Floor Leveling

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shapnacker

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I am doing some renovations and updating certain areas of my new but old house.

I have removed the wall between bathroom and toilet in order to modernise and create more space.

The issue I have come across is that the concrete floors have a 15mm difference in height.

My question is thus.
What is the best way to level these floors?

I am thinking of underfloor heating mats then tiling on top.

I have been looking at some self leveling compounds from the likes of Wickes but have never used this stuff before and it seems very expensive.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Fix some cheap as chips floor tiles to bring the floors level then tile over the lot.
 
Yes.
I bet there are warehouses full of minging floor tiles you could practically have for free.

Freecycle... :idea:
 
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As a tiler, I personally wouldn't advise you make it up with tiles, it is possible to tile over tile but get it wrong & it’ll end in disaster. You’ll be pushed to make up 15mm so the floors levels still won’t align. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to keep the floor/tiles sufficiently level which it will need to be if you want your new tiles to look any good, especially if your thinking of large format tiles; the bigger the tiles, the flatter the floor needs to be. Even chaep floor tiles + 25Kg of decent cement powder addy (essential) will also cost you more than 25Kg of good latex SLC which you’d best be using with UFH.

On the subject of electric UFH, ladies always love the idea & it’s very fashionable but, IMO, is vastly over rated, impractical as a secondary heat source in a bathroom due to warm up time & will cost you a fortune to run as the primary heat source. It will also require installation, testing & certification by a Part P registered electrician (not cheap). Personally I think you’d do better to spend the cash on better fittings & fixtures.
 
15mm is an awkward depth, i just thought it would be simple in a small area.

I have done it myself over a couple of sq mtrs, not too big a deal.

Will regular floor levelling compound be ok at 15mm?
 
You’re going right up to the 15mm max & possibly beyond with that one, you need an SLC suitable for at least to 20mm.

If your intent on fitting electric UFH, you should also cover that with a latex SLC to protect the mat during tiling, to keep the floor flat & if you want to stand any chance of repairing the mat in the event of a problem. You should also consider fitting insulated tile backer boards under the mat if you want a reasonable warm up time; it still won’t be less than around 30 minutes but will be a damn sight longer without them.

As far as screeds & tiling materials go, it's important you use quality trade products, own brand & chaep DIY products are mostly inferior.
 
Thanks Karis for the advice. Just one more little issue I have is that when I lifted the existing tiles a black tar like adhesive has been left behind. This is almost impossible to remove. Can I lay the product onto this?
 
I just had a thought, although it might not be viable. Can I use a 15mm ply to make up the deficit then tile on top?
 
shapnacker said:
Thanks Karis for the advice. Just one more little issue I have is that when I lifted the existing tiles a black tar like adhesive has been left behind. This is almost impossible to remove. Can I lay the product onto this?
Click to expand...
If it's bitumastic adhesive (were they vinyl?), you will need special prep which needs a bit more explanation. Don’t have time now & will give more info tomorrow but don't do anything to it in the meantime.

shapnacker said:
I just had a thought, although it might not be viable. Can I use a 15mm ply to make up the deficit then tile on top?
Click to expand...
No; as far as tiling goes, having two different tile bases will create more problems than it cures.
 
shapnacker said:
when I lifted the existing tiles a black tar like adhesive has been left behind. This is almost impossible to remove. Can I lay the product onto this?
Click to expand...
Assuming it’s a bitumastic vinyl tile adhesive, remove as much as you can & any loose bits with a flat bladed shovel or scraper; do not use heat or spirit based or chemical cleaners you wil reactivate the bitumen which will cause adhesion problems. When tiling directly over, an SBR bonding primer or a slurry coat consisting of 2 part Portland cement 1 part SBR will work but with SLC, a proprietary acrylic based bonding primer is probably best. If using Mapei Ultraplan then all purpose Mapei Primer T would seem to fit the bill but I would advise you check with Mapei. For other SLC’s, check primer requirements with the manufacturer.

Use a single part flexible powder tile adhesive weather you have UFH or not.
 
Thanks again Karis.

Mapei Ultraplan - can it be purchased from builders merchants or is it obtained only through their website. I live near Leatherhead if you know of any retailers.
 
I doubt you’ll get it from any of the big national chain BM’s, they tend to be a very expensive option for DIY anyway. Specialist trade tile outlets may stock it so try to locate those in your area; it’s a case of shopping around. Delivery cost may make buying small quantities from on-line stockists more expensive but you may be able to off-set this by buying all your tiling products (adhesive, grout, primer etc) from the same place at heavily discounted prices but make sure you choose your tiles first & only buy suitable products.
 
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