Bathroom tiling - raise sanitaryware?

[Adrian Boliston]

I am shortly about to complete a purchase of a "new build" apartment, and got a tiling contractor in to give a me a quote on doing the floor in my bathroom.

One of the first things he said is that the developers have not left a standard 15mm gap between the chipboard subfloor and the base of the toilet and basin, as I was sort of expecting the tiles to be fitted *round* sanitaryware rather than *under* it!

I'm a bit worried that having to raise the sanitaryware will add to the cost so am considering some type of tile substitute that can be fitted *round* the sanitaryware - has anyone got any ideas of what I could lay which would not require lifting the wc & basin?

[Lobster]

I would prefer to tile under a loo/basin than round them, but there's no reason why you can't do so. Bit more cutting of funny shapes of course, which will take time, and might offset the time taken to 'elevate' the sanitaryware? Get a quote for both versions, then you can decide.

David

[Andrew Gabriel]

One comment I would make is that ceramic floor tiles in a bathroom can be slippery in wet feet, so you'll probably need a rubber backed mat to step out onto from the bath/shower.

I think they normally go underneath, at least that's what I did, but I fitted the floor before the loo, basin and bath were fitted. Could you not use your "not quite completed" leverage to get the builder to refit the bathroom after the floor is done, tell him that the flooring contractor said this was necessary and has been done wrong?

You don't want water being able to leak into the chipboard, which would mean any such join should be sealed.