Help with 15mm plywood sub floor

**campbell** · 08-04-2009

Hi All,
I think I have bogged up! I have cut all my ply so that I have a 20mm gap all around the perimeter of the bathroom.
I am told it should be 8 - 15mm for expansion. I will be laying a ceramic tile of some sort.
There is no skirting fitted to the walls.

Please tell me there is a way round this! Plywood is expensive!!!

best regards..........Campbell

**grumpygrouter** · 08-04-2009

The gap does seem a little large but is it really going to be a problem? the edges of the floor are not really traffice areas so should not be subject to much loading of any sort so you should be able to overlap the edges of the board without too much problem I would have thought..

Is the wall going to be tiled or is it tiled already?

**campbell** · 08-04-2009

Hi Grumpygroater,

The walls are currently untiled, but I do intend to tile them after the floor,

best regards............Campbell

**Rav daniels** · 08-04-2009

agree with grumpy, i would try and get decent cuts all the way around, so most of the tile is onthe ply, and dont worry about it.

**grumpygrouter** · 08-04-2009

I don't think you will have a problem Campbell. Cut your floor tiles to leave say a 5mm gap all round the floor. A 15mm overhang will be insignificant really. You could always tile your wall first and this would take up some of the excess space leaving you quite a reasonable expansion gap for your floor.

**campbell** · 08-04-2009

Phew! Thanks guys,

I will do as you suggest,

best regards.........Campbell

**doug boardley** · 08-04-2009

if your bath takes up a full wall side and wall tiles are coming onto the bath, could you pinch say 10mm from the bath side and inch it over the other way? ( the two opposite walls will still have a gap tho'!

**garretridge** · 09-04-2009

i would go with grump on this one its always better to tile walls first then you wont get any addy grout messing up your new floor!

**campbell** · 14-04-2009

Thanks to all, I have laid the full tiles, just the cuts to do.
Once I have tiled the walls and fitted skirting I don't think
I will have a problem.

Your advice is greatly appreciated,

best regards.............Campbell

**Verona** · 14-04-2009

Either way you tile it you have the gap but as Grumpygrouter said, there wouldn't be much loading on the edge so it should be ok.

However, I would say you have done it is the right order by tiling the floor first as then you get a nice edge on the wall tiles meeting the floor. This is how we always do it in Italy.