SLC over a large floor prior to tiling

[Unused Account 1]

Just shows how poor the original floors are on a lot of new builds ,your right though john

 

[CheshireChap]

If you believe that then you should also be thinking that the tiling is too much for them, or do you think that we as a finishing trade are superficial.

I've been to see the job they did for a well known sports club owner. He had 100m2 of 1 m2 tiles done, the exact same ones as we are having, albeit on a smaller scale!! It is absolutely faultless.

So many negative replies on here. All I did was ask for names of a company who could do it and a lot of you guys are ripping my Tiler's to shreads!

 

[Unused Account 1]

Its the floors that are hard to get flat not your tilers mate

 

[One Day]

I've worked exclusively for high-end domestic clients all over the north-west for over a decade, and i can't think of any company who i would be happy to recommend. The honest answer i would give you is that the tilers should WANT to level it personally.
If they know a firm that can do it for them, please let me have their details!

[/QUOTE]So many negative replies on here. All I did was ask for names of a company who could do it and a lot of you guys are ripping my Tiler's to shreads![/QUOTE]

 

[Old Mod]

you guys are ripping my Tiler's to shreads!

Your tilers are not being ripped to shreads, their ability is being questioned, there's a difference.

You have come on to a professional tiling forum, not Yell.

Whilst it's not unreasonable for you to believe that this would be the ideal place to source such a company, as you have found out, the practice of getting a separate company to level your floor first is deemed highly unusual by many professionals.

We have some of the best tiling professionals in the country on here, and you've been talking to some of them.
So from our perspective, it seems a little odd, and from what I've read so far, I'd say these members were more looking out for you, rather than
"Ripping them to shreads" as you put it.
Whilst I could agree they could be construed as negative comments, in reality they're not. They're actually sound opinions, in the most part.

From my point of view, for what it's worth, it means one of two things;
1. That they're not capable of such a task, which isn't acceptable if they're being charged with laying extra large format tiles.
As a professional fitter of this type of product, you must be able to do the job from very start, to the very finish.
This is what allows you the privilege of charging special rates to undertake a project of this nature.

2. They just can't be bothered with the hassle and just want a fast buck.
This doesn't exactly install confidence either.
These materials incurr a high investment in to a home, and I'm sure you only want it doing once.
It would make me question their morals as professionals.
What sort of aftercare would you receive in the event of a problem?

You said earlier;

in the words of our tiler, done a good job with the screed. It's just not good enough for 1m2 tiles.

To be honest, if they appreciate to what standard your floor needs to be, I personally think it's a pretty safe bet that they should be more than capable of carrying out this task.
Unless of course they're on a tight schedule and that they're either using delaying tactics, or they're gonna try rush it in between two jobs, and they just want to take the cream!
I personally think none of those scenarios are acceptable.
But as always, it's only an opinion, and as we're all painfully aware, we all have one.

That notwithstanding, as John mentioned, this doesn't address the original post from CheshireChap,
And I'm sure by now he is very aware of our opinions,
So if any one can help with a suggestion,it'd be appreciated.

 

[CheshireChap]

3_fall, thank you for the summary, I mean that sincerely.

I hadn't appreciated the connection between preparation and actual laying.

I'll start the search again, someone to do the whole job.

To the rest of the respondents, my thanks to you too.

 

[John Benton]

If you have seen the the work carried out at the owner of well known sports clubs property, and you say the work is perfect, either:-

a) The tiles were fixed by your tilers directly onto the floor that was already there, or
b) They had someone in to level the floor prior to fixing

I suspect it's the former, otherwise they could find out who levelled the floor prior to fixing.

I don't understand why they are avoiding carrying the task out from start to finish. If it was me I would want the prep as near as level as is humanly possible.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Nice post Marc and I agree with every word - it's just we read so many issues on here about 'tilers' who have done a shoddy job from customers and then you get an opportunity to advise and apparently it's all negative!
In this case the Tilers are the best thing since sliced bread yet they are not up to levelling a floor for 1m tiles!
In a nutshell no decent tiler would suggest getting another company in to prepare a substrate - unless they could have recommended someone - and the OP isn't going to take any of our advise.
As mentioned use Yell.com and see if the 2 trades guarantee each other's work.
Good luck Mr Chappie

 

[CheshireChap]

Nice post Marc and I agree with every word - it's just we read so many issues on here about 'tilers' who have done a shoddy job from customers and then you get an opportunity to advise and apparently it's all negative!
In this case the Tilers are the best thing since sliced bread yet they are not up to levelling a floor for 1m tiles!
In a nutshell no decent tiler would suggest getting another company in to prepare a substrate - unless they could have recommended someone - and the OP isn't going to take any of our advise.
As mentioned use Yell.com and see if the 2 trades guarantee each other's work.
Good luck Mr Chappie

Mr Timeless Johnney, I presume you didn't read my reply else you wouldn't of written such a sarcastic reply.

