Advice on bathroom floor tiling

johnacky · 6 Jun 2009

Hi all, wondering if someone could give me some much needed advice. Having spent five months waiting for my bathroom to be renovated by what turned out to be a cowboy builder, I have since decided to refurbish the bathroom myself, as there had been a leak, which meant that the bathroom suite and flooring had to be ripped out.
The builders replaced the flooring with chipboard, and plastered the walls. Since then I have had the walls tiled, by a family friend, who's skill's are questionable.
I have since boarded the floor using 9mm plywood, and sealed all the joints with silicone, and have sorted the plumbing out myself, and installed the bath. I am going to use 30 cm x 60 cm ceramic tiles on the floor, and have also purchased unibond flexible wooden floor adeshive, and mapei flexible grout.
I need to know if I can tile straight onto the plywood, or do I need to prime the surface. Also what size spacers should I use. Will the unibond adhesive be ok, as the floor is out in places.
Many thanks

lancenotalot · 6 Jun 2009

You are best with a minimum of 12mm ply,then take back the unibond and get some decent adhesive,powdered flexi.
Mapei grout is ok.

You can tile straight onto ply,spacers are your choice,When you say the floor is out how far are we talking?

No doubt Gcol will be along later with Jeff and co to advise against the unibond too

johnacky · 6 Jun 2009

Cheers for the advice, have had a look on here and have decided that the unibond addhesive will be going back to B & Q, where they had the stuff on offer. Any ideas what adhesive I should use, as I have never seen the BAL range of products advertised anywhere.
The floor is out by a couple of mm, close to where I will be standing to use the sink, which worries me.
I have already screwed the chip board to the joists, at 10cm intervals, and have nailed the plywood down, using a grid system that I had drawn up, and thats also nailed every 10 cm or so.
I would rather put vinyl or laminate flooring down but the g/f is adamant that she wants tiles.
Also when you lay the plywood down, should the joints be flush or should gaps be left for expansion.
Many thanks

Brigadier · 6 Jun 2009

I hope that this won't throw a spanner in the works but,

is your bathroom going to be warm enough after tiling the floor?

I tiled the floor in my old place, and the tiling prevented enough of the heat which used to come up from the kitchen to make it like an igloo!

It didn't help that I replaced the rad with a towel rad.

Just something to bear in mind....

jefoss · 6 Jun 2009

lancenotalot said:
No doubt Gcol will be along later with Jeff and co to advise against the unibond too

are we getting that predictable?

or is it just the same Q's arriving daily?

joe-90 · 6 Jun 2009

B&Q outsell Bal by about 20 - 1. If they sell it - it works. Cut out the snobbishness in the forum. Unibond is as good as any.

jefoss · 7 Jun 2009

joe-90 said:
B&Q outsell Bal by about 20 - 1. If they sell it - it works. Cut out the snobbishness in the forum. Unibond is as good as any.

i take it as a plasterer you use unibond daily then joe?

no then shut up. just because something outsells something else dont mean its better.

gcol · 7 Jun 2009

I've said it before.... don't rise to his bait Jef - he's just trolling for an argument. He has little constructive to say. If you ignore him he'll go away again like he did before.

gcol · 7 Jun 2009

johnacky said:
I have already screwed the chip board to the joists, at 10cm intervals, and have nailed the plywood down, using a grid system that I had drawn up, and thats also nailed every 10 cm or so.

Oooo nails huh? I'd break out the screws cause nails are unsuitable. Read the tiling sticky at the top of theh forum.

johnacky said:
I would rather put vinyl or laminate flooring down but the g/f is adamant that she wants tiles.

Untitled

gcol
7 Jun 2009
1

johnacky said:
Also when you lay the plywood down, should the joints be flush or should gaps be left for expansion.
Many thanks

Leave a small gap of about 1mm.

joe-90 · 7 Jun 2009

Bal are way over priced. I've never had any trouble with the likes of Unibond or Cerafix - saves me a fortune. No tiles have ever failed - ever. Cut out the snobbishness. Don't you think that the country's biggest seller of tile cement would get a few back if it were rubbish? Get a grip folks.

johnacky · 7 Jun 2009

Cheers for the advice,have had a quick read of the post about tiling and have decided that im going to try and convince the g/f that tiles are not the way to go, as the bathroom is going to be too cold I thik, since I have fitted a towel rad, and the floors are off.
Wish I had read the post first, as I have taken so much advice from different tradesmen, all of which has been different.
The worst advice being, to buy really thin fibre board, (the stuff like cardboard, but with a laminate side to it) and get the mop out and constantly mop it with hot water, until it cant absorb anymore water, and then to lay that down, nailed at 10 cm2 intervals.
Same goes with the screws, where my local diy shop stated that screw's where are a big no no, and tacks are the way to go.

joe-90 · 7 Jun 2009

Personally I think the look of a sanded and painted floor look great. My favouite floor - bar none.

jefoss · 7 Jun 2009

joe-90 said:
Bal are way over priced. I've never had any trouble with the likes of Unibond or Cerafix - saves me a fortune. No tiles have ever failed - ever. Cut out the snobbishness. Don't you think that the country's biggest seller of tile cement would get a few back if it were rubbish? Get a grip folks.

i dont use bal very often, tis not snobbishness its common sense, those of us who use the adhesives / grouts of many manafacturers get to know which is good and bad. thats the last thing ill say on the matter

Richard C · 7 Jun 2009

jefoss said:
i dont use bal very often, tis not snobbishness its common sense, those of us who use the adhesives / grouts of many manafacturers get to know which is good and bad. thats the last thing ill say on the matter

I'm relatively new to the game & I stick with what I know will work & it's no secret; it's expensive but I’m nervous of trying others for fear of failure & the obvious consequences.

So, come on then, don't keep it to yourself, let’s have the names of some serious contenders!

joe-90 · 8 Jun 2009

They all work Richard. You don't hear Zampa saying that Dulux is the best paint and everything else is rubbish do you? All the paints on the market are good as are all the tile adhesives. Common sense should tell you that much.

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Advice on bathroom floor tiling

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