just wanting some advice about our bathroom floor, we are tiling over floorboards, with a plywood overlay using 10mm depth polished black and white marble tiles( checkerboard effect). do we use 12mm or 18mm ply? also we have bought some fila marble sealer/impregnator do we use this on the tiles before or after we have fixed them? we have bal flexi adhesive in white and bal flexi wide joint grout in grey. bit worried as we don't want to stain the marble it's white carrera and negro marquina if that helps.

You've got it in one. I'd prefer the 18mm ply, but 12mm will do. Again, your right, flexi addy & grout. Seal the tiles once before and once after grouting. Spread the sealer with a rsmall roller, enough to cover, but not too much to leave a puddle!

12mm ply....be it on your head, read the back of the bag of adhesive..this will clearly state no less than 15mm......Gaz

anybody know where i can get 15mm ply? i don't want to use 18mm as with the tiles (10mm) and adhesive it's a pretty big step about 30 mm. also can i seal my marble tiles before i lay them?? thanks.

Probably B&Q or Jewsons bud, but if it's on a bathroom floor, you could use BAL fast flex, 2 part adhesive, which wouldn't need the ply? sorry if it was needed anyway!

try using 9mm no more ply its eqivalent to 18mm ply.

thanks wayne, have looked at no more ply's website and are going to collect some tomorrow, they have suggested 6mm as it is equiv to 15mm ply, we had considered aquapanel but it was more exppensive! what do u think about us sealing polished marble before we lay it??

i still prefer the 9mm its a lot more solid than 6mm.over floorboards it will be fine. watch out for the mega strength adhesive it wont come off your hands. you can seal first but i never do just work clean. take your time and the marble will look quality good luck

Originally Posted by puzzled

anybody know where i can get 15mm ply? i don't want to use 18mm as with the tiles (10mm) and adhesive it's a pretty big step about 30 mm. also can i seal my marble tiles before i lay them?? thanks.

In the uk ply is made or imported.@ 4mm 6mm 9mm 12mm 18mm......Gaz

I have had a look at the "No More Ply" website today. Looks interesting but as usual, you can't get it up here where I am. Could buy off their website but I would need to buy a ton at a time and shell out 50 notes for delivery. I'll be sticking with ply from Wickes, then!

Grumpy

Grumpy i use 10mm PCI backer boards i think its easy and better than ply did use ply for twenty years this is a much better way nowadays you can get it over the wall

http://www.pci-uk.com/PCIUK/En/produ...ur_creativ.htm

Originally Posted by pjc

Grumpy i use 10mm PCI backer boards i think its easy and better than ply did use ply for twenty years this is a much better way nowadays you can get it over the wall

http://www.pci-uk.com/PCIUK/En/produ...ur_creativ.htm

That's a very similar product to wedi boards pete.....

same as just get it lot cheaper get it delivered just fix it with adhesive no screws on the floor

Me personally would still put in a few screws in on timber floors....best just to make sure.....( only after adhesive has set )........

thanks to you all, all i need now is a decent plumber! had 5/6 out and the rubbish they spout!and the cost, they quote 250-300 a day labour, wished i earned that.

screws wouldn't a lot unless you use washers

Yes pete..forgot to mention washers... .............
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Originally Posted by puzzled

thanks to you all, all i need now is a decent plumber! had 5/6 out and the rubbish they spout!and the cost, they quote 250-300 a day labour, wished i earned that.

hi puzzled would you like to register as a member then we have a name and you can come back for more info..you will only be allowed so many posts as a guest...

Originally Posted by puzzled

thanks to you all, all i need now is a decent plumber! had 5/6 out and the rubbish they spout!and the cost, they quote 250-300 a day labour, wished i earned that.

How much..!!! did they look like theres two John 'swift nick'Nevison
Claud Du Vall

Originally Posted by pjc

Grumpy i use 10mm PCI backer boards i think its easy and better than ply did use ply for twenty years this is a much better way nowadays you can get it over the wall

http://www.pci-uk.com/PCIUK/En/products/intermediate_substrates/Construction+Boards/pecidur__pecidur_creativ.htm

Still have the same availability problem up here Pete. Only place i have found any backer board is Topps - Hardiebacker - and it isn't cheap in comparison to ply. Have to say though it is very easy to cut with a saw.

Grumpy

Grumpy what does it cost you for a sheet of 12 & 18mm ply up there ?

