Kitchen Floor ideas - Help, Quarry tiles need to go!

[rvp]

Hi all

I'd like to pick your brains regards new flooring in the Kitchen.

I am currently revamping the whole Kitchen and have now got to sort the floor out. It has as you can see quarry tiles which we hate!

Untitled

• rvp
• 28 Jan 2015
• 1

We would like to maybe put vinyl in but are open to suggestions.

I'd like to add ideally we don't want to rip the quarry tiles out so was thinking of screeding over them or putting some wood down in order to cover the 4mm grout lines.

I realise the best way is to pull up the floor but as all the units are in place etc I don't want to do that.

Tiles are solid with no damp although I'd put some dpm down.

Any ideas?

 

[tony1851]

I'd swap our vinyl flooring for those quarries anyday.

 

[dazlight]

Chances are there with be no DPM under them tiles if it's a pre 1965 house / floor.
So If your going vinyl route then you will need to put a liquid DPM down over the quarry's if your leaving them down. Then a latex screed.

 

[rvp]

I'd swap our vinyl flooring for those quarries anyday.

Really! we hate them!!

Chances are there with be no DPM under them tiles if it's a pre 1965 house / floor.
So If your going vinyl route then you will need to put a liquid DPM down over the quarry's if your leaving them down. Then a latex screed.

Yep pretty sure that's the case as I lifted one near the door and it's solid, no sign of a DPM.

We have just been to B&Q to have a nosey and seen some Laminate that looks nice although I guess we'd still need a DPM down.

 

[dazlight]

You could put a laminate down with a DPM underlay and should by ok. I'd still put a liquid DPM down as think it's best. But loads of people don't

If you look on my profile you can see a pic of a DPM

 

[rvp]

You could put a laminate down with a DPM underlay and should by ok. I'd still put a liquid DPM down as think it's best. But loads of people don't

If you look on my profile you can see a pic of a DPM

I just had a look at your pics, what DPM is that? does it take long to dry and how did you avoid the units (although I see you didn't on one!)

 

[dazlight]

Lol, that's masking tape around perimeter. I had to check then.
I use masking tape when screeding and using DPM as you have to get up to the skirts.
That's F.ball stopgap F75 which is 2 coat one.
But now they do F77 which is one coat
Or
Ardex DPM 1c
Or
Laybond one coat membrane

 

[rvp]

Lol, that's masking tape around perimeter. I had to check then.
I use masking tape when screeding and using DPM as you have to get up to the skirts.
That's F.ball stopgap F75 which is 2 coat one.
But now they do F77 which is one coat
Or
Ardex DPM 1c
Or
Laybond one coat membrane

Oh right, couldn't make out the masking tape!

I'll do a bit of research on them products but I guess any will do the job.

I am also thinking about using http://www.screwfix.com/p/acoustalay-foam-underlay-with-dpm-3mm-18m-green-blue/45461? or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comfort-Silver-Laminate-Underlay-Membrane/dp/B00A8JIQMC as it seems easier and less messy!

 

[jx305]

