Hi everyone,
I'm about to attempt my first DIY tiling job shortly, and would appreciate some advice.
There is a narrow strip of tiled flooring in front of a run of kitchen units, approximately 66cm wide x 4 metres long that I want to replace, as a couple of tiles were damaged by a heavy item accidentally falling on to the floor, and not having any spares to replace with. The rest of the floor up to these tiles is laminate. Would it be ok to tile directly onto the chipboard floor using an appropriate flexible adhesive because it's only a small area? I know it's recommended to board over with plywood normally, but this would raise the level too high overall on the tiled part, and would create problems with the difference in height with the other flooring. The existing tiles had been fixed straight onto the floor by the previous owner, and we have been in the house for nearly ten years.
Also, what size of tile would you recommend for this narrow strip?

Hi - you know what is recommended so any advice that is given to the contrary would be incorrect from a professional tilers perspective.
There are cement based flexible adhesives that will adhere to chipboard but any moisture penetration into the base material will expand/distort and consequently debond the tiles. I can understand your issues with reference to height variations, however without pictures an overall view of the problem is not entirely clear. You may find a longer lasting solution in overboarding with thin plywood and using a vinyl tile.

As above, as a professional I would never recommend tiling directly onto chipboard. However I can see that it would be a pain to over board this area. Is there any chance of either over boarding with a 6mm cement board or laying a 3mm decoupling membrane, then tiling. This would bring the floor height up slightly but you may be able to install a wooden/metal strip to hide the difference in height?

Thanks for the advice.

I may have to rethink on the tiling altogether, as to do it as advised would bring the level up too much and be too noticeable. It would look a bit odd too as it's a fairly long length right in front of the units. I would have done it that way if I was tiling a full room and the difference was hidden under a door threshold, but unfortunately it's an open plan area with laminate flooring running from lounge to dining area, and carries on up to the tiling in the kitchen area separated by a metal floor strip.

Looks like it's going to have to be vinyl tiles or lino!

I've tiled directly onto chipboard and had no problems.
There's a long thread (now unfortunately closed) that you might find interesting.

• tiling over floor grade chipboard
  
  By sharpfamily in forum Tile Adhesive, Grout and Substrate Preparation
  
  Replies: 126 Last Post: 07-10-2011, 02:28 PM
  
  
  - if you do use vinyl/lino, you may then have a step up to the existing laminate.
  - stripping off the old tiles is going to be the most laborious job as my guess is they will be well stuck down.
  - if you do use vinyl you'll have get a really smooth clean finish to the chip board....otherwise it'll show through the thin vinyl
  - if the chipboard is sound, i'd suggest go ahead with replacing the tiles with tiles.....it'll look much better and I don't think you'll be taking much risk.
  - as regards size of tiles, go for a width that minimises the amount of cutting. 300*600 laid in brickwork pattern plus narrow 60mm boarder strip may look good and be easy to do.
  - I've used BAL single part flexible directly onto water resistant 18mm chipboard without any problems. BAL single part fastflex is bit more expensive and messier to use, but it's probably be more robust and may be a safer choice.
  - I used BAL flexible waterproof microflex grout.
  - Follow the instructions for mixing the adhesive and grout, and make sure that you get good even bed.
  
  good luck.
  
  
  
  
  
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Id Go with Rich's advice of fotting a 3mm decoupler if you go ahead with Tiling but my not be cost effective versus lino etc.

Dont agree with Tiling directly on to chipboard and dont know any Pro's that do.

There are some good trasition strips or threshold bars out there these days that do a very god job of minimalising small diffrences in height.

That is one seriously long thread (good though) !!

as above i would not recommend tiling direct to chipboard,it may last but why bother taking the risk in the 1st place?

I would never tile directly onto a chipboard floor for the reasons mentioned above and many more besides.

However, trying to think of solutions from what you describe:

Have you considered continuing the laminate all the way through? Providing the tiles you are lifting don't pull half the chipboard with it and you can match the pattern of the laminate close enough.
If not that (and this one is the more labour intensive) as long as the laminate is still a flooting floor. Lift the exsisting laminate carefully and increase the height of the underlay, then re-lay laminate. This could mean having to remove the skirting however depending on how your laminate has been fitted. :-(

If it is the only way and you want to tile directley onto the chipboard i would use BAL WP1 with the correct matting (brought by the meter) when it is cured tile with flexable cement, there is no correct way but needs must sometimes.

There is a 2 part rubber flexi adhesive you can use

Iused it a few times

That would work direct onto chip board but as every one said its not the best way

Good Luck

Thank you so much for your post.