tiling on concrete

[Angela]

This will be my first attempt at tiling a FLOOR, its concrete - do I need to seal it with anything first - a neighbour suggest PVA, any help appreciated. want to get my facts straight before I start. also where the best place to start tiling a kitchen, do I just lay tiles out before adhesive to get a plan/idea of what I am doing. only ever done walls b4.

[Dave]

hi angela.. seal the floor with bal bond sbr mixed at ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part sbr......pva is ok as dust proofer but the sbr will give a better bond to the adhesive....

usaully when tiling a kitchen floor it is best to sqaure your tiles to the kitchen units as this will show most if you are out of sqaure....you can dry lay some tiles to work out the cuts to units but to work out cuts to rest of the room ....take a length of 2x1 timber approx 6ft and mark your tile size and grout joints onto it so that these marks go the length of the 2x1.. this is known as a "staff" then you can use this to see wot size cuts you get from different directions....hope this helps....dave.....good luck..

[Angela]

Thanks Dave, appreciate the advice,

[clarke]

I do the same as dave but instead of a 'staff' I use a cheap tape measure.
Put a tile on the floor and put your tape measure accross it and mark with a (non perm!) felt tip remembering to include the grout joint. Do this again and again till youve got about 15 or so tiles marked on the tape measure then you can check where cuts are gonna fall etc.
Where you start depends on the type and shape of the kitchen,
Galley kitchens you can treat as a wall and centre between the units each side and check with your marked tape weather you want a tile or a joint on the centre line.
I always try to run the tiles parrallel to the largest run of units coz like dave said, if its out it will show along the plinth.
Always double check your cuts to be sure your not gonna get to one end and find you need to cut a 2" slither down one side (coz if that runs down to 1" youll be swearin!) coz once youve laid the bulk of the floor you dont wanna be lifting them all to try and lose an inch.
Take lots of time setting out floors, apart from that, just treat em like horizontal walls! ha ha.
Good luck

[stumac]

same as dave and make sure its level, the floor that is

[CJ]

I do the complete opposite of Dave

[quick draw macgraw]

Nice one CJ, anyway i'm looking at a mates kitchen next week with a view to doing his floor (concrete) its old joining to new extension sort of offset like brickbond with arch through from one to the other and he reckons there's an approx 10mm step come run off between old and new at the arch so the question would be do i try to set out so that the tiles meet at that exact point so after laying high tiles first coming to step i can back skim the tiles as well coming onto the lower level to get gradual run off, or just use leveller.
Secondly he wants floor tiling before units are in so how do you acheive straight edge parrallel to units would i measure out from the wall which is going to house the longest unit then draw straight line on floor and use that or just line of sight from entrance door?
Appreciate any help from all.

Cheers Steve.

[stumac]

absolutley no idea if this is right but cant you just tile to the wall or well past the line of the unit as when the units go in the feet can be adjustedand sit on top of tile. i personally think it looks better when the tile looks like it running under under the units

[Dave]

Originally Posted by quick draw macgraw

Nice one CJ, anyway i'm looking at a mates kitchen next week with a view to doing his floor (concrete) its old joining to new extension sort of offset like brickbond with arch through from one to the other and he reckons there's an approx 10mm step come run off between old and new at the arch so the question would be do i try to set out so that the tiles meet at that exact point so after laying high tiles first coming to step i can back skim the tiles as well coming onto the lower level to get gradual run off, or just use leveller.
Secondly he wants floor tiling before units are in so how do you acheive straight edge parrallel to units would i measure out from the wall which is going to house the longest unit then draw straight line on floor and use that or just line of sight from entrance door?
Appreciate any help from all.

Cheers Steve.

hi steve .... just sqaure to the wall that is going to house the longest run of units....
Plus you said that an old floor meets a new one so at this point you will need to put an expansion joint....leave 6mm gap and fill with silicone the same colour as the grout....

[quick draw macgraw]

Hi Dave do you still put expansion joint in even though they are both concrete and does tile have to start with expansion joint exactly at old vs new floor. Also recommended was bal sbr, have you had any problems using pva.

Cheers Steve.

Stumac i agree but i was going to lay tiles square to view from entrance door with the longest run in so that they look straight but as there are no units in as yet and they lay the kick boards the wall may be out and the tiles may not be true to the units which would look crap.

Cheers.

[quick draw macgraw]

Thanks do you still need expansion joint as they are both concrete and does the edge of tiles have to start at this joint what if you get crap cuts at both ends of room? Suppose i'll know more when i look at it.
Stumac i was going to square them with the entrance door with longest run in but there are no units in yet and as the walls may be out the tiles may run out away from the kick boards looking crap.

Cheers Steve.

[Dave]

these are two seperate substrates and will be prone to expand where they meet so put your joint directly over that joint.. would be neater for full tile to start here.. pva is ok as dust proofer but sbr helps in the bonding between floor and adhesive....