Laying 75m2 Travertine Prep Help.

**Perfectly Tiled** · 22-04-2009

Hello guys.

I get alot of work from a local kitchen company and i need some advice.

Some of the jobs im going to that are prepped and not really prepped to the correct standards and as my name is to the tiling id like it to be correct.

First off ive got a 30m2 kitchen to lay in 600 x 400 honed and filled Traveting from CTD.

The current floor is floor boards with 6mm ply and karndean fitted.

My question is what would you now do to prepare the floor, ive said to the guy i can over board it with 6mm Hardibacker and that will be fine. He wants 6mm Ply on there. But im gunna fit HB

Is that ok? i mean to the corretc regs?

Ive got another kitchen to do where he has prepared the floor that is a mix off existing chipboard and plywood where he has fitted the extension. He has now overboarded it woth 9mm WBP.

I no that is not good enough and that is the surface that he wants me to work from.

Again if i overboard it with 6mm HB that will also be fine?

Is there anywhere i can get links or the sort with regulation in there for concrete info that i can give him?

If anyone has any links at all that they can post for me to any type of tiling regs etc ill be more than gladly take and print out

Thanks

Scotty

**Fred** · 22-04-2009

Rip it all up mate and lay 12mm cement board, thats what your going to need with that sort of tile. Tell them to stop cutting corners, it will fail..............

**CJ CERAMICS** · 22-04-2009

have to agree with fred about cutting corners... had the same problems with a kitchen/bathroom fitter a couple of years ago nice bloke but would not listen to my recommendations and would finish the prep work to a standard which was ok for him and the customer to see but was not right for tiling......came to an agreement in the end were he would speak to me first about prep work....but only after i kept charging him to repair faults which would not have happened had he asked first....my company name was never used on any of these jobs so it was his rep that was suffering not mine....but as you say it is your name that will end up bad.
stick to your guns and explain why.

**Daz** · 22-04-2009

I wouldn't put any stone tile on a mixed or wooden substrate without a decoupling membrane first.

I would suggest, as others have, to ensure that the floor is solid (nothing loose or dodgy like Karndean), free from any deflection (bounce) by overboarding with sufficiently strong cement boards, then applying a decoupling membrane prior to fixing the tiles. If you have a mixed substrate be sure to transfer an expansion joint to the tile surface too.

**kngjason** · 22-04-2009

If he insists on you laying the floor on it, tell him you Will not guarantee the job.

**jay** · 23-04-2009

hi must have the floor to your standards dont acept anything less be carful of the heavier grade c/s check with your glue and membrane supplyer for detailes for laying on this substrate you will find it interesting

**Ajax123** · 23-04-2009

Originally Posted by kngjason

If he insists on you laying the floor on it, tell him you Will not guarantee the job.

Not sure this would stand up in court - if client insists on it being done wrong better to walk away from the job althogether.

Of course - better to persuade him to rip up whats there and lay a sensible substrate that will support the tiles.