First 600 mm floor

[Drifterjoe]

Morning,

As in my previous posts I'm at the start of my pro tiling journey and building experience with the jobs of friends and family.

Anyway a mate has asked me to do his kitchen floor with 600mm tile.

What advice would you give me? Obviously the floor needs to be as flat as possible so depending on the surface (I haven't seen it yet) I'll be using SLC or 6mm backer boards taped and skimmed joints.

Then I plan on using a 12mm notch trowel and a levelling kit.

So what else should I be worried about and what would the most common problems be?

Cheers

 

[Tile Shop]

If its a cement screeded floor, hardie don't recommend laying backer boards (don't quite understand why so if someone would be kind enough to enlighten us?). However if its a wooden floor, most guys/gals will glue it and screw it as a more suited substrate to tile on than timber. The adhesive wouldn't necessarily by used used to fix it, the screws will do that, but it will help you level the floor.

So back to the concrete, you won't know whats needed til you get your straight edge and spirit level on it. But just a skim of SLC would put most floors right.

On my kitchen floor, I checked the level and it was fine so didn't use SLC. But when it came to fixing the tiles, it would seem I missed a dip (that'll teach me for not double and triple checking). I used the RLS levelling kit, and presuming the floor was flat, only skimmed the tiles and laid the usual adhesive bed on the floor. The levelling clips when tightened, lifted a tile out of the adhesive completely at one end. Didn't realise until a week or two later when I discovered it sounded hollow. So recently broke the tile out, cleaned out the hole and re-laid it with a thicker bed.

The levelling kit is very helpful for preventing lippage, but they can cause you problems if the floor is not suitably level to start with. They won't level the floor for you. You also want to be periodically lifting your tiles as you're laying them to ensure you're getting the right coverage (like I did... n't). Good prep will make the job go so much easier.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Check how flat the tiles are - some 600 are bent!

 

[Drifterjoe]

And if they are bent what then??? Take them back???

 

[Andy Allen]

Don't lay them brick bond for a start..

 

[Rookery]

Back skim the tiles

 

[LM]

If it's a new or anhydrite floor check that its dry enough to tile and at this time of year pay respect to the temperatures. Also if its a large area consider your expansion joint requirements.

 

[lukeb]

Make sure floor level to start with.......If using levelling clip system trowel back of the tile for solid bed(essential)
I use leveling clips on all large format rectified tiles----while you get use to it as some tilers find it more time consuming...never mind the adhesive