Tiles on uneven floor boards and concrete

[H Lucas]

Hi all - great forum but my brain is aching - can you help. I have had 2 tilers to quote laying tiles on my kitchen, toilet and pantry which is a mixture of floorboards and concrete. There is marmoleum down currently which is lifting and cracking all over the place. I'm told the floor is very uneven so suspect the prep was not good last time. One tiler has suggested he'll take up the marmoleum and put down Schluter Ditra, the other fibre flass latex levelling compound - I'm assuming this is going over whatever is underneath the marmoleum currently. I'm planning on putting down porcelain tiles - I think - as they are the toughest as this is also the way to the garden and garage. Which tiler should I go for do you think? Thanks!

 

[kilty55]

hello lucas,,i assume your substrate is currently floorboards and concrete mixed? and also assume nothing was added to this when your marmoleum was fitted?

 

[kilty55]

based on that i wouldnt take either tilers route

the floorboards will need overboarded 1st imo with something suitable...maybe a 6mm cement sheet and the concrete raised to meet that new height

a membrane could be fitted at that point then tiled

does the tiler want to just slc right over the concrete and floorboards in one go and thats it?

and does the other tiler want to stick ditra to both substrates as it is also?

 

[kilty55]

oh and are the floorboards solid at present?

 

[Rich]

Neither of these two routes are wrong as such but in both cases there is more prep work needs to be done as Kilty says Im afraid.

 

[H Lucas]

Thanks for the prompt comments - have to admit the marmoleum has been down for 12 years and I really don't know what is under it and what state it is in. The ditra guy gave me the impression he was just going to put ditra over whatever is down currently and do no other prep. The other guy spent a lot of time with a spirit level and seemed more interested in getting it level - I just wondered how useful ditra is as he didn't mention using it. I'm going to call him back for more prep information. Also wondered if you thought porcelain tiles were overkill - I don't really want to have to do this floor again!

 

[kilty55]

hi lucas.it concerns me that neithe rhave asked what is under it and both have mentioned re prepping it without knowing the substrate

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Hi and:welcome:

 

[Rich]

Again, I agree with Kilty. They need to know what is under the floor to be able to price to prep it properly. If it is part timber and part screed then just using a slc over the top is not enough and the same goes for using a decoupling membrane.

 

[jay]

any pics of the floor in question
and with Kilty on this one

 

[nybor62]

was there any talk of expansion joint were the 2 substrates meet
why not post the job on here