space between tiles??

[larrymi]

In my conservatory, I had a new floor laid in December. The tiles are porcelain 600x300. The so called tilers raised the floor about 3-4 inches. They did it by putting 3-4 inches of adhesive on the screeding. They did not use spacers to create gaps to be filled with grout, but laid the tiles butt up against each other.

My dilemma is this: fearing the tiles will one day crack with the heat and cold of the conservatory, do I pull up the existing tiles and have the floor re-laid?

This will mean ditching the costly tiles and buying new ones and paying a professional tiler to do the job, all at great expense. If however due to the amount of adhesive used, if it is unlikely the tiles will buckle or crack, I am prepared to live with the lack of gap between them. Or, is this a false economy and I should have them removed and new ones relaid correctly?
Any advice appreciated.

 

[tpt]

3-4 inches??? are you sure? that would have cost them a fortune in adhesive. Do you have photos?

Porcelain has very little thermal movement, what size is the floor? assuming they will stay down you could well get away with it, but it sounds a very strange job.

 

[larrymi]

It was indeed a very strange job, and I ended up paying for the adhesive, all 4 inches of it! Though that I can assure you was NOT the plan. When I saw there was no gap and grout I insisted they pull up the tiles at their expense and relay, and that's when they walked off the job. Anyway, attached, I hope, is a picture. The conservatory is about 23 sq metres.
Thanks for your insight.
Larry

PS. If I keep the tiles, what's the best way to get adhesive off the top of them

 

[larrymi]

//media.diynot.com/182000_181578_41703_49493320_thumb.jpg

 

[gregers]

4 inches,bejesus bet that cost you a fortune.
did they walk off or ride off into the distance?

 

[tictic]

Can't see any pics....

3/4inches..raised?....sounds like they have dot/dabbed the tiles to the floor...4/5 big blobs under the tiles....

Imo..it ain't going to last...failure waiting to happen afraid...

 

[larrymi]

They just vanished, like magic- one minute they were there.......then they were gone......

I think you are right, best to pull it up and get it right or I'll end up doing it sooner or later anyway...just didn't want to pay twice. And I can assure you,it wasn't cheap the first time, after expensive tiles and hundreds of £££ of adhesive.
Thanks for your advice.
Larry

 

[Maxsys]

So where exactly did you find these so called "Tilers"?

 

[tpt]

if tictic is right (and i suspect he is) you may find they will come up easy. With those type of voids underneath they are going to need to come up, i'd bet a pound to a penny they are going to crack when serious weight like furniture is applied to them. lack of joints is probably the least of your worries.

You may be lucky and get them up whole and be able to clean them, and then buy a few more of the same shade and relay?

 

[Richard C]

Most powder adhesive beds are around 4-6mm but you can go up to around 12mm locally & some adhesives will go up to 20mm but 100mm . Not sure how long that will last & if they have dot & dabbed, they could even crack when you walk on them let alone if you put any heavy furniture down or drop something on them. Sounds like a right bunch of cowboys.

 

[larrymi]

My understanding is that he did not dot & dab, but spread the adhesive across the area,before laying the the tiles. There are no hollow sounds when tapped with a piece of wood.

Yet I can see the little grouting he did manage to get between the tiles is already cracking in places after about 6 weeks. Not a good omen I fear.

 

[simonjay]

Most powder adhesive beds are around 4-6mm but you can go up to around 12mm locally & some adhesives will go up to 20mm but 100mm . Not sure how long that will last & if they have dot & dabbed, they could even crack when you walk on them let alone if you put any heavy furniture down or drop something on them. Sounds like a right bunch of cowboys.

Surely this cannot be possible ? - the link to photos did not work. Imagine the step up at the doorway.
Maybe they bedded them into a screed.
Using proper adhesive would have cost many hundeds of pounds.
???
Simon.

 

[larrymi]

The adhesive did cost hundreds of pounds....... but the real problem is the lack of a gap between the tiles. After about 6 weeks, the little grout they used is already cracking and at least one tile is lifting.

I'm getting them all pulled up tomorrow, trying to salvage what doesn't break, but am prepared to have the entire floor relaid with new tiles if need be.. Although I held back some money, I will still be out of pocket, but at least I'll know it will have been done correctly...this time.