Tiling on concrete floor
Discussion
Hi everyone, I have a conservatory with a horrid green thin felt-like carpet and underlay on the floor. Underneath is nice flat concrete as far as I can tell from pulling up the corner.
I'm intending to tile it with some terracotta/quarry tiles. Do I need to do anything first or can I tile straight on to the concrete? I have done some tiling successfully before, but only walls onto a surface that I had just removed old tiles from.
Thanks!
I'm intending to tile it with some terracotta/quarry tiles. Do I need to do anything first or can I tile straight on to the concrete? I have done some tiling successfully before, but only walls onto a surface that I had just removed old tiles from.
Thanks!
Thanks for the replies, and yes I can see that keeping the mud thick to even out inconsistencies makes sense. I did similar on some of the kitchen walls I did.
Why prime it/put hardener on it?
Are there any options for thin insulation of the slab? The underfloor heating is a nice idea, but I'm inclined to keep it simple and for people to wear slippers if they can't cope.
Why prime it/put hardener on it?
Are there any options for thin insulation of the slab? The underfloor heating is a nice idea, but I'm inclined to keep it simple and for people to wear slippers if they can't cope.
Where is this floor? I.e. is it just a slab, with nothing underneath it?
You may not want to grout all the way around the edge of the floor that you lay. I have seen a few problems with the building settling and tiles popping up, which isn't ideal. To avoid this, man tilers simply use silicone on the the edges to allow for expansion / movement.
You may not want to grout all the way around the edge of the floor that you lay. I have seen a few problems with the building settling and tiles popping up, which isn't ideal. To avoid this, man tilers simply use silicone on the the edges to allow for expansion / movement.
Thanks for the tips on the edging, I hadn't thought of the slab moving slightly vs the walls. As far as I know it's just a slab with nothing underneath it. It's the floor of the conservatory in the house I've moved to recently. It's probably about 10 years old, and a reasonably nice conservatory (hard wood), although it has a plastic roof rather than glass.
What's the difference between insulated tile backer and XPS insulation? These do seem like a good idea, and 10mm should be easy enough to deal with.
What's the difference between insulated tile backer and XPS insulation? These do seem like a good idea, and 10mm should be easy enough to deal with.
Esseesse said:
Thanks for the replies, and yes I can see that keeping the mud thick to even out inconsistencies makes sense. I did similar on some of the kitchen walls I did.
Why prime it/put hardener on it?
Are there any options for thin insulation of the slab? The underfloor heating is a nice idea, but I'm inclined to keep it simple and for people to wear slippers if they can't cope.
Google primer for concrete floors and you'll get the correct answer. Under no circumstances use pva to prime the floorWhy prime it/put hardener on it?
Are there any options for thin insulation of the slab? The underfloor heating is a nice idea, but I'm inclined to keep it simple and for people to wear slippers if they can't cope.
m4ckg said:
Google primer for concrete floors and you'll get the correct answer. Under no circumstances use pva to prime the floor
Why? You're applying a cement based adhesive onto a cement based floor. It's not a bathroom. A lick of PVA will control the suction and improve the bond. What's the issue with PVA?By all means use BAL primer or SBR if you're feeling flush but it's really not necessary for this application.
Edited by B17NNS on Thursday 19th March 20:09
B17NNS said:
m4ckg said:
Google primer for concrete floors and you'll get the correct answer. Under no circumstances use pva to prime the floor
Why? You're applying a cement based adhesive onto a cement based floor. It's not a bathroom. A lick of PVA will control the suction and improve the bond. What's the issue with PVA?By all means use BAL primer or SBR if you're feeling flush but it's really not necessary for this application.
Edited by B17NNS on Thursday 19th March 20:09
PVA forms a skin, and prevents the adhesive bonding to the surface as the manufacturer intended.
Hence the use of PVA will render the guarantee void, from all the leading adhesive manufacturers , ie Bal, Ardex, Granfix, Nicobond.
I have to guarantee our work, so would never do anything but follow the manufacturers instructions.
B17NNS said:
Why? You're applying a cement based adhesive onto a cement based floor. It's not a bathroom. A lick of PVA will control the suction and improve the bond. What's the issue with PVA?
By all means use BAL primer or SBR if you're feeling flush but it's really not necessary for this application.
I'm not a tiler myself but the contractors I use work to high standards so I'll always take their advice.By all means use BAL primer or SBR if you're feeling flush but it's really not necessary for this application.
Edited by B17NNS on Thursday 19th March 20:09
Taken from a tilers forum:
DO NOT use standard PVA on any tile base, it remains water soluble & will reactivate if it gets wet; use an acrylic/SBR tile primer/bonding coat.
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