Tiling bathroom floor

[Tom W]

Hi all,

I'm aware this has been discussed in previous threads, most of which I've read through at length. However, I'm about to take the plunge and get started so thought I might pass my plans by the group to see if anyone notices anything alarming in what I'm proposing....!

We currently have a seperate bathroom and toilet, both too small to be comfortable, and are proposing to knock through to make one big(ish) bathroom. The dividing wall is non-structural, built on top of the floorboards, and should be relatively easy to remove (once cistern and radiator are removed...). Our intention is to tile the floor in the new bathroom - currently we have carpet on lino (on 1940s newspaper!) on floorboards. The boards are mostly in good nick, except for where a previous central heating installer has attacked them. We want to put underfloor heating in under the tiles to keep our feet warm in winter, and intend to use the electric cable & mat route with controller mounter outside the bathroom. In order to make sure the tiles don't lift, we're going to need to put chipboard flooring and insulation down - but if we put this over the floorboards, then add the UFH, then the tile adhesive, then the tiles, we're going to have a floor that's about an inch higher than the hall. So the plan is to remove the old floorboards, replace with chipboard, then add thermal tile backer board, then the UFH, then the tiles.

My main concern is that some of the central heating pipework runs under the floor (the hw tank is in a cupboard in the bathroom) so we're going to be making any future access to that pipework well nigh impossible. Having just been at a friends house where a solder joint gave up last week, I'm a bit nervous about the same happening at some time in the future under our tiles... I'm pretty much committed to the route I'm going to take, but if anyone has any suggestions re. providing access to pipes under floors, or sees anything in the above plan which rings alarm bells, your input will be much appreciated!

Many thanks

Tom

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[That Bloke]

We have fitted an electric mat system on a concrete floor with 10mm of insulation. It was claimed it would come up to heat in 30 mins. Not true more like an hour and a half to get to full heat.

I would lift the boards and put 150 mm of insulation on top of a net attached to the bottom of the beams then put your flooring back, then insulation board and lay your tiles on the flooring. You will need a slot for the thermostat cut in the flooring.or the insulation mat.

The thermostat in mine was faulty but I got the tile back up no problems so do not grout that tile until all is working well.

If you leave a few tiles to get access to the pipes without heating underneath you will feel how cold they are. It is really obvious when you stand on them.

eddie

[Tom W]

Thanks for the reply - I'll take your advice and add extra insulation under the floor - shouldn't add much to the job and it will help to keep the room underneath warmer too (a kitchen with no heating at all). As for the cold tiles, I had a feeling it might be obvious if I left a gap - I suppose I'll just have to hope the fittings under the floor will last as long or longer than my current taste in flooring!

Cheers

Tom