Applying floor leveling compound for tiling

[frenchman96]

Hi There

I have just stripped the kitchen floor in my daughters house, it was laid with porcelain tiles on top of a concrete floor, that had a self leveling compound on it.

I noticed that the leveling compound is thin, and scrapes up easy, so I have decided to scrape it up, clean up as much as I can, will even hoover, and intend to apply a Latex floor leveler.

Not done this before, so I have a few questions.

1-its a concrete floor, quite level, but a few shallow pits, should I cement them first to level, or let Latex do it for me.
2- As skirts are removed, exposing wall, should I lay a 2x1 baton all around the room.
3-do I need to apply a unibond first if concrete like to be absorbent or/and dusty
4- room measures 4200 x 2800 or can I call that 4 x 3 mtrs = 12 square mtrs.

hope questions are not daft, only a 72 yr old novice trying to save daughter money.

 

[Glenbirnie]

Hi Frenchman, before I start I am not a pro, Im pretty practical though. I hadnt done any full on tiling for about 10 years and have just done pretty much exactly what your doing. Im just away to grout it.

I would clean off as much as you can and I hoover aswell!

My floor was similar and because the composite door was close to the floor I was concious about not raising the floor so I didnt use a leveling compound I put the adhesive on a bit thicker in the occasional shallow pit. It seems to have worked fine and feels rock solid.

I have tiled a couple of mm off the plaster board and will add skirting to finish it. Im actually putting up timber linings.

I put a coat of BAL Bond SBR down even though I had a sound dust free floor. It cost £10 for the litre which will do your area and you just mix it with water so it looks like milk and roller it on, its very easy to apply.

For the adhesive Ive used BAL rapidset and mixed enough at a time to lay 8 tiles at a time, 35cm sq tiles. I found I had enough time to lay them and adjust them before the mixture went off. I was doing it on a 10 degree day in Scotland and got about an hour til the mix went off. I didnt take an hour to lay 8 tiles though!

Couple of other things Ive learned quickly:

I get a very sore back tiling, but im a little overweight!
Big clinker tile cutter is amazing.
Clean up any adhesive as you go, wipe over tiles youve laid with damp sponge.
Put a couple of bits of tape across door ways to stop family members walking in!!!!

cheers