My First post !!! and also some advice from your goodselves

[TopTrainer]

This is an excellent place with unlimted experience in my short time here I have been reading a lot about porcelain tiles.

my worries unfold at this point in that I am awaiting the delivery of some B & Q 400's 11mts black 16 mts white.

Firstly I am concerned about posts relating to them being out of square !!!! I would add to that they are the 22 quid ones and not bargain basement stuff, is this something that is a very real concern to me?

I am going to use grey grout and was going to use a 2m spacers unless someone advises otherwise, the tile are 8.5m thick

I have got some Litho impregnator...............

I kind of wish I had not ordered them from B&Q now

Thanks TT

[wetdec]

Let me try and ease your mind slightly.

Black and white porcelain in the UK at the moment is predominantly Chinese if wanting Black Black or White White then you would need to be paying upwards of £35.00, Top white will cost you over £45.

Everyone is in the same boat and slight variations in size when dealing with tiles is to be expected when the manufacturing process involves heat especially with larger sizes

tiler

..

[grumpygrouter]

Not all Chinese porcelain is crap. I laid some last summer 500x300 and they were absolutely "mm" spot on in both directions and absolutely flat. Went down really easily and well.

[wetdec]

Didn't say it was


tiler

..

[TopTrainer]

Thanks for your replies, do you check every tile for square before you lay it?

Would it be a good idea to use the impregnator before I lay the tiles? out of the box I mean


TT

[grumpygrouter]

Didn't say it was


tiler

..

Never said you did Tiler, I was just adding to the thread to ease Toptrainers mind.

[Grace'sDad]

I did these recently - they cut beautifully, and the batch I worked with were 1/2mm out of square.

I'd check one from each box for squareness and work accordingly.

Ideally they would be sealed fully before installing, but I don't see how this is practical - where on earth do you put them all bearing in mind that they can't be walked on???

You'll be ok, just work cleanly and be prepared to spend some time cleaning with Fila extra strong residue remover if they do stain. 5 minutes soaking at 5:1 dilution and you are back in business!
----


Tiler's feeling sensitive tonight! Here have a

[TopTrainer]

Graces Dad........Thanks for that brilliant I will lay and use the impregnator before grouting.

I am assuming the 2 m spacer is ok?.................I did not want to spark an international incident on me first post !!!!


TT

[davy_G]

If the tiles are good on size and all square then 2mm spacer is the way to go. I assume the floor is nice and flat first of all?
If the tiles are not perfectly square or the floor aint flat then open them up accordingly to 3 or even 5mm

[joby81]

You may also want to check that the tiles are level as well as square. A lot of cheap porcelain on the market at the ment is unlevel as well as not square

[Grace'sDad]

I would advise making sure the floor is VERY level. I used a levelling compound to make really sure. The edges are so sharp on these tiles that any uneveness will show. I'm chicken so I used 3mm spacers and it still looked great with black grout.

Good point raised too about the flatness of porcelain. I had no problems with them personally, but I've just finished a site job and the porcelain wall tiles could have been used as bowls!

[TopTrainer]

Not to sure how level the floor is as yet, I have the distinct feeling looking at eveyones advice I am going to be changing the spacers to 3 or 5 mm depending how level I can get it.

What is meant by the term vitrified in relation to porcelain floor tiles and what does that mean to me?

PlasPlugs have a Master Dry cutter out does anyone have any experience of it? and will it cut porcelain.

Thanks guys n girls


TT

[grumpygrouter]

Vitrified is related to the heat and pressure of the manufacturing process and utlimately the moisture absorbancy resistant of the tile. Porcelain tiles are "Fully vitrified" and will absorb not more than 0.5% of the water into them.

You can get tiles that are not procelain that are Vitrified and Fully Vitrified by the way.

[basshunter]

if in your shoes i would open most of the boxes and shuffle them to get a good mix before you start laying,this will give you a good blend of shade and size discrepancy if there is any.
i wouldnt seal first either-if you work clean(have a damp sponge/bucket clean water to hand) you will be ok to seal afterwards.
Also i wouldnt use spacers. if the tiles are slightly different(non rectified) then the spacers will never fit,personally i do it by eye especially when trying for a 2-3mm gap but each to their own...
Hope this helps

[CTD Marie]

Welcome to the forum.

Hope the porcelin job goes well.

[wetdec]

Never said you did Tiler, I was just adding to the thread to ease Toptrainers mind.

......

[sue]

hi does anyone know why all my floor tiles may have lifted they are porcelain chinese - the tiles have just lifted and the grout crumbled away

[brian c]

what have they been tiled to?plywood,concrete OR SOMETHING ELSE.

The wrong adhesive and grout may have been used for starters ,but if you can tell us what substrate it is then we will be able to help a lot more.bri

[andy-p]

sue!! you will need to give us a lot more info, ie substrate (wood / cement screed) how the job was prepped and what type of materials where used..

[sue]

they have been tiled to 9mm ply screwed every 100mm on weighrockwith the grout and adbesive supplied by the tile supplier

[sue]

p s ant thanx for the replies

[sue]

could anyone suggest what to do next? re replacing the tiles would you still use the tiles and different product or start again?

[brian c]

possibly the wrong adhesive as the adhesive which is supposed to be used for porcelain tiles must contain a porcel bond and as its ply then weighrock it also has to be flexible.Is there movement at all within the ply?

[sue]

almost none ant thanx 4 yor time

[andy-p]

could you tell us exactly what the adhesive and grout is and who tiled your floor??

[sue]

sorry cant remember the name of the floor cement but the grout is pci meant to be flexible! my husband did it

[smurf21]

Sounds to me like either wrong addy or addy strting to set while laying ie remixing to sofften it up.

[sue]

thanks for your reply smurf21 much appreciated