Bal Grip and Fastflex

[grumpygrouter]

Just secured my first "New Build" job and I will be tiling bathroom walls and floors. I have been provided with Bal Grip for the walls and Fastflex for the floors. Walls are bare plasterboard and I am being asked to tile straight onto the chipboard floor.

I have never used either of these adhesives before and looking at the blurb from Bal they seem suitable for the jobs. Wall tiles are are 250x 200 and the floor are 300x300.

What are your opinions guys, and is there anything I should know - will the 2 part flex mean I need to bin my tools for instance?

Any advice gratefully recieved as always.

Grumpy

 

[McP77]

Fastflex is a great adhesive. You don't need to bin your tools but you do need to work cleanly. Gloves a must.

Used Bal Grip a while back, seemed ok if I remember.

 

[Dave-T]

personally i'd use whitestar for the walls, as plasterboard can give a bit of movement, and also its much more water resistant than bal grip. Fastflex would be fine though as long as the floor is reasonably solid.

 

[DHTiling]

personally i'd use whitestar for the walls, as plasterboard can give a bit of movement, and also its much more water resistant than bal grip. Fastflex would be fine though as long as the floor is reasonably solid.

good advice there dave-t... white star much better, and make sure boards are well screwed down ,not nailed...

 

[GazTech]

good advice there dave-t... white star much better, and make sure boards are well screwed down ,not nailed...

I agree with my partner in crime there🙂

 

[grumpygrouter]

Thanks guys. Did suggest that white star would have been better but materials had already been obtained (from Topps Inverness Gaz)prior to the request for my estimate so unfortunately I am stuck with it. Floors seem very solid. Didn't notice any movement as I walked around but I did also mention to the builder that it was normal practice to board out the floor with ply. They seem to think that it is normal practice up here to tile over chipboard! Will ensure that the floors are screwed not nailed.

 

[Dave-T]

if it was me doing it, then i would advise them that theyve decided against your professional opinion to use a different adhesive, so any claims for grout cracking/tiles coming off the wall are not your responsibility. the last thing you want is the tiles coming off, and them blaming you. 99 times out of 100, you wont have a problem... but if you go ahead with theyre adhesive without querying it, then make sure the walls are damn solid.
As for the chipboard floor, Builders say a lot of things. They seem to love theyre floating floors, but they make life so much harder for everyone else. I'd allways ply over, or better still put tile backer boards over chipboard. But again, thats the choice of the customer. You'll almost certainly be fine, but i've allways upheld the policy to never risk if your not 100%. Remember claims take away money from the beer fund. 🙂
I'm not trying to put you off, or discourage you... just having been on the wrong end of a claim on one of my first jobs, im very very carefull now, and dont want to see other people get caught out as well.

 

[grumpygrouter]

if it was me doing it, then i would advise them that theyve decided against your professional opinion to use a different adhesive, so any claims for grout cracking/tiles coming off the wall are not your responsibility. the last thing you want is the tiles coming off, and them blaming you. 99 times out of 100, you wont have a problem... but if you go ahead with theyre adhesive without querying it, then make sure the walls are damn solid.
As for the chipboard floor, Builders say a lot of things. They seem to love theyre floating floors, but they make life so much harder for everyone else. I'd allways ply over, or better still put tile backer boards over chipboard. But again, thats the choice of the customer. You'll almost certainly be fine, but i've allways upheld the policy to never risk if your not 100%. Remember claims take away money from the beer fund. 🙂
I'm not trying to put you off, or discourage you... just having been on the wrong end of a claim on one of my first jobs, im very very carefull now, and dont want to see other people get caught out as well.

Will be taking your advice and dropping them a letter when I invoice them explaining that I am not responsible as things are not being done the way I would prefer and also that BS standards appear tobe being ignore. Thanks Dave.

 

[McP77]

Which BS standards are being ignored?

 

[grumpygrouter]

BS 5385 seems to be the reference. Not read it myself, a bit expensive to buy at £128 but I seem to recall quotes from it somewhere.