Hello,
I'm in the process of finalising the spec for a wet room. It involves the conversion of what used to be the original kitchen in a 1930s built house. The existing floor is constructed of 6-inch square very, very hard red tiles (quarry tiles??) set on a concrete base. The finished surface of the tiles is smooth and absolutely flat and level, but they're darn cold.
A builder I've spoken to has suggested lining the floor with a thin layer of ply fixed at 6-inch centres to provide a suitable base for the vinyl floor/shower covering. As well as providing a smooth surface on which to stick the vinyl, he says the ply will provide additional insulation against the otherwise cold surface of the tiled floor.
I haven't yet decided whether to specify the use of one of the "instant" wet-room solutions (the ones with the fall and trap all built into a unit ready to sink into the floor) or to go with some other approach.
What's the bset way to do this? Is a layer of ply going to turn an otherwise cold surface into something that's acceptable in a wet-room (given that it will have a layer of vinyl on top of it)? Should I be asking the builder to put insulation under the ply, or should I insist on ripping-up the floor and installing under-floor heating? Is it generaslly better to use one of the packaged wet-room solutions (to ensure consistency and accuracy of fall) or are there good reasons for sticking to a more traditional approach?
Any advice would be very welcome!
Thanks,
Mike