Aquapanel. This will need fixing too using stainless steel screws then fix tiles using a flexible adhesive and grout. Dont scrimp on the adhesive and grout either-go for a brand like Bal.

 

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Knauf-Aquapanel-Tile-Backing-Board-1200x900x12-5mm/p/220561

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Make sure the tongue and groove chip board sheets are screwed firmly down to the floor joists,

 

Then use a flexible adhesive suitable for use on timber floors, if you don't screw the sheets firmly down to the joists the finished floor WILL crack and lift,

 

Do it once and do it right mate, there should be no "creaky boards" if fixed down properly,

 

If need be set a circular up to cut 20 odd mm deep and cut a few access panels into the floor to find out where the pipes are, this way you will avoid putting screws thru pipe work, or use a pipe detector to locate pipes , just be aware that it could be plumbed in in plastic pipe( if you use pipe detector), you can follow the route of pipe work up from boiler to rad and taps etc( your plumber should be able to give you a rough idea of pipe work location)

 

Turned into more than throwing just a few tiles down eh!!!!

If your spending the dosh , do it properly first time, that way you have no hick ups in a few months down the line,

 

PS, plumbers are the laziest trades out there beware!!!! Ha ha ha , I know , I manage many tradesmen each day,

 

Atb

 

Flynny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Won't this raise the floor to the extent it won't be possible to have a smooth transition into the hallway ? Or does the floor itself need to be lifted and binned ? Sorry not a builder type. :)

You'll hardly notice the raise its what i do.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Yourchoicehomeimprovementservices?ref=bookmarks

Edited by pegleg31
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The most common problem with tiling straight over chipboard is the tile adhesive with make the screw heads rust and eventually they come off and the floor starts moving again-then the tiles lift.

 

Always use stainless steel.

Correct, stainless screws, I did my bathroom floor tiling over chip board 5 years ago, doing what I said in my post, it solid as the day it was laid,

 

Atb

 

Flynny

Edited by flynny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The most common problem with tiling straight over chipboard is the tile adhesive with make the screw heads rust and eventually they come off and the floor starts moving again-then the tiles lift.

 

Always use stainless steel.

I went to a job the other day where there was 30m+ of tiles laid directly onto floor boards and they'd cracked along every joint. Unless you're using some sort of decoup Matt I wouldn't consider tiling directly onto floor boards if they were screwed every 20mm because where there's no joists there will still be deflection and the cracks will eventually show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to a job the other day where there was 30m+ of tiles laid directly onto floor boards and they'd cracked along every joint. Unless you're using some sort of decoup Matt I wouldn't consider tiling directly onto floor boards if they were screwed every 20mm because where there's no joists there will still be deflection and the cracks will eventually show.

 

I agree.

 

For a top job remove the chipboard completely and use 2 layers of Aquapanel instead fixed with stainless screws every 10cm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to a job the other day where there was 30m+ of tiles laid directly onto floor boards and they'd cracked along every joint. Unless you're using some sort of decoup Matt I wouldn't consider tiling directly onto floor boards if they were screwed every 20mm because where there's no joists there will still be deflection and the cracks will eventually show.

Flood boards will need screwing down firmly, then a 9mm ply fixed over the top using stainless screws or stainless ring shank nails at 4" centres, as long as everything is fixed firmly and as long as a decent flexible adhesive suitable for timber is used , you will have no problems,

I agree.

 

For a top job remove the chipboard completely and use 2 layers of Aquapanel instead fixed with stainless screws every 10cm.

No need to take up the chip board at all , chipboard covers more surface area than a 5" wide floor board so far less joints, floor joist should be at 400mm centres, as long as the chipboard is screwed on every joint and joist and there is no creaking/ movement , it's not a problem to tile on top using the correct adhesive,

 

Atb

 

Flynny

Edited by flynny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flood boards will need screwing down firmly, then a 9mm ply fixed over the top using stainless screws or stainless ring shank nails at 4" centres, as long as everything is fixed firmly and as long as a decent flexible adhesive suitable for timber is used , you will have no problems,

 

No need to take up the chip board at all , floor joist should be at 400mm centres, as long as the chipboard is screwed on every joint and joist and there is no creaking/ movement , it's not a problem to tile on top using the correct adhesive,

Atb

Flynny

Floor joists are generally fixed at 600 centres. They are fitted at 400 and 450 centres but mostly at 600. Again I wouldn't directly lay tiles onto chipboard flooring. Then again there's tilers who'll tile onto painted plaster, use porcelain tiles on plastered walls without considering the weight etc..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Floor joists are generally fixed at 600 centres. They are fitted at 400 and 450 centres but mostly at 600. Again I wouldn't directly lay tiles onto chipboard flooring. Then again there's tilers who'll tile onto painted plaster, use porcelain tiles on plastered walls without considering the weight etc..

correct from 400mm to 600mm for floor joists, still no need to rip the whole chipboard floor up,

 

Atb

 

Flynny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...