Getting close to crunch time

[velcro]

Is this job in France.......just curious as to why a French adhesive. Is it cheaper than/available in the UK?

Yes ... it's in France, on top of a Lafarge screed (Agilia Sols A), and with 150m2 to do, I didn't think that buying the addy here would be a good plan. The price I've been quoted (29.90 EUR for a 25kg bag) didn't seem too bad.

Haven't made up my mind about the grout yet ... with smaller volumes, I could buy it over here, and I've been thinking about BAL Superflex or Superflex Wide.

 

[velcro]

You are missing a good bottle of scotch, a quiet place to escape to when things look bad and a good holiday when your finished!!!

Good luck, be calm take your time and remember this will be your master piece...

One of the nice things about it being in France is that wine is in abundant supply. It's also in the back of beyond, with no telly or internet, so come the evening, after tools have been downed, there's little to do other than sit in front of the fire with the music in the background, a good book & a bottle of local red. :8:

Re my masterpiece, I sincerely hope so, but time will tell.

 

[faithhealer]

just a thought, used 'french' mapei before and the weather was cold (for southern france) and setting times were miles slower, so would our addy go off too fast? answers on a postcard please...

 

[Ajax123]

just a thought, used 'french' mapei before and the weather was cold (for southern france) and setting times were miles slower, so would our addy go off too fast? answers on a postcard please...

Gypsum based adhesive tend to be rapid setting anyway regardless of whether they are French made or UK made. Typical ot life of 40 minutes and you should spread no more than you can lay tiles in about 10 minutes cos it starts to skin on the floor. I know Creative are working on this but it is a time away yet. The French boys do this so much better though cos they are used to using these adhesives.

25 Euros is about the same sort of price as the UK gear (converted) so sounds about right.

one interesting story I had a couple of weeks ago was that a builder had used Gyvlon Screed and then tiled using Gypsum based adhesive but had to remove a couple of tiles to do a repair to a hearth. He said he had a biatch of a job getting the tiles up.......not the issue I usually get complaints about.

 

[Ajax123]

Velcro - did you source the adhesive yourself or were you given any advice from Lafarge Beton or La Chappe Liquide in making the choice?

 

[velcro]

just a thought, used 'french' mapei before and the weather was cold (for southern france) and setting times were miles slower, so would our addy go off too fast? answers on a postcard please...

I won't be able to tile until the UFH has been commissioned & brought up to temperature, so I'm not expecting to be able to start until December, when the average day temperature is 9 or 10, dropping to 1 or 2 overnight. In the house, I don't expect it to fall below 6. There'll be little or no heating in the house (I'll have to have the UFH off, and will just have a wood burning stove to heat the whole house). There'll be no traffic, and no great pressure to grout, so I don't suppose slow setting times will be an issue. In fact, given my novice status, I'll probably need all the time I can get 🙂

 

[Ajax123]

There is no reason why you shouldn't have the underfloor heating running to give you a surface temperature of 15 to 20 degrees C whilst you tile is there?

 

[velcro]

Velcro - did you source the adhesive yourself or were you given any advice from Lafarge Beton or La Chappe Liquide in making the choice?

This was the addy recommended by the tile shop where I got the vast majority of my tiles. I've had great difficulty talking to the guy that laid the screed - I get answerphone which he doesn't reply to & no response from my emails. About all he has done is send me a quote, do the work & then send me the bill. I've not spoken to anyone at Lafarge. Do you think there's an issue with the addy? The technote looks a good fit.

If anyone's interested, the screed was 21eur +VAT per m2 for a depth of 5-6cm.

 

[Ajax123]

This was the addy recommended by the tile shop where I got the vast majority of my tiles. I've had great difficulty talking to the guy that laid the screed - I get answerphone which he doesn't reply to & no response from my emails. About all he has done is send me a quote, do the work & then send me the bill. I've not spoken to anyone at Lafarge. Do you think there's an issue with the addy? The technote looks a good fit.

If anyone's interested, the screed was 21eur +VAT per m2 for a depth of 5-6cm.

No Velcro I don't think that there is a problem with the addy at all - on the contrary it makes a change to see someone pick the right stuff. Gypsum on Gypsum means no adverse reactions and a long term bond. Having said that of course there are shed loads more Gyvlon screeds going down in France compared to over here. I was just wondering if Lafarge over there were as pro active as we are over here. I guess though if the tile shops are advising correctly then Lafarge don't need to interfere really.

I just read what I typed and am now wondering how many people I will offend by the content......sorry everyone......

 

[velcro]

There is no reason why you shouldn't have the underfloor heating running to give you a surface temperature of 15 to 20 degrees C whilst you tile is there?

Oooh ... if only. Unfortunately, the sticker (from Lafarge) left by the "chapiste" said I have to bring it up to temperature progressively, and then stop it at least 2 days before tiling. If I knew what I was doing, and had +ve experience of not doing it this way, I'd be tempted, but as a newbie I don't think I've got any choice but to follow the tech notes.

Typical life of 40 minutes and you should spread no more than you can lay tiles in about 10 minutes cos it starts to skin on the floor.

that'll be about 2 tiles then :smilewinkgrin: