Filling non-tiled areas where kitchen units were.

[smp50]

I've removed some kitchen units which won't be replaced and there's a 50cm strip down the edge of the room, a good 2m long, which was never tiled. I won't find spare tiles of this sort and am reluctant to replace the rest of the floor. Any ideas how best to fill it, who's actually done this?

I guess I could just fill with some other tiles and try to make it look intentional...? Or use levelling compound and paint it??

Any better ideas?

Thanks,

 

[geraldthehamster]

I've removed some kitchen units which won't be replaced and there's a 50cm strip down the edge of the room, a good 2m long, which was never tiled. I won't find spare tiles of this sort and am reluctant to replace the rest of the floor. Any ideas how best to fill it, who's actually done this?

I guess I could just fill with some other tiles and try to make it look intentional...? Or use levelling compound and paint it??

Any better ideas?

Thanks,

Done with self-levellling compound, it would just look unfinished. I think two options are:

1. Tile with something similar and maybe put a rug on it
2. Become less reluctant to replace the rest of the floor.

How sure are you that you can't match the tiles? Photos?

Cheers
Richard

 

[smp50]

How sure are you that you can't match the tiles? Photos?

You'll wonder why I don't want to replace them, but:

 

[geraldthehamster]

Point taken. In that case, maybe:

1. Remove the row of partial tiles, and tile the gap with plain tiles close to one of the colours in your existing tiles - green or buff. Depending on the layout of your kitchen, that might look harmonious, if not deliberate

or

2. Replace the whole floor

You could try 1., and revert to 2. if the result looks rubbish

Of course a cheap and quick way to do it would be to self-level the end (as you suggested), and cover the lot with vinyl. Personally I'm not a big fan of vinyl (but it's not my floor).

Cheers
Richard

 

[smp50]

Point taken. In that case, maybe:

1. Remove the row of partial tiles, and tile the gap with plain tiles close to one of the colours in your existing tiles - green or buff. Depending on the layout of your kitchen, that might look harmonious, if not deliberate

or

2. Replace the whole floor

You could try 1., and revert to 2. if the result looks rubbish

Of course a cheap and quick way to do it would be to self-level the end (as you suggested), and cover the lot with vinyl. Personally I'm not a big fan of vinyl (but it's not my floor).

Cheers
Richard

Yea, good plan. I've only just removed these same tiles from the nearby bathroom and the adhesive beneath was some tough stuff - maybe normal for floor adhesive, but anyway it took a lot to smooth the ridges down. In practice I imagine I'd have to pour a new floor over the whole room before re-tiling and it's all extra time and money that the house isn't really worth! You're right that option 1 could become option 2 if it doesn't work so that's probably my best bet.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I've only just removed these same tiles from the nearby bathroom

I take it they didn't come up in one piece, so you could re-use them in the kitchen?

Cheers
Richard

 

[smp50]

I've only just removed these same tiles from the nearby bathroom

I take it they didn't come up in one piece, so you could re-use them in the kitchen?

Cheers
Richard

Unfortunately not - maybe there was a way I could have done it if I was clever about it but I only ended up with two or three lucky whole tiles. Whereas the wall ones come off so neatly I'm considering re-using them...

I didn't have this issue in mind at the time, either, so I guess I wasn't trying too hard to preserve them.


I suppose plan C is to put laminate atop the whole thing (after levelling the voids), which would work as well.

 

[foxhole]

Trim off part tile and fit solid green tile of similar size and take up same on opposite side and fit green so it looks like an intentional border.
Though they look well past their best, I would do the whole floor.

 

[smp50]

Thanks, guys. I had nothing to do last night (well, I have plenty to do, but I'm scared to start tiling around the bath...) so I ended up removing the whole kitchen floor, it's only about 8sqm so maybe I'll re-tile it for about £150.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Thanks, guys. I had nothing to do last night (well, I have plenty to do, but I'm scared to start tiling around the bath...) so I ended up removing the whole kitchen floor, it's only about 8sqm so maybe I'll re-tile it for about £150.

A good decision

Cheers
Richard

 

[smp50]

A good decision

Cheers
Richard

Time will tell...
My new "reluctance" now is to pour a smooth surface over the pitted and bumpy sub-floor revealed beneath the tiles. I wonder what degree of unevenness/roughness I can get away with, I guess if I use a deep bed of adhesive for the new tiles it should work alright. I went around tonight and poured levelling compound in the holes but it'll never be smooth without a full wall-to-wall coverage of it.

Actually I had fun with it last time in another room so I kind of want to pour more, but it'll just be another £100 gone and more time.