floor tiling question

[terry the tiler]

hi ! was wondering if wen you tile floors do you make sure there all level or just go with the floor to a certain point? reson iam asking is iam a bit rusty on floor tiling and just done a bathroom floor which was plyed iam afraid , customer is over the moon with the job , but iam not ! for starters the cheep ceramic b and q floor tiles he got for 5 pound a mtr r crap and most of the tiles were different sizes, up to 3mm differents ! how hard can it be to cut tiles all the same size ????? i dont understand!! . also when you guys tile floors is every tile bang on level ? if you put a 1.8mtr level on the tiles is there any gaps under the level if you no wot i mean ?. . and is the bubble bang on the middle of the level? . .. to my eye the tiles look like a v slight wave affect and when i put my large level over the floor there is gaps !! ive had a crap day and am dredding my 600 by 300 porclin job in 2 /3 weeks time. also some tiles seem to of sunk a bit (2mm) when the addy set ? all in all wot a crap day ! one step forward and 2 steps back!!

[Dave]

As long as it is FLAT......... not very often level is an issue.

[grumpygrouter]

As long as it is FLAT......... not very often level is an issue.

That would have been my exact reply too!

[CJ CERAMICS]

to be honest terry i think that we all have bad days and cheap tiles dont help!!!!! you sound very much like you care more about the finish than the money side of the job which can only be a good thing...i have also noticed that with b q tiles they can be different thickness's aswell as diff size....if it is going to bother you so much you can always replace the tiles and relay them. explain to the customer your concerns about the finish and potential damage to your reputation.
chris

[terry the tiler]

cheers !! like i say the customer is over the moon , but iam trying to much for perfection i suppose ,i want everything 100 bang on, no lips or different size grout lines etc ! to any non tilers i suppose it looks great ! ive just been fighting with the floor since 7am packing them up then pulling them off again etc and its plyed ? ive only put 6mtrs down inc cutting round wc and pedistal etc . back tomorow to continue tiles thro to kitchen ! iam gona put a piture up when ive finished to c wot you guys think !

[terry the tiler]

!! thats were ive been going wrong ! trying to level everything all the time . i have been known to build up floors that are totaly flat after been 18mm plyed !

[timeless john]

Don't make an issue out of it. By bringing it to the customers attention you will only be bringing a problem that in their mind doesn't exist.
On a plywood floor it will no doubt follow the levels of the joists - so unless you are rebuilding the floor , flat is good.
If the tiles have sunk 2mm you need to check the type of adhesive and thickness its been used. IMO a fast set is preferred
Although some tiles do vary in size this is something you have to overcome and make a good job of and not use as an excuse! If the job was easy people would all do it themselves.
Its a learning curve - next time you use these tiles you will either do a better job - knowing the pitfalls - or be strong enough to admit they are of poor quality and walk away!

Timeless John.

[Daz]

As per all the replies, flat will be more than acceptable as long as there are no lips. Is the floor ply all the way through into the kitchen or do you have a mixture of substrates? This may be something that could cause an issue???

[terry the tiler]

yes its been plyed all the way through apart from some concrete which is slightly higher going through one of the door ways.iam tiling this bit and the rest of the floor today so iam gona have to build up tiles to get over slight raise and then continue through the kitchen ! i could of tiled the 3 rooms seperate but me being me wanted the tiles to run through as its more of a challenge and will look better. hopefully ill either be happy or gutted by the time ive finished tonight ! also with the tiles been diferent sizes iam finding it hard to keep to my lines ! the rooms are a bathroom then a offset 1mtr sq room leading into the kitchen. tiles dont seem to have any major lips just some grout lines are more than 4mm with the tiles been different sizes. i suppose i will have to wait untill ive grouted it to see the final result as grout hides a multitude of sins ! ha ha !

[timeless john]

Terry - try and use a grout that will blend with the tiles rather than a contrast. But it shouldn't be too light for a heavy traffic areas.

Timeless John.