Flexible Adhesive - Tile Advice

[Terry the tiler]

Good evening chaps, I have a quick question regarding adhesive.
So I went to price a job the other day for another customers father, it's a riverside property built on piling all timber frame and unfortunately has a floating floor. Now I told the guy I wasn't happy to tile it explained all the risks but he's adamant he wants it tiling (or his wife does) so I agreed to do it but take no responsibility for any movement and cracking.
To be fair the floor is more solid than you would expect and I have got him to fix hardie backer staggard on top to give more strength and less flex.
It's an area of around 25m and the tiles are 600X600 gloss porcelain.
Now that you know the details I suppose the question I'm asking is what adhesive would you guys suggest I use, I would usually use a Weber or bal rapid spf but I suppose I'm looking for something with a bit more flex.
I plan to also lay a bal or ditra DE-coupling matt down first as well.
Any help would be appreciated, and please don't judge me for tiling a floating floor but this is risk free for me as once I leave it's his responsibility.
Grout ideas would be handy too. I usually go for mapei or bal microflex
Thanks

 

[gazmcd72]

A would go with bal single part fastflex adhesive and bal wide joint super flex grout for your best bet

 

[RealEarth]

Have a look at Tilemaster Ultimate. Single part S2 - you could tile a diving board with it
Some fitters don't like it because it's a little bit like chewing gum.. but the pro's outway the con's.

 

[Andy Allen]

The fact you have agreed to do the job knowing it may fail, means you will be held responsible if it ever went legal . No matter what has been said or signed between you and the client.
Anyway ditch the ditra and use bal fast flex with bal grout and gt1 admix.

 

[hmtiling]

How much is the Bal s2 per bag? Very pricey i'd imagine. Everyone does a single part s2 now so i'd shop around. As @Andy Allen says, use an admix with your grout for increased flexibility

 

[Bill]

The fact you have agreed to do the job knowing it may fail, means you will be held responsible if it ever went legal . No matter what has been said or signed between you and the client.

Eh?..... that is so not true.

 

[Terry the tiler]

Su

The fact you have agreed to do the job knowing it may fail, means you will be held responsible if it ever went legal . No matter what has been said or signed between you and the client.
Anyway ditch the ditra and use bal fast flex with bal grout and gt1 admix.[/QUOTE
I'm defo going to get him to sign it off in writing. I'm pretty sure I will be covered then.
That's the whole point of getting it in writing so that I'm protected if he decides to be a chancer.

 

[Tile Shop]

Eh?..... that is so not true.

Actually, it is. If a tiler still continues with a blatant disregard for the customers property or safety, a bit of paper with a signature doesn't not mean the customer is in full knowledge of what they are signing or what the consequences may be. The tiler is the expert and if he carries on knowing that what he is doing has a high possibility of failure, he better duck because a book is hurtling in the direction of his head.

Regardless of what bits of paper are floating about with whoevers signature is on it, it can still constitute Wilful Negligence or Wilful Misconduct.

 

[Andy Allen]

Eh?..... that is so not true.

Why is it not true Tom....

 

[Bill]

Why is it not true Tom....

Because each case is taken on merit. The deciding factors will include all evidence of why it has failed. If the client insists that the procedure shall begin, even though the contractor has vetoed that compliance, then that will be taken into consideration by the judge's decision. Nothing is ever black and white.

 

[Dan]

We've seen a few cases where the tiler (and plumber on our plumbing forum and sparky on our sparky forum) has lost a case because he shouldn't have done something but the customer said do it. The court see you as the expert, a third-party expert witness they get in to take advice from would say hands down that you shouldn't have done whatever it is if you knew it would fail.

If it isn't acceptable due to safety, the customer signing something is worth jack. You'd be better off not signing anything and denying you even spoke to the customer let alone did the job. (Not that I'm condoning that!)

 

[Tile Shop]

Because each case is taken on merit. The deciding factors will include all evidence of why it has failed. If the client insists that the procedure shall begin, even though the contractor has vetoed that compliance, then that will be taken into consideration by the judge's decision. Nothing is ever black and white.

Narp, narp narp. completely disagree.

The bit about why it failed, the tiler will explain why it will fail before he starts...... but trots off and does it anyway. Waivers??? a written document of a tiler documenting how and why it will fail, and that he will accept no liability. he has actively documented that that his tiling will not work, to the cost of the customer. Doesn't matter if the customer accepts that or not at the beginning. Its extra written proof that the tiler knew he couldn't do a fault free job.

Ok, so you might get a nice judge, but any sensible person wouldn't even put themselves in that position. And if you don't get a nice judge, you won't be doing it again will you!. And it will cost you more than you earned from the job.

Seen it happen twice. Waivers ain't worth the paper they're written on/

 

[widler]

Last floater I did I plugged and screwed right through the wood/insulation into the block and beam then ,hardie glued and screwed
Made it solid as a rock.

 

[Terry the tiler]

Thanks for all your messages chaps.
I understand all your points.
The floor has not got ufh and I'm pretty sure won't pose any threats to health and safety it's more a case of if/when the grout decides to crack, the risks have been explained to the customer.
He is already aware but thinks it will be firm enough.
It was quite a sturdy floating floor and he reckons the neighbours has been tiled for over 5 years and is still fine, so. ..
I've told him we will take every precaution and measure to try and prevent cracking and that's all we can do.
At the end of the day I'll have it laid and grouted in 3 days and once I'm paid, it's his problem. And I mean that in the least arrogant way. Any problems he has after that he has been warned about.
I could write a good letter up explaining all this and that he understands to protect myself I mean at the end of the day I'm not doing anything wrong here.
He's in the wrong for proceeding to go with tiles and accepting the risk.

 

[Andy Allen]

Last floater I did I plugged and screwed right through the wood/insulation into the block and beam then ,hardie glued and screwed
Made it solid as a rock.

How did avoid all the pipes.. ect