Hi, I just found your post. I had the same quarry tiles in my kitchen, been there since house built. My house is a mid terrace of about the same age 1930's something. My tiles were covered by a rubber back carpet when I moved in and the smell of damp was obvious. Long story short, quarry tiles NEED to breath, in those houses damp wasn't an issue because they were draughty and open coal fires helped ventilate and disperse damp air close to the ground. Quarry tiles are usually laid on a very thin layer of white stuff which I presume was lime based under which is earth, rubble and other building rubbish used as filler. I had a floor company fit vinyl tiles to the floor, they poured blue stuff on which was a 'sealer' then they used a red resin that hardened into a plastic like coating and leveler, then tiled. It looked beautiful and for the £2000 it cost I should hope it did! Then litterally 2 weeks after I felt a crunch under my foot and noticed a bump in the floor, then days later a small volcano had appeared, the whole floor was popping up all over. The company said I should have had the floor out and filled in before having vinyl down. Well excuse me but couldn't they have made that recommendation and done the work BEFORE fitting the floor??!! They refused to fix the issue and we had a long battle, then the shop vanished from our town centre and I was £2k out of pocket.
I had to rip tiles up and snap the red stuff off the floor which came up in pieces with white salts stuck to the underside.
I decided I hated quarry tiles and I lifted a few up near my back door and found the white stuff, brown soil, wood splinters, nails, bricks, stones and even a small bone. this went down about 18 inches before I found the compacted sand layer and everything was sodden wet, damp and stunk.
I had to fork out another £500 to have it all removed, lined and filled with concrete and put lino down.
My only saving grace was that when I had my new fitted kitchen (about 7 years before the floor was done) MFI were aware that one day I would sort the floor out and they reinforced all my kitchen units to the wall, so when the floor was taken out, all my units were still in situ, floating above nothing, which looked really weird.
I hope this helps you decide.
My personal advice, get rid of them, dont try and water proof them or cover them as you will regret it later on. Vinyl will just trap moisture under the tiles and it will smell and try to get out in other ways

 

[rvp]

Hi, I just found your post. I had the same quarry tiles in my kitchen, been there since house built. My house is a mid terrace of about the same age 1930's something. My tiles were covered by a rubber back carpet when I moved in and the smell of damp was obvious. Long story short, quarry tiles NEED to breath, in those houses damp wasn't an issue because they were draughty and open coal fires helped ventilate and disperse damp air close to the ground. Quarry tiles are usually laid on a very thin layer of white stuff which I presume was lime based under which is earth, rubble and other building rubbish used as filler. I had a floor company fit vinyl tiles to the floor, they poured blue stuff on which was a 'sealer' then they used a red resin that hardened into a plastic like coating and leveler, then tiled. It looked beautiful and for the £2000 it cost I should hope it did! Then litterally 2 weeks after I felt a crunch under my foot and noticed a bump in the floor, then days later a small volcano had appeared, the whole floor was popping up all over. The company said I should have had the floor out and filled in before having vinyl down. Well excuse me but couldn't they have made that recommendation and done the work BEFORE fitting the floor??!! They refused to fix the issue and we had a long battle, then the shop vanished from our town centre and I was £2k out of pocket.
I had to rip tiles up and snap the red stuff off the floor which came up in pieces with white salts stuck to the underside.
I decided I hated quarry tiles and I lifted a few up near my back door and found the white stuff, brown soil, wood splinters, nails, bricks, stones and even a small bone. this went down about 18 inches before I found the compacted sand layer and everything was sodden wet, damp and stunk.
I had to fork out another £500 to have it all removed, lined and filled with concrete and put lino down.
My only saving grace was that when I had my new fitted kitchen (about 7 years before the floor was done) MFI were aware that one day I would sort the floor out and they reinforced all my kitchen units to the wall, so when the floor was taken out, all my units were still in situ, floating above nothing, which looked really weird.
I hope this helps you decide.
My personal advice, get rid of them, dont try and water proof them or cover them as you will regret it later on. Vinyl will just trap moisture under the tiles and it will smell and try to get out in other ways

Thanks for the info jx305 and sorry to hear about your woes.

I'll have to think even longer and harder reading that now! as I don't want that happening to me.

 

[dazlight]

It all depends which type of liquid dpm you use.
They are designed to suppress moisture. Not block it.
I've had none fail on me. But does depend on the moisture content and the water table.

You might be worth getting a local flooring firm to take a look.

 

[rvp]

It all depends which type of liquid dpm you use.
They are designed to suppress moisture. Not block it.
I've had none fail on me. But does depend on the moisture content and the water table.

You might be worth getting a local flooring firm to take a look.

I may just do that as I have no idea regards moisture content or water table.

 

[rvp]

Does anyone know if I could paint the tiles with say a Epoxy Resin floor paint like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garacoat-Epoxy-Resin-Garage-Floor/dp/B00CBVSCCY

The Mrs just mentioned why don't we just gloss them Grey

 

[dazlight]

I lay over these floors all the time. If done right you won't have a problem.