 

[WetSaw]

Mr Timeless Johnney, I presume you didn't read my reply else you wouldn't of written such a sarcastic reply.

Oh I can assure you he would, but with his level of skill and experience I think he's being more frank than sarcastic.

 

[CheshireChap]

what a disappointing introduction to a site that I thought would prove to be helpful by professionals who have passion about their skills.

Whilst I have tried to be factual and honest in describing our project, I have been met with Prima Donnas whom I can only take as being so insecure when they take such delight at ridiculing 2 very competent colleagues.

Even when I take the advice of the majority and change my search to that which is recommended, I get sarcastic, not frank, comments. For those that don't understand the difference, a frank comment would not include Mr Chappy and a rather churlish reference to Yell.com as a sign off.

Not wishing to state the bleedin obvious, but why would I spent time and effort on here if I thought yell was the answer?

 

[Old Mod]

The above post is exactly what I was hoping not to read!
Perhaps sometimes professional opinions should be separated from personal opinions.

 

[Qwerty]

Agreed. This is a friendly, helpful forum. Let's keep things factual and informative please people

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Wasn't me it was Andy Allen!

 

[One Day]

He's right though about the prima donna bit!

 

[Spud]

Levelling a floor for tiling is part of the duties of a tiler it is classed as surface preparation and one of the current modules of the wall and floor tiler NVQ it isn't an optional extra that some tilers do and others don't which is why you have been met with some of the professionals on here questioning the ability of your tiler , you may well have seen his finished work but that only tells a small part of the story as what lies beneath is as important if not more important than what looks on the surface nice job as you want it to last if you are spending your money on it , you tiler is right the surface prep does need to be at a higher level of quality for large format thin tiles and to offer you a warranty on his work he should want to do his own prep work as if some 3rd party is involved it leaves you as a customer in difficult position if something goes wrong hope this helps

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Late arrival here,
if the tiler has said that the existing floor is already of a good standard (in his words), then surely its only a bit of patching up here and there to bring some areas up?
This should be totally manageable by a tiler with even just average SLC skills?

 

[CheshireChap]

The 'new' floor is good, but not good enough for 1m2 tiles. Together with the 'old' kitchen floor gives an area of 70m2. As the thread shows, the Tiler's said it needs to be perfect and they are not comfortable doing it.

I've now got Express Screed Ltd to do it for me next week using Rocatex C40 F10 Slow Flex Leveller

Fingers crossed they do it as professionally as they sound.

 

[Rookery]

The only thing I can add is that you, via your tiler, detail clearly and in writing to your contractor the exact specification required and copy your tiler in as well. IE, finished floor height, any movement joints, maximum tolerance on flatness etc. Armed with that, you can check that the work has been done to spec or not and proceed accordingly

 

[hmtiling]

The 'new' floor is good, but not good enough for 1m2 tiles. Together with the 'old' kitchen floor gives an area of 70m2. As the thread shows, the Tiler's said it needs to be perfect and they are not comfortable doing it.

I've now got Express Screed Ltd to do it for me next week using Rocatex C40 F10 Slow Flex Leveller

Fingers crossed they do it as professionally as they sound.

The rocatex leveller is an excellent product. I used it to level a terrible screed to take 1200x2400 tiles and now use it exclusively.
Good luck

 

[CheshireChap]

Great stuff chaps, thank you.

They have specified +\- 2mm over 2M. Sounds about right?

 

[John Benton]

Great stuff chaps, thank you.

They have specified +\- 2mm over 2M. Sounds about right?

Most of the guys work to 0.1-0.05mm over 10m, but I suppose you could get away with those tolerances

 

[One Day]

Most of the guys work to 0.1-0.05mm over 10m, but I suppose you could get away with those tolerances

Blinkin' amateur!

 

[John Benton]

Blinkin' amateur!

I know, please accept my apologies bit of a typo there, it should have read over 20m.

You did know I was going to be a brain surgeon but found that the tolerances weren't fine enough for me.