How best to Tile a room?

[mp3wizard]

ok thanks, ive got a plastic grout float, can I use that?

yes I've watched some videos, i'll need to pour it in spread into corners, and use the spiked roller right

 

[Old Mod]

Gosh, it's truly not that simple.
Will you have help?
You'll need it.
You have to keep a wet edge.
If you prep your floor properly you'll have a lot easier time of tiling it.
Please don't underestimate the execution of latexing over your heating cables.
It's very easy to get very wrong.
The only thing self levelling is water,anything thicker like latex, will level out, but only to a point.
After you've stuck and screwed the boards and taped the joints, and laid your UFH mats, you need to survey your floor.
Assuming you have a level, find the highest point of the floor.
Using 25mm screws, place one so that the screw head is 5mm higher than the insulation board.
Using this as your start point, put them every few feet around your floor, using your level to keep them as level with each other as you can.
So that when your pour your latex you have a visual guide to the amount of latex you require in different areas of the floor.
Use them as markers, just don't screw one in to the UFH or too close to it.
You'll need someone to mix for you, follow the instructions to the amount of water to the letter. Get a measuring jug. Use a whisk in a drill to mix the latex. Do not mix by hand, you won't get it correct.
Once mixed,let it stand for 2-3 mins, then mix again, then pour.
Don't just empty the bucket in one go, try to pour the required amount in that area.
Once poured,run the roller through it and it should help level it out. Use a trowel to push it around if required, but the more you trowel, the more likely you are to cause unevenness in the floor.
And if you add more water than required, you will make the latex weak and unstable. DO NOT BE TEMPTED!
I hope that's of help to you.
Yes there are other methods, and maybe someone can suggest an easier one.
But if you survey the floor properly, and take your time, not only will you end up with a flat floor, you'll save yourself so much grief when it comes to tiling it. It's worth all the messing about, especially as you've never undertaken anything like this before.
Best of bleeding British! Cos you will need it.

 

[White Room]

You could purchase a 2 part slc, might make it a tad easier so you mix the right combination.

 

[mp3wizard]

Thanks for those tips, obviously I've been watching videos and reading articles, but there are definitely useful tips such as the screws as a guide, which I hadn't thought about.

I'm planning to prepare as much as possible and get my wife to mix whilst I'm pouring the first batch. It looks like I will need an extra 3 bags of slc then, will there be a problem if I buy a different brand? I'm guessing I just need to ensure the volume/consistency is exactly the same as first 5 bags?

 

[Old Mod]

No, you have to mix according to the guide on the back of the bag.
Try use other bags in separate areas like the bathroom or utility, I'm sure you get the idea.
No disrespect to your wife, this however, is very heavy work!
You need to mix a complete bag at a time.
Do not mix partial bags.
Get a gorilla tub or similar.
Each mix will weigh well in excess of 30kg, it will take the two of you to transport it to the pour area and to pour the bucket exactly where you need it.
You'll need something like a plasterers bucket to spin the whisk in after you've mixed.
By the time you pour and go back to your whisk it will have dried on the paddle, spin it in water immediately after and it should stay clean.
Try and have as much clean water beside you as you can if you can't use a hose.
You have to work as quickly as possible, once you start, you can't stop.
You need to keep that wet edge.
Be methodical.

 

[Old Mod]

You need to plan your pour, this may sound daft, but don't work yourself in to the corner of a room, make sure you work toward an exit.
I'd suggest covering your patio, if you have one, with a large tarp or board and have everything outside, and work toward the patio doors.
It'll be the biggest door, that way you can carry the bucket together.

 

[Old Mod]

Survey your floor before you buy extra slc if you can, failing that, buy from somewhere that will let you return excess bags.
8 is the bare minimum you will need for a constant
5mm covering.
After you've surveyed the floor, if any of the screws are higher than 5mm from the board, you will need more. So put half in and measure their height, you should be able to gauge how level the floor is by then.
It's approximately 1.7kg per mm depth per metre squared.
23.33 x 1.7 x 5 = 198kg divided by 25 if 25kg bags
Or 20 if 20kg bags.
That's 8 bags @25kg
That's 10 bags @20kg

 

[mp3wizard]

I've got everything apart from the spiked shoes, would it matter too much if I did it in boots?

So by maintaining a wet edge it just means that the slc needs to stay constantly wet around the edges?

Is it safe to use the spiked roller all over the underfloor heating without damaging the elements? And the screws put in to visually see the levels, they'll just stay in place if I go over them presumably?

 

[Flintstone]

I think 3 fall has covered most of it for you.
I wouldn't mix brands at all just get more of the same. Better to get more than you need as if you run out that will be a real pain.
I wouldn't walk all over wires with spiked shoes personally. I use a spiked roller with an extendable painters pole which goes to about 3m long when it's extended, that's normally plenty, it really really helps to spread it out nice. If you do need to get down and trowel it, I normally just tickle it with a large notch trowel so your only moving 50% of it with a sweep, if not you end up just moving the slc away and causing more problems than your solving.
I always mix a full bag at a time, then when it's ready to pour I pour about half into a normal size bucket so it's more manageable then I pour it in a line etc so it's not all getting poured in one big heap

 

[White Room]

I've got everything apart from the spiked shoes, would it matter too much if I did it in boots?

So by maintaining a wet edge it just means that the slc needs to stay constantly wet around the edges?

Is it safe to use the spiked roller all over the underfloor heating without damaging the elements? And the screws put in to visually see the levels, they'll just stay in place if I go over them presumably?

Yes it is safe....