Bathroom floor question - help quickly !
Discussion
Hi All
Having our bathroom redone.
It is about 16m2 including dressing area.
The builders started yesterday and took up the floor, and also took the wall tiles off - they have got down to chipboard, which is the same stuff as in other rooms - so it looks like it was there originally from when the house was built in 2004. It isnt very thick stuff at all.
We know that the bathroom floor does have some flex in it, as the bathroom floor tiles had started to crack in lines. Could of course be other issues, but that is my hunch.
The builders are looking to put down 18mm WBP ply and then tiles on that.
I want to go belt and braces, and so this was my plan, but any feedback appreciated. Basically I want the floor to be as rigid as possible.
1 . Take up chipboard
2 . Add in extra noggins ?
3 . Use 25mm WBP ply and then 6mm hardibacker board OR should I do 18mm WBP ply and then 12mm hardibacker board - or something else
4 . Then tile with a flexible adhesive ?
I have read every internet forum and am so confused, so would appreciate some opinions.
Is hardibacker the best ? Should I use Wedi ? or Marmox ? Price isnt too much of a concern, as long as the job is done well.
Should the hardibacker be stuck down with adhesive to the WDP ?
R
Mehul
Having our bathroom redone.
It is about 16m2 including dressing area.
The builders started yesterday and took up the floor, and also took the wall tiles off - they have got down to chipboard, which is the same stuff as in other rooms - so it looks like it was there originally from when the house was built in 2004. It isnt very thick stuff at all.
We know that the bathroom floor does have some flex in it, as the bathroom floor tiles had started to crack in lines. Could of course be other issues, but that is my hunch.
The builders are looking to put down 18mm WBP ply and then tiles on that.
I want to go belt and braces, and so this was my plan, but any feedback appreciated. Basically I want the floor to be as rigid as possible.
1 . Take up chipboard
2 . Add in extra noggins ?
3 . Use 25mm WBP ply and then 6mm hardibacker board OR should I do 18mm WBP ply and then 12mm hardibacker board - or something else
4 . Then tile with a flexible adhesive ?
I have read every internet forum and am so confused, so would appreciate some opinions.
Is hardibacker the best ? Should I use Wedi ? or Marmox ? Price isnt too much of a concern, as long as the job is done well.
Should the hardibacker be stuck down with adhesive to the WDP ?
R
Mehul
I would have thought hardibacker on top of whats there would be more than suitable. We tiled an MDF and pine staircase that wasn't the strongest thing but once it had been lined in hardibacker and tiled its been fine for years, and sees a lot of traffic. Not even any hairline cracks in the grout. If you go for 25mm ply + hb +tiles and adhesive surely you'll have issues at the threshold?
I don't know what is best, but I used 22mm chipboard, glued and screwed to joists at 400 centres. No noggins, but all ends ending on a joist. I added 12mm of normal ply screwed at 100mm centres because I read that tiles don't stick great to chipboard. Then tiled over the top. 3 years on, no issues at all.
What is your floor thickness & joist spacing? This will give us a much better idea of the situation...
I would have thought 18mm ply over the top of existing floor, screwed *thoroughly* (150-200mm centres) would be more then sufficient! If you really want to go nuts, ask for 25mm thick stuff? Or go over the 18mm WBP with another layer of something, hadiebacker or no more ply.... Might cost you an extra £200, but if it's peace of mind? - even though that is excessive in my mind.
Our ensuite was done by a tiler & plumber combo who just laid the tiles straight onto the 22mm chipboard which is at 600mm joist spacing!! He used flexible adhesive & I have grouted it with flexible grout, and *touch wood* 18months later no issues at all.
Worth also remembering how big your tiles are. A 300mm square tile spreads the weight over whatever it is sat on, so it isn't the same force as a foot bouncing on a localised area of the floor forcing flex into it.
edit:
I had to take down our dining room ceiling to brace a wetroom after the ''professional'' failed to brace it properly, even after I pointed out it looked to be flexing as he was screwing it down. He reminded me he was a professional & my wife told me to leave him, to which he agreed. I lost 3 weeks of my evenings rectifying his f
k up after the tiles came loose, grout came out and he shrugged it off as ''his tilers fault''. As If I gave a fk which of the pair made the mess. So don't have a go at OP for being thorough & cautious.
