Tiling Standards (BS 5385) | British Wall and Floor Tiling Standards - IN FULL

[White Room]

7 years in the life of a new tiler.

That long ago....doesn't time fly.

 

[Dan]

It does mate!

 

[Rizzle from the Portizzle]

Ray, a bit of a long story involving a lady I did a quote for tiling her porch. She did not accept my advice or quote, but opted to employ the decorator to tile the floor. She had me back again to quote for her new conservatory, but told me not to look at the porch floor because she is not happy with it (dodgy grout lines and dodgy cuts).

I measured the conservatory at 11sqm and asked what was going down on top of the concrete. She told me about this special UFH and insulation, 9mm ply and chipboard. I advised her that insulation boards with standard wired UFH with SLC was a cheaper and better solution. I told her if she went ahead with what was being planned then I would not tile it. I even rang the manufacturer of the UFH and they told me it is not designed for ceramic or porcelain tiles.

She also insisted it was only 9sqm.

She went ahead with the installation and called me back because she could not get a tiler to tile it. I bounced up and down on the floor and said that it can't be tiled.

By now I have spent at least a day visiting her 3 times, talking to her floor layer, talking the the tech team for UFH, looking on the internet (inc. Tilersforums), ringing the conservatory people, ringing the customer and emailing the customer with findings and info. Have I been paid for my time? No.

I then get another email from her pleading with me to tile it because her furniture will soon be delivered. I did not reply

The conservatory installers don't want to help her because they now have all her money. She is asking me what to do, but I have already given her loads of advice. The only advice now is to go with amtico or laminate......not ideal in a conservatory.

ok ready to be shot down get rid of all layers above conarete. screed floor up with sand and cement then over lay with 6 mm warm up boards or simalar then lay ufh self level then tile.no movement no problem.1oomm board will give no more insalion on screed than 6mm boards

 

[Dan]

ok ready to be shot down get rid of all layers above conarete. screed floor up with sand and cement then over lay with 6 mm warm up boards or simalar then lay ufh self level then tile.no movement no problem.1oomm board will give no more insalion on screed than 6mm boards

That's actually what I'd have said. Get rid of the lot and screed it.

 

[AliGage]

FLOATING FLOORS

............

One solution would be to overboard the existing plywood, with a suitable cement based backer board of the recommended thickness from the manufacturer. These boards would be cross bonded and secured using screw fixings to ensure rigidity .

This is exactly what I did. Glued, and screwed with 77 screws per board.

 

[widler]

This is exactly what I did. Glued, and screwed with 77 screws per board.

I used 100mm concrete screws , just screwed it like a joist floor, just prayed to the good Lord that no mains gas/water pipes were hanging about

 

[AliGage]

I used 100mm concrete screws , just screwed it like a joist floor, just prayed to the good Lord that no mains gas/water pipes were hanging about

That was why I didn't do it that way. Both mains were under it somewhere. It wasn't worth the risk especially with so many eyes on me.
But what I dud certainly worked!

 

[trustiling]

My understanding is you either have insulation of some kind (like polystirene). Or thin air and a few support joists to raise the height above another substate (which chances are would be better to tile onto, as from what i've had customers tell me in the past is that its concrete). Ultimately though, the tongue and groove chipboad or ply they use to cover over isn't screwed down. Just loose laid with no fixings.

If i've got that wrong, please can someone correct me as this may be turning into a greyer area that i realised. As you can imagine, i don't get as much experience at this as some of you who go out and actually see it.

From what I've seen the chipboard is screwed to the joists but the joists are 'floating' on what normally is a layer of foam under each of them as the screed or slab is rarely flat enough to fix them down. The floor will appear flat and sound although will deflect to a good degree.

Suspended floor is timber joists set on top of stud, dwarf or supporting walls where generally the deflection is negligible

The first example you could lift the chipboard and fix and plug the joists to the concrete but then without packing the finished floor would be crazy undulating everywhere

 

[AliGage]

From what I've seen the chipboard is screwed to the joists but the joists are 'floating' on what normally is a layer of foam under each of them as the screed or slab is rarely flat enough to fix them down. The floor will appear flat and sound although will deflect to a good degree.

Suspended floor is timber joists set on top of stud, dwarf or supporting walls where generally the deflection is negligible

The first example you could lift the chipboard and fix and plug the joists to the concrete but then without packing the finished floor would be crazy undulating everywhere

It's rare that I've ever found any joists in a floating floor

 

[trustiling]

It's rare that I've ever found any joists in a floating floor

Not strictly joists but nearly always 50mm square timber then the services ran between them on top of concrete. Very common in new buld flats 20/30 years ago