Can I save my tiled floor ? - but need access underneath...

[MoonMan2]

I require access to subfloor.

The tiles I have in my kitchen are these

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• MoonMan2
• 14 Apr 2011
• 1

I believe they are layered with the tiles on top with a wooden board beneath. The wooden board is screwed into floorboards (chipboard t/g).

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• MoonMan2
• 14 Apr 2011
• 1

Untitled

• MoonMan2
• 14 Apr 2011
• 1

I am trying to save the flooring.

Is it possible for a joiner to use a tool to cut through the floor, at the seams of the tiles, creating a hatch.

Work under the floor can then be carried out.

The hatch is then simply placed back where is was cut with little sign it was ever removed.

 

[lancenotalot]

I would give it a try,rake out the grout where you want to cut then go round with a jig saw,watch out for any services under floor though.

 

[Richard C]

Chipboard if far from the best but at least it looks like you have a decent thickness of ply overboard.

As for cutting a hatch, anything is possible with the right equipment & no doubt the joiners might want to contribute but a cement based tile adhesive will need a diamond cutting disc or it won’t last 5 minutes; but then there is a problem as that won’t cut through timber! It looks like you’ve already got side access so, presumably, you’ve already cut away some of the floor? But there is always the cock up factor & a chance that vibration will crack one or more tiles or even carelessness. Personally I would not use power tools but rake out the grout & use a cheap rip saw to cut through the ply & chip but it won’t be much good afterwards; not sure how you would do the cross cut where you won’t have access!

Then you will have to dream up some way of supporting the hatch around the cut edges; going to be difficult to fit a batten to the underside of the floor to support the hatch with the tiles in place on the rest of the floor. It may be better to try & remove the tiles which may be easier than you think if crap adhesive was used. Not sure it will be invisible when you have finished either.

What exactly is the problem anyway?

 

[big-all]

the only way to fully support any "cut out" would be to the nearest joist with 6x2 or 8x2" dependant on span and iff you have cut through a joist

 

[digitaly]

I'm dealing with that just now!!! I have just finished plumbing in Kitchen and bathroom and thought about the hatch!!! so I ruined all the pipes (CH +W) at the edges of the rooms (under kitchen cabinets and under the bath/basin/bidet/toilet in the bathroom0 and stick those tiles with silicon into some shaped MDF boards.
So in case of a leak or other I just cut the silicone where the usually the grouting goes with a pen knife.
I'm planning in the future to include some more audio video entertainments stuff in the house so running cables should be easier then.