I would have thought 18mm ply over the top of existing floor, screwed *thoroughly* (150-200mm centres) would be more then sufficient! If you really want to go nuts, ask for 25mm thick stuff? Or go over the 18mm WBP with another layer of something, hadiebacker or no more ply.... Might cost you an extra £200, but if it's peace of mind? - even though that is excessive in my mind.
Our ensuite was done by a tiler & plumber combo who just laid the tiles straight onto the 22mm chipboard which is at 600mm joist spacing!! He used flexible adhesive & I have grouted it with flexible grout, and *touch wood* 18months later no issues at all.
Worth also remembering how big your tiles are. A 300mm square tile spreads the weight over whatever it is sat on, so it isn't the same force as a foot bouncing on a localised area of the floor forcing flex into it.
edit:
Alucidnation said:
How about asking the builders on site who can see the job?
Looking at all the threads you have started, i'm glad i'm not working at your place.
Because even ''professionals'' can be remarkably cavalier & careless when it comes to doing a proper job! Looking at all the threads you have started, i'm glad i'm not working at your place.
I had to take down our dining room ceiling to brace a wetroom after the ''professional'' failed to brace it properly, even after I pointed out it looked to be flexing as he was screwing it down. He reminded me he was a professional & my wife told me to leave him, to which he agreed. I lost 3 weeks of my evenings rectifying his f
k up after the tiles came loose, grout came out and he shrugged it off as ''his tilers fault''. As If I gave a fk which of the pair made the mess. So don't have a go at OP for being thorough & cautious.Edited by Andehh on Tuesday 24th January 13:45
Alucidnation said:
How about asking the builders on site who can see the job?
Don't be daft.He's better off come on here and ask a load of diyers (all bar the odd few) and get their advice...even though they themselves come on here asking for advice for simple tasks.
As for the 'advice' above, you'd need a step to get over the recommended floor.
Andehh said:
Oh yeah, because ''Trust the professional'' never got a layman in trouble!! It's common knowledge most trades are laws unto themselves in terms of cutting corners, dodgy work or generally being a difficult profession for the average joe to get their head around.
It's nigh on a daily occurrence that someone posts on here after a builder had fked up somewhere down the line. The fact OP is here is because a ''professional'' fked up.
The fact you both piped up, said nothing of use & criticised the OP kinda proves my point, no?
The OP, has done nothing on the forum apart from ask questions about how to do this and how to do that, with no thanks forthcoming to the people that have helped.It's nigh on a daily occurrence that someone posts on here after a builder had f
ked up somewhere down the line. The fact OP is here is because a ''professional'' fked up. The fact you both piped up, said nothing of use & criticised the OP kinda proves my point, no?
Plus the fact, he has already asked the question before the job even started and got several answers, again, with no thanks.
Little Lofty said:
Have you not already asked this question?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... maybe he's just got the memory of a glodfish.You can go directly onto the chipboard with 'no more ply' glued and screwed. Perfect surface to tile onto. All I use now.
Make sure you use a good quality powdered flexible adhesive and grout and back butter the tiles.
http://www.nomoreply.net
Make sure you use a good quality powdered flexible adhesive and grout and back butter the tiles.
http://www.nomoreply.net
Edited by B17NNS on Wednesday 25th January 10:16
Alucidnation said:
Andehh said:
Oh yeah, because ''Trust the professional'' never got a layman in trouble!! It's common knowledge most trades are laws unto themselves in terms of cutting corners, dodgy work or generally being a difficult profession for the average joe to get their head around.
It's nigh on a daily occurrence that someone posts on here after a builder had fked up somewhere down the line. The fact OP is here is because a ''professional'' fked up.
The fact you both piped up, said nothing of use & criticised the OP kinda proves my point, no?
The OP, has done nothing on the forum apart from ask questions about how to do this and how to do that, with no thanks forthcoming to the people that have helped.It's nigh on a daily occurrence that someone posts on here after a builder had f
ked up somewhere down the line. The fact OP is here is because a ''professional'' fked up. The fact you both piped up, said nothing of use & criticised the OP kinda proves my point, no?
Plus the fact, he has already asked the question before the job even started and got several answers, again, with no thanks.
Yes some are poor, but from my experience difficult / penny pinching customers, often end up with the worst of the trades. Pay peanuts get monkeys.
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