Floors flexing

[mikedavey]

Hi

I'ved just tiled a chipboard floor. I screwed down NO MORE PLY which after some research seems to be similar ro hardy backer board. Customer was worried because he felt like the floor was flexing...............:mad2: I hope he was wrong.

Do floors really flex? If so how much do they flex?

The floor is not grouted yet which i hope will make a difference.

They felt fine to me but now i'm parannoyed.

Can someone put my mind at rest please.

Mike​

 

[DHTiling]

Is it a floating floor mike...?

 

[grumpygrouter]

Yes floors can and do flex. Best way I have found is to put a glass of water on the floor full to the brim and then walk around it. If it doesn't overflow I then stamp my feet around in various places. If it still stays in the glass I feel it is oK rigidity wise. If in doubt, board out or use something like Fastflex.

Grumpy

 

[Gazzer]

What was the floor like before you screwed the NO MORE PLY down. Its not a get out of jail card. The floor still has to be suitably strong. I cant see NO MORE PLY adding that much strength to a floor, its my choice of floor though but only if the original floor is strong enough.

 

[Grace'sDad]

There seems to be a tendancy at the moment to think that screwing down 6/9mm of composite board is going to allow use of standard flexible adhesives on floors which really should be properly strengthened before tiling.

I like hardibacker / nomoreply as a backer board but not as a floor strengthener.

Surely the only 2 sensible options are 18mm+ ply properly fastened down (after checking existing floor / joists etc) or use of something like BAL FastFlex???

 

[mikedavey]

Thanks for your replys guys..............now i'm really worried. it was carpeted beforehand & as far as i'm aware jusr mormal chipboard flooring.......dunno anymore than that really. He did lay 5mm ply on the floor so i told him that that was no good, spoke to topps tiles & they sugested to use hardy backer....no more ply i think is the same (Kinda). Customer supplied addy as he didn't trust tilers due to being ripped off beforehand by a tiler. it was flexi addy..not BAL but surely ok to use.
I told customer it will flex as it's a wooden floor but it's ok as the addy flexs with it.............

All i wanna do now is grout it & get my £££'s before i find out some bad news.

Mike

 

[grumpygrouter]

Hi Mike, there are flexible adhesives and "really" flexible adhesives. Normal fley's will be ok to compensate for small thermal type movements between substrate and tile and there a really flexible stuff designed to allow for more movement such as BAL fastflex or Ardex 7001. You can also mix an additive to make standard stuff flexible.

I wouldn't be happy using a "customer supplied " flexy unless I was SURE it was suitable.

Proceed with caution IMO.

Grumpy

 

[m4ubs]

Has anyone used Mapei Keraquick with the Latex liquid (2 part)...your meant to be using flexi grout n all....dont worry itl b reet 😉

 

[Fekin]

All i wanna do now is grout it & get my £££'s before i find out some bad news.

Mike

lol, you don't want to start sounding like an eastern european Mike :lol:

 

[DHTiling]

Don't forget though..flexible adhesives and grouts are for minimal movement..if there is alot of movement then it needs sorting first......