tiling over chipboard floating floor! help needed

[Arn Wheeler]

hi everyone,

firstly i went to have a look at a kitchen floor that needed tiling.now there were tiles already down on a chipboard floating floor with foam sheets /celotex underneath it.
the customer has removed all the floor tiles and surprisingly they got them up well, and got all the excess adhesive up as well.

when i quoted the job i had it in my head to get nicobond plastic ply but got distracted when i was quoting and forgot to mention it.
by now Ive spoken to the customer explaining the figures didnt add up in my quote.and there like 'hmmmm well OK , how much is it going to cost extra' . i don't want the customer doubting my knowledge as i have been tiling for over 7 years and am fully qualified

so i replied with sorry my mistake and i will sort it , even if i meet them half way with a price to use plastic ply.

now if i was to ask them to get the carpenter to lay ply down first would it firstly be 15mm or 18mm because i was always told at college use 18mm marine grade ply wood. if i use plywood would you recommend screwing down every 6 inches squared.

what thickness would you recommend and the grade???

and does anyone know how much plastic plywood be to cover 22 m2 in area? i can find out tomorrow with nicobond but want to get my views over now to everyone. 🙂

i will be using bal apd to prime floor area. and bal single part flexi adhesive with bal super-flex grout.

or could i tile straight over the chipboard. (tbh id rather not because i know it can course cracking and in the future will cause problems). p.s its not by the tiling bible 😛 lol

thanks for looking.

reply's would be very helpful.

cheers

 

[kilty55]

hi aren personally i wouldnt tile it

 

[Arn Wheeler]

that really hasnt helped me kilty55. but what if a plywood covers the existing plywood?

 

[CJ]

If you are fully qualified, then you will know the problems floating floors cause. I am with Kilty55 on this. I personally don't touch floaters anymore.......as you usually get a phone call fairly quickly.

Sorry to pee on your chips.

 

[Arn Wheeler]

tbh this is the first time ive had to tile over a floating floor.the floor feels solid and doesnt bounce plus its not guna have alot of heavy foot traffic over it. what experience have you had with floating floors then CJ. the ceramic tiled floor that was down previously was absoultely fine with no signs of cracks or any tiles lifting.

any way thanks for that bit of info guys. i will go ahead and tile it and hope for the best......fingers crossed.

 

[CJ]

I have seen tooo many tiled floors that should never have been tiled.............you could feel the movement. Large cracks usually appear in line with the joints.

Hoping for the best may.......or may not come back to bite you if it does, it could cost you more in the long run.

If your gonna "hope for the best" then at least use 2 part and wide joint with additive.

I'D STILL REFUSE THIS JOB.

 

[Arn Wheeler]

tbh this is the first time ive had to tile over a floating floor.the floor feels solid and doesnt bounce plus its not guna have alot of heavy foot traffic over it. what experience have you had with floating floors then CJ. the ceramic tiled floor that was down previously was absoultely fine with no signs of cracks or any tiles lifting.

any way thanks for that bit of info guys. i will go ahead and tile it and hope for the best......fingers crossed.

 

[Arn Wheeler]

CJ what '2 part' and 'additive' would you recommend?
and is this based on tiling straight on top of the chipboard floor?

cheers pal

 

[Lukass]

I'm with above posters. I would not touch that especially when you paying half for materials. Sometimes is better to say no.

If i have to tile that with a owner sticking gun to my head, I would probably use 18mm ply with plenty screws and stick Shluter Ditra Mat (I don't tile on timber floor without Ditra anymore) on top with Mapei Ultrabond, than use Keraquick with Latex. If there is still tiny movement I would use Latex instead of water with Mapei grout, it does however make it darker and dry fast.

 

[Rookery]

I wouldnt tile on a floating floor either. It may feel solid but if you put a pendulum laser on the floor and walk about you'll see how much the beam bounces therefore showing you the movement. Equally I wouldnt tile over ply either, I'd use Hardie.