Floor Levelling small area to tile - TilersForums.com

[Natwasere]

Im struggling to understand why use hardie backer plus decoupling mat? You know hardy backer done to spec is a decoupling system? Just get a straight edge and see how flat it is. Fill with self levelling compound if required and then tile with or without them clips (no experience on them things)

 

[Tilerdurden]

Im struggling to understand why use hardie backer plus decoupling mat? You know hardy backer done to spec is a decoupling system? Just get a straight edge and see how flat it is. Fill with self levelling compound if required and then tile with or without them clips (no experience on them things)

Good luck with that one.....

You do know hardibacker is a tile backer board not an uncoupler. Hardibacker screwed to a timber floor will move with the floor, any lateral movement due to timber expanding and contracting naturally (as timber does) will affect the hardibacker. Hence uncoupling membrane systems to negate transference to tile finish.

Hope that helps in understanding why use both. The backer board will give a solid background over timber sub floor but certainly won't provide adequate protection from movement.

 

[Natwasere]

Good luck with that one.....

You do know hardibacker is a tile backer board not an uncoupler. Hardibacker screwed to a timber floor will move with the floor, any lateral movement due to timber expanding and contracting naturally (as timber does) will affect the hardibacker. Hence uncoupling membrane systems to negate transference to tile finish.

Hope that helps in understanding why use both. The backer board will give a solid background over timber sub floor but certainly won't provide adequate protection from movement.

Matting provides you with limited latereral movement, it says that in most of their own specs. In fact I think that alot of them spec a ply overlay first By using hardibacker board you are infact decoupling it from the floor beneath. To use both is madness both cost and height wise, and whilst I love decoupling matting it's not better then hardibacker boards imo.

 

[Tilerdurden]

Matting provides you with limited latereral movement, it says that in most of their own specs. In fact I think that alot of them spec a ply overlay first By using hardibacker board you are infact decoupling it from the floor beneath. To use both is madness both cost and height wise, and whilst I love decoupling matting it's not better then hardibacker boards imo.

How do you fix your backer boards?

 

[Natwasere]

How do you fix your backer boards?

Using flexi thin set and screws 25mm. As per their own instructions.

 

[Tilerdurden]

Using flexi thin set and screws 25mm. As per their own instructions.

So if the boards are screwed down to the subfloor tell me how that acts as an uncoupler? See where I'm going here..? We all have our own methods I will be sticking with mine.

 

[Natwasere]

So if the boards are screwed down to the subfloor tell me how that acts as an uncoupler? See where I'm going here..? We all have our own methods I will be sticking with mine.

You dont screw every inch. There is a certain amount of flex in adhesive plus then board then more adhesive. Whilst you have a point about how much it decouples it by I'm still saying if it's already boarded why would you mat it also? Do you board and mat most timber floors? I highly doubt that. It's one or the other usually and which one you choose is irrelevant.

 

[Tilerdurden]

Depends on area being tiled. If it's wet areas I'll board and mat regardless of material type. If it's tongue and groove dry area it'll get both. Dry area I'll use mat with chipboard.