I saw a job today. Kitchen floor 12sqm. The substrate is 18mm chipboard. Strange because the house is only 8 years old. The customer wants to lay 500x500 glazed porcelain. I’ve been reading a lot of threads regarding chipboard. So I am a little bit confused. Would Hardibacker be ok as an overlay? This is a Topps customer and he has to buy the mats from Topps. I guess the adhesive will have to be BAL Single Part Fastflex. Am I correct? Cheers Sean

Hi sean..

Did you check to see if any fixings were in the floor...

This could be a floating floor.?

Originally Posted by Dave

Hi sean..

Did you check to see if any fixings were in the floor...

This could be a floating floor.?

No Dave, I could only check the thickness of the flooring by looking through a small gap by the side of the radiator pipe.

You need to check sean....IMO i will not touch a floating floor but some fixers do..

This kitchen is on the first floor of a town house. Am I right in thinking that the builder probably built the 2nd floor with concrete, and then laid 18mm chipboard (with batons between the concrete and the chipboard)....hence 'Floating floor'. If the chipboard was screwed on top of joists would it then be ok to tile onto? So how can I be 100% sure it's not a floating floor? What do I need to look for? Cheers Sean

In your OP you didn't mention it was a first floor...but still check to see if there are any fixings in the chipboard at the joints where the boards meet..they will most probs be nails but i have seen floating floors on first and even second floors depending on construction.

Always check before commencing with your quote sean...