Kitchen floor

[fmnzt]

Hi,

Many tiles in my kitchen floor have cracked and a few have broken fully and the bits are loose (I've tried temporarily sticking them back down but it lasted less than a month). There is too little grout and most is cracked, so the floor is impossible to mop down. The tiles (horrible ugly pink ones) are pasted directly onto floorboards. So it needs a complete re-fit.

I haven't inspected the floor underneath in detail, but it looks the same as the living room, where the floorboards around 20mm thick, not very even, and joists are between 35&40cm apart. It's a 1930s build. The boards are slightly springy, and give a little when you stand on them.

I've heard of some stuff called No More Ply, that's meant to give a very stiff flat floor covering and replace the more traditional 18mm ply I've been recommended to tile on. I really want to minimise the step into the kitchen, so it sounds ideal. Has anyone got any good or bad experiences of this? The cupboards and white goods make a fairly fiddly profile to cut - Does anyone have any tips on how to cut corners into the board? (if you do what the manufacturers suggest, scoring in a line then breaking, you can only get straight line breaks)

I am also looking into the different types of tile. Slate/ceramic/marble all seem around £20/m2. Other than cost & the missus's taste, are there any other things I need to take into account? (e.g. are some easier to cut to size than others, are some easier to clean in the long run, are some easier to stick down?)

Think I've got a long way to go still so won't ask about adhesives just yet!

Any help would be very gratefully received - I'm a complete novice at this.

Frank

[tfs]

Hi I would do the following;

screw floor board into the joists taking care not to screw into any pipe work

I would sheet over with 18mm ply although I have sheeted with 12mm ply and had no comebacks (depends on how flat and solid you get the floor boards). Prime the ply with a suitable primer, many manufaturers reccomend you prime under side of ply as well as the sides. Leave a small gap between any joining sheets of ply (2 or 3mm) and fill gaps with silicone. I would screw at 150-200 centres ensuring that all screws are countersunk.

Then tile with your chosen tile.

Its better to have a slight step into the kitchen if it means you get a quality installation.

[wayne]

the no more ply is brilliant stuff mate. i use it on 99% of jobs. the 9mm thick boards are a lot stronger than 6mm i would personally use this. i cut the boards with a grinder for awkward cuts. wear a mask though

[tfs]

A common issue with using any type of overboarding is the reduction made in the gap between finnished floor height and the worktop. If you are housing any appliances under worktops take this into account whatever method you choose.

[Dave]

Hi,

Many tiles in my kitchen floor have cracked and a few have broken fully and the bits are loose (I've tried temporarily sticking them back down but it lasted less than a month). There is too little grout and most is cracked, so the floor is impossible to mop down. The tiles (horrible ugly pink ones) are pasted directly onto floorboards. So it needs a complete re-fit.

I haven't inspected the floor underneath in detail, but it looks the same as the living room, where the floorboards around 20mm thick, not very even, and joists are between 35&40cm apart. It's a 1930s build. The boards are slightly springy, and give a little when you stand on them.

I've heard of some stuff called No More Ply, that's meant to give a very stiff flat floor covering and replace the more traditional 18mm ply I've been recommended to tile on. I really want to minimise the step into the kitchen, so it sounds ideal. Has anyone got any good or bad experiences of this? The cupboards and white goods make a fairly fiddly profile to cut - Does anyone have any tips on how to cut corners into the board? (if you do what the manufacturers suggest, scoring in a line then breaking, you can only get straight line breaks)

I am also looking into the different types of tile. Slate/ceramic/marble all seem around £20/m2. Other than cost & the missus's taste, are there any other things I need to take into account? (e.g. are some easier to cut to size than others, are some easier to clean in the long run, are some easier to stick down?)

Think I've got a long way to go still so won't ask about adhesives just yet!

Any help would be very gratefully received - I'm a complete novice at this.

Frank

Firstly you need to remove the tiles and inspect the floor and see why it is deflecting, it could be loose boards or insufficent depth joists...

Have a look and then come back and tell us what you have...it is pure guess work till you investigate..

[tfs]

Any natural product would be much tougher to cut e.g. slate and marble etc. Ceramic would be easier to cut but doesn't realy have the great looks of natural stone. Ceramic can be cut easily with a standard tile cutter where as stone would need to be done with a wet saw.

Stone tiles will need to be sealed prior to grouting and can be sealed again after grouting also.

[tfs]

Firstly you need to remove the tiles and inspect the floor and see why it is deflecting, it could be loose boards or insufficent depth joists...

Have a look and then come back and tell us what you have...it is pure guess work till you investigate..

I agree with Dave mate! It may be that you need to pack under some floor board etc. If you lift some of the floor boards you will get a good idea as to whether or not that is the case. It will also aloow you to see where any plumbing is and can mark this on the top side of the floor boards to ensure that you do not screw into them.

Have a look and let us know how you get on and someone will be able to give you some sound advice.

[timeless john]

Unless you are a competent DIYer why not get an estimate from a local experienced tiler.
It may be cost effective and certainly add value to your property.

[fmnzt]

Hi All, Thanks for your comments. I'll take a look under the floor once I've got the walls painted.