Floor levelling advice please

[turbo33]

I had to destroy a couple of floor tiles to trace a leak in the central heating. Needless to say, the tiles are no longer available! Its a small area, 4mx1.7. The tiles have a slightly gloss/uneven surface. The options are to rip the whole lot up and start again, which is a hideous thought for a variety of reasons. So could I have some advice as to the way to prep and spread floor leveller over these prior to laying vinyl. I would like to get away with the minimum amount, fill the grout and down to 1mm in door thresholds. Can anyone advise...primer, leveller etc. I have a reasonable level of skill, can plaster, so would I be up to this?

Thanks in advance.

[yanto]

First, check that the tiles are well fixed. If they are, patch in the holes with sand/cement(pva/SBR to prime), then scrub tiles to make sure there is no polish layers, then prime with SBR/water, let dry till slightly tacky and level with any cement-based self levelling compound, normally available at all builders merchants. You'll get 4-5m2 from a bag at 3mm thick. Remember that levelling compound will level so if the whole floor is off then it will want to run that way to a certain extent. Fill any holes with silicone first or it will disappear!

[turbo33]

Thank you Yanto. Would Sika SikaCem PVA be suitable as a primer?

[yanto]

It will give you priming recommendations on the bag of levelling, but any building PVA or SBR bonding agent is generally compatible with cement based levelling

[turbo33]

Thanks Yanto.

[timps]

2 hours ago, turbo33 said:

Thank you Yanto. Would Sika SikaCem PVA be suitable as a primer?

I wouldn’t use PVA on a floor as PVA remains water soluble after drying so any damp and it will reconstitute back to its former liquid state, I’ve investigated quite a few jobs where this has happened and floors are more likely to suffer damp issues.

SBR is not water soluble after drying so I’d go for an SBR primer for flooring.

[turbo33]

Sound advice Timps, thanks.

 

[Modafinale]

Forget all the above advise ! 
clean the tiles with soapy water and let dry 

fill the void with a repair mortar.

screed the tiles with Ardex NA as per instructions and use a spiked roller to remove your trowel marks .

That’s what a pro should use ( ps I do it 5 days a week)

[millrace]

Pva....love it......lol

Should be banned from use cause no one reads what it is actully suitable for!!

There are appropriate compounds for this go to tile / vinyll shop ring a local dunlop/sika rep and get proper advice general laytex at 1mm over tiles will just turn to dust!!

[Jim Neal]

I'd take the tiles up if it was me.  You can then get a proper thickness of levelling compound on, and it will be much more securely bonded to what's under the tiles rather than the surface of them.

Actually if it was me I'd just re-tile it.  I'm not a massive fan of vinyl!

You've probably thought of this already but are there no tiles hidden under anything that you could carefully take up and use to replace the broken ones?

Alternatively, if you can take up the last row at each end of the floor and salvage a couple, then replace those rows with something to contrast the rest, like a sort of border?

[lampro]

Give them a scrub and use Ardex Na I use nothing else on my jobs its great stuff garrentee it won't budge or crack.on your tiles.no.need to.prime 

11 hours ago, Modafinale said:

Forget all the above advise ! 
clean the tiles with soapy water and let dry 

fill the void with a repair mortar.

screed the tiles with Ardex NA as per instructions and use a spiked roller to remove your trowel marks .

That’s what a pro should use ( ps I do it 5 days a week)

👍.only 5 I'm.sick of working Saturdays on.my knees

[Modafinale]

I will work weekends , but the price is eye watering 👍🏻

[turbo33]

Thanks for all the replies chaps..........🤔

[vampire]

Mapei 3240 then Sika rapid dpm,follow instructions for primer on bag.

[al4x]

Ahh we are in a similar boat but fortunately the leak wasn’t under our tiles.  I’ve uncovered all the pipe in our living room screed so have the channels to fill In once the plumber has replaced the pipe.  The damp proof is interesting as it’s a 17th century house and they have laid a tar layer but it’s that good we never found our leak as the water was going downwards as fast as you filled In the system.  I’m debating whether to screed the pipes or use self levelling so any advice would be great

Edited May 23, 2021 by al4x

[Jim Neal]

Pipes should be wrapped in Denso tape to prevent cement bonding to them, hence allowing slip during flexing of floor so as not to break the pipes or their joints.  If it's just chased out to get to the pipes you can just screed it back up level with existing, no great skill needed, 4:1 sharp:cement, easy job

[al4x]

Many thanks, that’s confirmed what I was thinking was the best way forward