Originally Posted by pjc

Grumpy what does it cost you for a sheet of 12 & 18mm ply up there ?

Hi Pete, I am stuck with using ply from wickes if I need it because it fits in my car. A piece of WBP 1827 x 607 x9 costs me £9.19. I know I can get it much cheaper from a merchant but I can not move it around as I don't have a van. To get bigger sheets cut down to fit then starts to push up the price to approaching what I pay at wickes so I go for the easiest solution.

Grump

wicks are not badly priced if you have one near, is most of your ply floors on chipboard then 9mm ply or do you use fastflex ?

Originally Posted by pjc

wicks are not badly priced if you have one near, is most of your ply floors on chipboard then 9mm ply or do you use fastflex ?

I have only had to board out 1 floor - my own - and I was tight for height so I decided after jumping up and down that 9mm would be fine. I used Ardex 7001 with this and my floor is very good, even with the vibes from the washing machine I have no sign of cracking anywhere. I have used fastflex supplied by a builder on a couple of floors . Told him I would have prefered to board out but he was insistant it would be fine. I have not been called back so I assume they are still OK.

I like 7001, it is only a single part mix and is very cheap in comparison to Fastflex, about £27 per bag (22kg).

Normally I would look at a thicker ply as that is what I was taught to do, but sometimes you just can't.

Grumpy

I just removed my kitchen floor tiles in new house, there were 3 cracking up.Chiselled cracked 1 up first and the rest just surrendered. They literally came up with a shovel....8mtrs up in 10 mins, and the standard rapid set just crumbled,stuck to the tile but not the floor.He had tiled directly onto chipboard and t&g boards....what a wally.....Gaz

Originally Posted by Gaz @ Topps

I just removed my kitchen floor tiles in new house, there were 3 cracking up.Chiselled cracked 1 up first and the rest just surrendered. They literally came up with a shovel....8mtrs up in 10 mins, and the standard rapid set just crumbled,stuck to the tile but not the floor.He had tiled directly onto chipboard and t&g boards....what a wally.....Gaz

Sounds a bit like my first attempt at my kitchen floor before I became a "proper" tiler.

I used unibond stuff from B&Q straight onto chipboard. was only down a couple of years. I removed the tiles in less than an hour and litterally swept up the adhesive as it had pretty much turned to powder. Overall with the removal, good cleaning and reboarding with my 9mm ply -all pilot drilled at 200mm centres- i was ready to tile by the end of the day. 6hrs in total!

Funny now when I think of it. If only I had researched a bit before I dived in eh!

Grumpy

never used 7001, flastflex on top of floorboards doesn't work and bal will drop you in it if there are any problems that would cost them anything small joist spans wont move much but larger spans flex to much for a thin bed of fastflex and the larger the tile the less movement if you ever want any backerboard on a larger floor in the future i may be able to help regards Pete

This guy was a steel polisher..he did the bathroom and kitchen with topps tiles,and he made them look bad.If only he had seen the forums....lol...my plan is to rip out the whole lot,new kitchen, and shift the bathroom over to the back of the house where it belongs.......I will photo journal the whole transformation....Can't wait to get stuck in........Gaz

nice one Gaz a bit of luck for you then just imagine if Dave had fixed them you would still be at it mate and I'm sure you would of changed them anyway

Originally Posted by pjc

never used 7001, flastflex on top of floorboards doesn't work and bal will drop you in it if there are any problems that would cost them anything small joist spans wont move much but larger spans flex to much for a thin bed of fastflex and the larger the tile the less movement if you ever want any backerboard on a larger floor in the future i may be able to help regards Pete

Thanks Pete, I'll bear that in mind. My name has been passed on for a 70m2 floor in a new build. Haven't had the call yet so I am not sat in great anticipation but I may need to board out if I get the job.

Grumpy
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Originally Posted by Gaz @ Topps

This guy was a steel polisher..he did the bathroom and kitchen with topps tiles,and he made them look bad.If only he had seen the forums....lol...my plan is to rip out the whole lot,new kitchen, and shift the bathroom over to the back of the house where it belongs.......I will photo journal the whole transformation....Can't wait to get stuck in........Gaz

Ooooh! exciting.........! Can't wait for the pics.

Grumpy

Originally Posted by pjc

nice one Gaz a bit of luck for you then just imagine if Dave had fixed them you would still be at it mate and I'm sure you would of changed them anyway

If Dave had of tiled it...I would have tiled over it....lol