Tiling bathroom floor & New floorboards - Thickness

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Hi,
I am redo-ing my bathroom suite.... I currently have lino but wish to have tile on the floor. The problem I face is that this will raise the floor so I have a step!! The floor boards have seen better days so I am looking to replace these and wondered if I can replcae with thinner boards as I have to ply the floor for the tiles. So overall thickness will be greater than currently!!! Is this OK??? Has anyone experienced or have a plan around this? Also is there a rule of thumb to establish floor height to install bath prior to tile laying......
 
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If you're replacing the floorboards, replace with 25mm WBP (exterior) ply. Screw it to the joists and fit extra supports (noggins) under any edges of sheets that don't fall on a joist. Then tile straight onto this with a flexible powdered adhesive such as Bal rapidset flexible.
(Some people will may tell you that 18mm ply is thick enough to tile onto, but in my opinion, it's got too much flex in it.)

When deciding at what level to install the bath, it helps to measure the height of the bathpanel for a rough idea. You don't want to install the bath and find that it's too high and the bath panel falls through - cause then you'll look a proper wally. :LOL:
 
2 or 1.......
Should I then not put ply on a floorboard? Just straight down with Ply. If I decide in future to change tiles will I need to refloor again or just remoe tiles?
Thanks
 
Putting floorboards down and then overboarding with ply is a waste of time if you need to replace the floor and want to lay tiles. Fitting the one layer of 25mm ply will be fine. If you need to change the tiles in future then you may slighty damage the surface of the ply when removing the tiles, but this will in no way prevent you from re-tiling over it and will be no different than if you overboarded floorboards.

One thing I was thinking about yesterday (I've never done this by the way) that I would consider doing is, when you have screwed down the ply, put a small piece of tape over the screw heads. This will prevent tile adhesive from filling the screw head, so that if you ever need to lift the floor for any reason (plumbing problems etc) then when you have removed the tiles, you should be able to scrape the floor, remove the tape and reveal a clean screw head. This will obviously enable easier removal of the ply compared with a screw head filled with adhesive. Just an idea. ;)
 
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What a super idea! Legend. Thanks for advice. I'll try that and post how I get on....
 
With regard to the screws.... what size and material? Im very much for long lasting. Should I drill pilot holes through ply and into joists???
Thanks
 
Im not going to overboard as I am going to renew old chipboard floor with 25mm WBP. Will 2 1/2 be enough????
Thanks boys
 
Absolute nightmare!!! I am ready to move away!! I was all geared upto do it, promised her indoors that it would be less than 2days of upheeeval!!!! Removed the tub, lifted all lino and thought aye up where the end of these floorboards... they run under 2 stud walls!!! Serious SOS. So tempted to make good rotten bits under bath tapps and slap the tiles onto old floor with some extra screws for little consilation!!! What do I do.... more to stop her nagging. Im frightend to go home.......
Thanks guys
 
Sorry in my fear of Husband battering forgot to mention that floor is currently chipboard T&G approx 1" thick.Pretty sturdy but does creeak in few spots!!!
Thanks :cry:
 
Same advice, either overboard or replace the floor. To lift the floor, you'll need to cut the floor as near to the walls as you can - break out the circular saw and get making a mess. :LOL:
 
chipboard is terrible. Rip it all up and replace with 25mm WBP ply.

I strongly recommend drilling and countersinking. It will prevent splitting, make them easier to put in, and far easier to take out. Paint the pipe and cable layouts on the boards before you drill or screw.

Stud walls - are they on top of joists, or just supported by your rotten chipboard? it affects what you need to do but is not especially difficult to deal with. you will need enough 50mm sq timber to run along beside the stud wall if there is a joist under it.
 

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