My screed floor looks flat, but its certainly not.
Comparing the high and low points, there is upto 10mm difference in height.
I was originally going to put some self leveling down, but my neighbour (who is a tiler) talked me out of it. Instead, he said that I could vary the thickness of the adhesive to level the floor.
Is this suggestion OK? If so, whats the maximum thickness of adhesive that I can lay?
Jon
The stuff I'm using says it can manage up to 10mm in small areas. However, I haven't gone anywhere near that thick.
You can take up quite a bit of irregularity with flooring adhesive that you mix from dry powder, because its cement based. However, 10mm sounds a lot unless its just the odd void that you could splodge in more adhesive. If its a slope or change of level of 10mm between two side of the room I would suggest this could be quite tricky for a DIYer to compensate for esp. if you haven't laid floor tiles before.
This morning I have layed 24 of 100 tiles, and was pleased with the results.. In laying them, I have realised how un-even the floor is, but feel that I am doing a good job at leveling it with the adhesive, by putting it on the floor AND 'buttering' the back of the tiles where needed.
Its taking time, but I am getting there.. I would say that 70% of the floor is at the correct level and the other 30% are 'patches' where the floor us no more that 10mm lower (probably a lot less).
In one corner I am having to build up the level a lot more than anywhere else, but it seems to be going OK.
I guess the true test will be when its finished and I start walking on it.. If the tiles start to shift, then I guess I am in trouble.
I don't know if this will make it stronger, but I am raking out all of hte adhesive from between the tiles, so that I can get a good load of grout between then when I grout the tiles at the end...
My fingers are crossed!
I am using 'Dunlop' Rapid Set and as you say it is f**king expensive.. I think I payed around £17 per bag, and was told that I needed two.. Trouble is that I have done 1/4 of the job and already used 1 bag.. Gulp!! Looks like I will need atleast one more (probably 2)
Fortunatly, as long as its OK to lay it thick, I don't mind what it costs, it will just be nice to have a floor and finally get to use the conservatory (some 2 months later than planned)
No worries about removing the stuff from between the tiles.. I made up a 'tool' which is basically a 3" nail, hammered into a piece of dowelling.. I then cut the head of and rounded it off and am using it as a hand held spacer and scraper.
I have been going back to the joints all day and scraping as much of the adhesive as I could get out of the cracks, so there will be loads of space for grout.
I did start of going straight, by following a spirit level, but found I was going uphill relative to the back of the house!.. Looks like the conservatory (and the back of my house) is slightly downhill, so I have decided to follow the line of the floor and simply level out the dips instead!
I must admit that laying the tiles has been harder than I thought.. So much goes on at the same time, your are either mixing adhesive, or laying tiles, or checking the spacing, or raking out the gaps, or cleaning the tiles off.. It never seems to stop.. I seem to have spent most of the time cleaning the tools and bucket, so that I could have a quick break for a cuppa.. I figured that if I left it in the bucket, it would all go off and I would have to scrape everything clean before I could start again.
I just have to learn NOT to use keep using my hands.. No matter how clean I start, before I get to the end of a bucket load, I end up with adhesive all over my hands. The lime in the mix is doing untold damage.. Tonight my hands feel like sandpaper!
Anyway, I have learned loads today.. I am assuming that I will be much quicker and better tommorow.. However, my plan to be finished by the weekend is looking unlikely.. Even if I manage to lay the 'full' tiles by the end of the week, I will have to do all of the cuts and even with my 'Plasplugs' tile-cutter, it going to be a long job..
Finally, I will have to grout and clean, so I recon its going to be another week yet!
That is a very good idea. Powder grout will actially glue them down as well, as will huge quantities of PVA poured down the cracks :) Useful technique if any tiles break loose.
A tle that is fully supported at its edges will not rock and break loose. Grout can do that.
Yep. Took me 6 weeks last year watching the test series with the sweat pouring off me...that was around 40 sq meters of slate...
Mix up just enough for the job, wash hands every time you mix, empty out wash buckert and refill with clean water, lay, scrape, clean...and have another cup of coffee and catch up with the test score :)
Repeat, ad infinitum.
I have now layed 51 tiles and used 40kg of Adhesive.. I rang around and found that a 20kg bag varies from £16 to £23.. However, I found that Wickes are doing a 12.5kg bag with 20% free for £8.50, which works out 30kg for £17.
I did noticed that 'normal' (i.e non-rapid set) is MUCH cheaper.. Is 'rapid set' any better? Most 'rapid' products are not as strong as their 'non-rapid' couterparts.. Would this be true for Floor Adhesive. I am not under any time constrains and doing my floor in blocks of 20 tiles with a whole day in between and I have no plans to walk on the floor until its COMPLETELY set. If I used 'non-rapid' adhesive, would the finish be any better or worse than 'rapid'?
Th eproblem with normal set is simple. On thivk beds the tiles slowly 'slump' overnight, and the adhesive oozes up through the slits.
Also, you need to clean adhesive off fairly quickly, and it is best from teh pint of view of no disturbing teh slates, yo do it just as the cement is going off. That takes HOURS with standard cement. Which means that if you slate by day you will be up all night cleaning.
I pay the price for what I can do the best job with. That happens to be rapid set. :-)
a
Good job that I completed the job with Rapid set.. Due to work commitments, I was tiling by morning, and in the office until 10pm, so it was important that I could 'lay' and 'clean' in the same time period.
I ended up buying the Wickes Rapid Set stuff and whilst I don't think its as good as the 'Dunlop' stuff I used before, it more than good enough for the job.
Just got to lay the 'cuts' (Which I did in one go yesterday) and it will be time for grouting.. Hopefully we can move into the new room by mid-week.
Many thanks for your help with this, its really appreciated
Jon
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