tiling over chipboard in an upstairs bathroom

[dc tiling]

hya guys i know this has probably been asked loads of times before but what are you veiws on going about fixing tiles to chipboard floors upstairs? ive read so many conflicting veiws on the internet some are saying you can lay straight on to the chipboard with the right adhesive as long as its rigid and others are saying its a big no no i thought id better ask the pros as im pretty sure im going to come up against this problem in the future.
Many Thanks
Darren

 

[DHTiling]

IMHO..chipboard is not stable enough to tile to..over board is my option..

 

[dagger]

as above. chipboard = no! IMO

 

[Daz]

I know guys that have tiled onto chipboard with no issues, but my preference is to always glue and screw cement boards before tiling.

 

[Sean fsy]

overboarding is preffered but its the same old scenario folk dont want to step into their bathroom. as soon as you mention lining the floor they just cringe and say oh will that make the floor higher than the landing carpet. also when you mention that you would prefer to tile underneath the pan and pedestal, you get the do i need a plumber aswell then.

 

[Daz]

overboarding is preffered but its the same old scenario folk dont want to step into their bathroom. as soon as you mention lining the floor they just cringe and say oh will that make the floor higher than the landing carpet. also when you mention that you would prefer to tile underneath the pan and pedestal, you get the do i need a plumber aswell then.

IMO, 6mm is not really a noticeable height difference. If the customer has isolators on the pipes then there is no need for a plumber, but surely you know a friendly plumber that can help you with the pot ware for a couple of beers?

Convince your customer how much better the job will look if done properly. Not least that they will have to replace the tiles should they change the pots and think of the cost when they have to replace the cracked/failed floor or grout etc.?

 

[Sean fsy]

to be honest the last 2 floors i have boarded was 6mm but didnt want to say that because every one goes on about 12/19mm minimum, but at the end of the day at least some boarding is better than none at all. i always make sure i fix to joist regardless of thickness. another awkward position is when you have to board a floor that as a upvc door fitted in the room and the door is barley above floor level as it is. had to walk away from a few jobs now where tiles simply wont go underneath the upvc door.

 

[Daz]

had to walk away from a few jobs now where tiles simply wont go underneath the upvc door.

I'd walk too, Sean, more hassle than it's worth.

I hope you used 6mm cement boards and not 6mm ply??

 

[Sean fsy]

I'd walk too, Sean, more hassle than it's worth.

I hope you used 6mm cement boards and not 6mm ply??

thats why i use the words lining and boarding. not a mention about ply. i dont know why but quite often you can go on a job or on the phone and the first words they will say is "its been ply lined"

 

[Rob Z]

Darren, is the chip board sold in the UK covered with a waxy coating like it is here? If so, then I wouldn't consider setting tile directly over it. I know guys that do, but I think they don't give me a straight answer when I ask them if they ever have problems.

 

[Sean fsy]

Darren, is the chip board sold in the UK covered with a waxy coating like it is here? If so, then I wouldn't consider setting tile directly over it. I know guys that do, but I think they don't give me a straight answer when I ask them if they ever have problems.

the stuff used in the uk is waterproof, green in colour. and seen as though adhesives are water based its pointless trying to lay directly onto it. stripped an old installation out yesterday that was tiled directly onto it. the tiles came up no problem, along with the adhesive.

 

[Rob Z]

Thanks Sean.

 

[Ajax123]

the stuff used in the uk is waterproof, green in colour. and seen as though adhesives are water based its pointless trying to lay directly onto it. stripped an old installation out yesterday that was tiled directly onto it. the tiles came up no problem, along with the adhesive.

Water proof Chip board is not water proof at all. It is resistant to moisture but that is not the same thing. If you get moisture into is over a period of time it will swell. I beleive the green is to prevent mold and rot. Tiling in a bathroom is fraught with danger. If they do not look after the grouting etc and it allows water into the substrate it will cause long term problems.

 

[hunters tiling]

a few years back i did a betting shop and the shop fitters had boarded a stood wall with the greed chipboard. i said it wasnt suitable but was told to go ahead, it would be fine. a week later got the call to go back as they were coming off. they simply pealed of the wall, boarded with plasterboard took half an hour and re-tiled. worked out well i got paid twice simply because the fitters couldnt be bothered to plasterboard it, so.... i say board over every time better safe than sorry

 

[silver]

Hi
I have got around this problem on small bathroom floors that are chipboard where a hight gain is an issue. Though I too was trained as tiling onto chipboard is a no no.
The fibrous board surface will break down as opposed to an adhesive failure via water /damp from bathroom use...eventual soak through grout etc when heavy use.
Tanking the floor will stop this water / damp reaching the board totally ......from above.....so it cant break down.
Its worked for me so far...albeit adds some time for the tanking to "cure".
I have done this on floors up to 3m....no failures to date.
Hope this helps

Degs