Drying Time - BAL Single Part Flexible on New Concrete

[JayKayEee]

Hi,

I'm sure this must be a repeat question but I have had a fairly good search...

We're laying slate tiles onto a new concrete floor (which has been down about 3 weeks now) and we're using the above BAL adhesive.

The decorator guy laid the tiles about 24 hours ago (we PVAed first) and I've just noticed the leftover mixture in his tub has a kind of crust on it but is still malleable (a depth of about half a centimeter).

Reading the BAL instructions they say the tiles should be ready to be grouted after a minimum of 16 hours...by which I assume they mean you can obviously walk on them.

But we're not that confident they won't all pop up and come loose. Earlier on in the instructions it say for concrete floors the drying time is 6 weeks (!) as opposed to 24 hours for their quick drying stuff (which we didn't fancy getting).

Do you guys have a gut view when we can walk on the tiles (carefully) and indeed when they will be safe to have furniture etc on them?

Thanks very much.



Jon
PS We're getting this stuff from Jewsons with a bit of discount (£30+VAT) as it is much cheaper than Topps (£40+) - but is there somewhere cheaper we could buy on line?

 

[jefoss]

never used it myself but check out this link, probs what it says on the bag anyway.

http://www.bal-adhesives.co.uk/bal/bal_products/single_part_flexible.asp

usually can put furniture / heavy stuff on it a cpl days later. should have gone for rapid, would be totally dry now and finished.

 

[JayKayEee]

... should have gone for rapid, would be totally dry now and finished.

Thanks for link but it just states that magic 16 hours again!

We didn't go for rapid as apparently once you're mixed up it only last 15 mins (or was it 30 ) and then u have to wash your pot and tools etc and start again...kinda sounded like a lot of hassle.

We're only a third into the tiling, so if people reckon we should change to the flexible rapid we can do so, as we have three rooms to do and only done half of one so far!

Personally I'm looking forward to it all being behind us - as it's a new extension that has taken us over a year to get to this stage - so roll on finishing it and actually beinig able to enjoy it!!!!

Cheers,



Jon

 

[Salmonfisher]

sorry to sound so negitive but the same old story spend a fortune on the structural side of the building then scrimp with the finishings first mistake using the decorator guy to do the tiling second pva and third not using rapidest forth not starting in the middle of the room. now a tiler would have told you this
and it does what it says on the side of the tin ( bag)

 

[gcol]

You should be well able to walk on those tiles after 16 hours with no problem. I've used both single part flex and rapidset flex and both are very similar to work with. You might be able to move ties laid with single part flex a while after you've laid them, but I've never needed to do this. Rapidset is the way to go.
Those tiles don't look particularly straight. Maybe you should mention your feelings to your "decorator?"

 

[lancenotalot]

Have to agree with Salmonfisher,do use a recommend tiler,don't use pva.A decent tiler will spend time laying the tiles out first and would have used an acrylic primer not pva.

Picking up on gcols point there does appear to be a couple of tiles mismatching in the centre of the bottom pic.

Rapid set adhesive is workable for about 20mins,mix up quantities that you can handle.Also you don't need to wash the tools up after each bucket,I always have a bucket of water handy scrape off excess adhesive and rinse them,just clean up when finished.

 

[JayKayEee]

Many thanks guys for the advice.

Being an idiot I have to admit that I thought using PVA WAS the professional thing to do...

What a) is bad about it? b) would using nothing be better or c) what else should I be using?

Also d) do I need a flexible grout (if there is such a thing) as the "decorator" is buying it and I don't want to negate the flexible adhesive if the bleeding grout is the wrong kind.

Sorry for all the questions - love the site, esp the disasters bit (hoping not to appear on there myself!).

Cheers,



Jon

 

[lancenotalot]

Being an idiot I have to admit that I thought using PVA WAS the professional thing to do...

What a) is bad about it? b) would using nothing be better or c) what else should I be using?

PVA is water based/soluble so if at any point your floor got a good soaking and the water got to the pva some of the tiles may come loose.PVA does not have as much strength as acrylic primer
You could use nothing but I normally use acrylic primer first or the floor tends to suck all the water from the adhesive.

As your floor is concrete there shouldn't be any movement in the tiles so a flexi grout won't be needed.

 

[JayKayEee]

As your floor is concrete there shouldn't be any movement in the tiles so a flexi grout won't be needed.

Thanks Lance. We're using flexible adhesive as some of the floor will have electric underfloor heating. In that case - do we need the flexible grout after all?

Cheers,


Jon

 

[jefoss]

yes