SLC vs Thick bed adhesive

[tilemania]

i have a job that requires laying 800 x 600 tiles.

weber thick bed adhesive is about the same price as a decent SLC, so why not just use thick bed adhesive and tile the floor level as you go rather than use SLC to level a floor?

it is quicker (i can start tiling today), requires less priming (thick bed adhesive will stick to pretty much anything) and no messing about getting the SLC level and true (which is a difficult task in itself). i think it will be more accurate too as i will be levelling the actual tiles.

am i missing something?

 

[Ian]

It depends how much thick bed you're going to use, it's always better to sort the substrate before you start tiling IMO, it will save you time over the whole job.

 

[nybor62]

you can get rapid set slc , can start tiling the same day ultra 30 is very good imo , thats the way i would go

 

[Alan.P]

Depends how far the floor is out as to what way to proceed imho.

 

[cam_low]

Weber tba only recommends packing out to an inch iirc. You will need to work out your levels before just jumping straight in. Sort out the substrate first then get a lovely finish and guarantee the work, especially with those large format tiles, much less forgiving.

 

[Peter]

A thick bed will break your heart if it starts to slump.

 

[Gazzer]

Always get the preparation done first and then it easier to tile.

 

[AliGage]

I wouldn't fancy pulling something of that sizes out of it's bed if i was too low and didn't have enough. I think using SLC is quicker in the long run.

How much does the floor need levelling?

 

[tilemania]

thanks guys. you make some good points and it looks like the general consensus is do the prep right and the tiling will be easier.

i guess i find it easier and quicker to directly tile level and flat on an uneven floor rather than level it first, as the levelling is never quite perfect and i find the floor takes just as long to tile even after it has been prepped with SLC.

@ AliGAge, the floor needs on average about 10 - 15mm bed where it's worst (about 1/3 of the floor) and then the rest isn't as bad. in some places (very small areas) it's closer to 25mm but no more than that.

 

[Alan.P]

That's a lot of slc or adhesive, what about fixing a backer board instead ?

 

[AliGage]

@ AliGAge, the floor needs on average about 10 - 15mm bed where it's worst (about 1/3 of the floor) and then the rest isn't as bad. in some places (very small areas) it's closer to 25mm but no more than that.

Are these in certain areas then? Like potholes?

 

[DHTiling]

What fixing method are you using ... D&D by any chance..?

 

[Aston]

slc for me 1st,
sort the floor and make the tiling easier

 

[The D]

are you a tiler or a DIY'er ?????

 

[Mark S]

Whats the old saying, fail to prepare, prepare to fail
I would always prefer to see the floor correctly levelled with materials designed for the job, that is not to say a thick bed would not work, but a correctly levelled floor must be easier to then tile to?