Large Kitchen with Electric UFH - 2 Quotes - Advice Please?

[kitchentiles]

I am installing a new kitchen and utility room.


The total area to be tiled is approx 40 sq.mtr.


The existing floor was tiled, I have now removed these and got the adhesive up as well so am now down to the concrete slab as best as I'm going to get it (it is pretty good after spending hours on the SDS drill getting the adhesive off).


The whole floor is going to be laid wall to wall before the new kitchen is installed.


I have chosen new tiles, they are porcelain 60x60cm to be laid straight bond. I also want to install Warmup Electric UFH.


I have had 2 quotes to tile the floor and install the electric UFH.


The two tilers are differing in the way they are going to do it, I don't know which is best?


Quote 1
SLC the floor
Install insulation boards with adhesive
Install warmup wiring mat
Adhesive and Tile on Top




Quote 2
Install insulation boards with adhesive
Install warmup wiring mat
SLC the floor
Adhesive and Tile on Top


As you can see the SLC is in two different places depending on who does the job?


To be fair when they quoted the existing floor was still down, now I have got it up and got the adhesive off really quote well so it is down to the concrete base.

Both tilers have been recommended by a tiling store.


Any advise please?

 

[Gazzer]

I would go with option 2 as the slc over the ufh mat will give protection to the mat while tiling and it helps slightly to disperse the heat when the ufh mat is fully encapsulated in the slc.

 

[Gazzer]

Of course this all depends on how flat the subfloor is , it may need slc before if its too bad.

 

[jonnyc]

i would certainly reccomend having the tiler cover the mats with levelling compound to protect them from damage during installation of tiles.
it may well be necessary to latex the concrete base so it is flat enough to stick down the insulation boards.
i would get both of them to look at subflloor now, with tiles removed and requote if necessary

 

[kitchentiles]

Thanks, I forgot to mention the reason Quote 1 didn't want to do SLC is because he has had problems with the cables poking up when the SLC is setting....

 

[Gazzer]

Then he isnt doing it right. There are ways !

 

[Old Mod]

I would go with option 2 as the slc over the ufh mat will give protection to the mat while tiling and it helps slightly to disperse the heat when the ufh mat is fully encapsulated in the slc.

i would certainly reccomend having the tiler cover the mats with levelling compound to protect them from damage during installation of tiles.
it may well be necessary to latex the concrete base so it is flat enough to stick down the insulation boards.
i would get both of them to look at subflloor now, with tiles removed and requote if necessary

Ditto!!
Single cable system better than mat anyway, more versatile and no sticky up mats haha

 

[CJ]

As above. Option 2

it does depend on how good the sub floor is. If do able,

1. Prime
2. Lay insulating panels
3. Lay Heating cables.
4. Self level (12-14bags)
5. Tile

 

[foggy34]

option 2 for me! but as said above may need levelling first too

 

[Houston]

for me any discrepancies with substrate prime it then prep with slc, fix insulation boards prime again, heating mat then slc over mat then tile

 

[jonnyc]

I always estimate that to cover heat mats properly to approx 5-6mm you will require 1 x 20 kg bag self levelling with fibres to cover 2.50 sq mts.
ie 40 sq mts needs 16 bags but that includes covering areas under units where mat is not fixed so yo end up with even flat floor.

if your fixer has had problems with mats floating up in past he has only himself or the mats he uses to blame.
even with good sticky mats of good quality we still use tape over loose wires and spray glue.
the key is to never leave self adhesive mats overnight before covering and especially if moisture in the air..
they tend to curl up
fixing a cement backed insulation board over 40 sq mts is a man days work and if fixing mats next day , best to prime the boards on first day and let dry out over night.
i know good tilers who cover the heat mat cables or just cable with flex adhesive the day before tile fixing and nothing wrong with that. horses for courses

 

[Houston]

personally I prefer mat than cable. I'm on a job at the moment were we have had to remove about 25m2 Karndean flooring with UfH and insulation boards back to substrate because client wasn't happy with levels etc.. using tilemaster level flex for the first time thought I would give it a go, thanks to DH Tiling for highly recommending their products. Some pics to follow

 

[jonnyc]

personally I prefer mat than cable,

me too. which make do you use ?

 

[jonnyc]

i forgot to ask.
what thickness of insulation board and what type are the tilers prposing to use. the thickness of insulation certainly makes a difference.

 

[kitchentiles]

i forgot to ask.
what thickness of insulation board and what type are the tilers prposing to use. the thickness of insulation certainly makes a difference.

10mm Warmup Boards