Granite Bathroom floor.... Pro advise please

darren7 · 5 Feb 2007

Hello,

I have a very small bathroom, and would like to lay granite on the floor.

its only around 3 odd square M... what I would like to know is what is the best stuff to lay on the floor? It has a normal T&G floor. so is it best to remove this and use a marine ply? and then coat it in BAL APD?

as it is small what thickness is best, or do you suggest something else.

what is the best cement based adhesive for granite, from say the BAL range, as I like there products.

Darren

Jasonb · 6 Feb 2007

Natural stone needs more support than ceramics, replace the old t&g with 25mm WBP ply, fit noggins under any joints and screw to joists at 200mm centers with 60mm screws.

Go straight onto it with BAl Rapidset Flexi and grout with BAL superflex widejoint floor grout.

Jason

darren7 · 6 Feb 2007

Thank you Jason,

I would like really small Joints on the granite, what is the smallest I should go for? it the wide joint still used for small joints?

I would like to use Black as the the tiles are black, what is the best grout for this, do Bal do this of another brand.

I noticed it said add some Bal GT1 to the supercolour to make it flexi.

Also some are to go around the wall near the showerbath, would I use the same cement and grout.

Thanks Jason

Darren

Darren

Jasonb · 6 Feb 2007

It can be forced into a 2mm joint but takes a bit of time to make sure there are no voids.

If you are going with supercolour ad the GT1 otherwise it will crack and make sure you wear rubber gloves as the black stains everything, also mix the grout with an electric whisk to get the pigment evenly mixed.

Ultra make a floor tile adhesive in "anthracite" which is a very dark grey and not as gritty as the BAL one so easier to get into small joints

http://www.instarmac.co.uk/productdetail.asp?id=28

Jason

darren7 · 6 Feb 2007

Thank you, Jason

I had a Ardex anthracite, but it was a little grey.

Will the supercolour be ok for the walls round a shower, and I suppose I need another type of bal adhesive for the walls, we used some aquapanel, where some had just used plasterboard before.

Darren

Jasonb · 6 Feb 2007

The rapid set flexi will be OK for the walls if you are quick, otherwise use single part flexi

The BAL black is about as dark as you can get

Supercolour wall grout for the walls not the widejoint one.

Jason

darren7 · 7 Feb 2007

sorry to be a pain. is the super colour called microcolour now?

like this http://www.building-adhesives.com/bal/bal_products/microcolour_wall.asp

or is this a different one?

Darren

Jasonb · 8 Feb 2007

Yes its the new name since they added their "microban" to it

J

darren7 · 8 Feb 2007

Thanks for all that

Jason, the 25MM plus the tile 10MM 35MM. I think there may be a bit of a step.

is there anything else I can use to keep the hight down? Anything?

people must say the same sometime?

Thanks Jason,

Darren

Jasonb · 8 Feb 2007

A decent carpet and underlay will be 15mm thick or so, therfore no problems with a step.

If you do have a height issue that can't be covered by metal gripper trim then a timber threshold strip works well, can be angled if there is a big difference.

This was a bit old and flattened so used a narrow strip of oak. Due to no carpet in adjacent room I used a wider tapered board in this kitchen

Jason

darren7 · 8 Feb 2007

Very nice work Jason...

and all the other stuff.. very neat kitchen.

As it is such a small area, if I really support and battern it do you think 18mm WBP will be ok, as I was just in Wickes and they only had 18mm

Darren

Jasonb · 8 Feb 2007

More than likely you won't have a problem with 18mm, just confirm whet centers your joists are spaced at and what size are they, also size and thickness of tiles.

J

darren7 · 8 Feb 2007

Thanks Jason

ok ill have a measure up,

I find the BAL website quite confusing, when you look at rapidset flexi, or single part flexi it says this.

suitable for fixing fully vitrified and porcelain tiles and for fixing tiles to low-porosity backgrounds/bases. Suitable for use on concrete/brick/block walling, cement:sand rendering, plaster, plasterboard, cement sheets, tile backer boards, concrete bases, cement:sand screeds, plywood overlay, ceramic/quarry tile/terrazzo/hard natural stone, vinyl tiles/sheet bases, mastic asphalt.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the layman, it looks like it reads for fully verified and porcelain, and then it talks about backgrounds that it fixes to and the bases, it does not state Granite, it talks more about the backgrounds.

quite hard for the normal reader.
Darren

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Granite Bathroom floor.... Pro advise please

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