Another Floating Floor Question....pls help!

[Crazygirl]

I have spent all day reading all the threads on here re. floating floors but think I need it spelt out to me. I have just had a large extension built and we wanted under floor heating but unfortunately due to a misunderstanding with the builder over the type of UFH system, we have ended up with the insulation on top of concrete, screed on top of that, the polystyrine with the UFH pipes and they have finished it with a floating chipboard floor - the builder has now fitted our kitchen (over the floating floor) and we are ready to get the tiler in - he wants to put ditra matting down first and then flexible adhesive and grout. It is a 90m2 area and is costing a fortune (we are sooo over budget)so it needs to be done the right way. We are so confused with all the different advice and would like to know the best way forward. We have bought 600x600 porcelain tiles which we love.... and really want to be able to us, we just don't know how it should be done. Any help would be very much appreciated!!.

[Dave]

Hello and welcome.. In all honesty.. IMO.. DO NOT tile it.. unless you can guarantee ZERO deflection for the life of the chipboard floating floor then it is a big risk..

[Bri]

I would have suggested trying to fix the floating floor down to the concrete below, but unless you know where your UFH pipes are this might be impossible. Agree with Dave. Done one floating floor which was 12m2, looked lovely...... for about 6 months

[Stewart]

I agree with Dave........ I wouldn't tile this floor, it is not suitable in any way, shape or form.


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[Crazygirl]

when the tiler walk across it earlier (and he is a big guy) you could see it bouce a bit. Would ply over it not work, or the ditra mat?

[Bri]

The ditra is for lateral movement and won't make any difference to the 'bounce'

[GirlRacerRed]

To quote another member of this forum (doug boardley) it would be like tiling a trampoline. no amount of strengthening work will take away the fact that it is a floating floor. you will not be able to make it rigid enough to tile and the tiling job last more than a few months.

[Dave]

when the tiler walk across it earlier (and he is a big guy) you could see it bouce a bit. Would ply over it not work, or the ditra mat?

We can only advise.. the final choice is yours.. It is a big risk and you have to ask yourself is it worth it..? and will your tiler give you the customer a guarantee that his installation will work without failure..?

[doug boardley]

Crazygirl, no doubt the builder will say that it's fine to tile,,, it really would scare the living daylights out of me, I certainly wouldn't tile it

[kilty55]

karndean floor? just an alternative

[badger]

absolute No No for tiling

[Phil Hobson]

I must agree with the above comments, sorry, but imo floating floors are a disaster waiting to happen

[peckers]

I have tiled loads off floating floors and never had a problem. HOWEVER I wouldnt take on your floating floor and be able to give a guarantee! you have more factors to take into consideration then the ones that I have done.
1 it is a new floating floor. and over time the insulation under the chipboard will settle and until it does you will get bounce/deflection especially in doorways.
2 you will also have more laterall movement due to the underfloor heating.

As you have said the builder has walked over it and hes a fairly big guy and there is some movement there now, in 6 months time there could be even more movement due to the settling of the floor especially in the most traffic areas, and if you have friends around 3-4 then im sure this would be more weight then just one big builder guy.

As I said i have done many floating floors and there is alot of work to be done to them to make them bounce/deflection free but they have always been older floors that have had time to settle and compress. Im afraid that the de-coupler mat isnt the only thing that would have to be done. as this will not stop the deflection/bounce.

The tiler that is going to do the job has he done these before and is he voiding or giving you a guarantee with his work?

sorry I couldnt give you what you wanted to here, but could you not sell the tiles or take them back and go for karandean tiles instead? With all the prep work and materials needed to tile it, then it would be cheaper and you would have piece of mind

[andy allen]

i had a bran new floating floor to quote 4weeks ago, i didn't know it was a floating floor till i got there or i wouldn't even of bothered looking at it.

i refused to quote the job.

[Deri]

you say that the floor is concrete then insulation then ufh and screed, why has the builder put a floating floor on top too?

[Oli]

From what she said Deri is sounds like is concrete, then screed, then piped UFH in foam/insualtion, then chipboard.

Crazygirl, the kernean suggestion is a good idea, you'll get a high quality finish without the high risk of failure, you shouldnt consider tiling this floor in any way, it just wont work, you'll end up with a messy looking floor with cracks that will need ripping up within the year and replacing with a suitable floor covering, seriouslly if you tile it your just wasting your money. I know you dont want to hear it but tiling it is the worst possible idea.