Help!: Tiling a concrete veranda area with expansion joints

[tnlprojects.]

Hi there,

I am tiling an external area for a friend in central france. The area is sound and level but has a few expansion joints. How should I go about ensuring my efforts aren't affected by movement in the concrete? One solution i'd considered was using a matting over the top so the concrete is free to slide laterally under the finished floor. However I really need an expert opinion on the best solution.

Tiles will likely be about 400x400 and the whole area is about 20m2. Apart from using a decent exterior adhesive and suitably frostproof tiles (very cold winters in the area) is there anything else I need to consider?

Any pointers will be much appreciated, particularly on the expansion joint question.

Cheers

Tom

[whitebeam]

Hi and welcome..any pictures..

[jay]

if they are expansion joints they will need to be carried through the tile to leave the joint on the surface pics would help

[peteablard]

As above, can't you run expansion joints in the tiles directly above the ones in the concrete?

[bugs183]

Firstly, your veranda must have falls set into the screed allowing no standing water to collect, if there are no falls water will freeze and wreck the tile floor, as well as becoming a slip hazzard.

Make aure you use 'fully vitrified' (frostproof tile), so no water absorbs into the glaze causing crazing and cracking.

Schluter make a product called 'Ditra'. This allows lateral movement under the tiles, now i'd check with Schluter, but i doubt a 20m floor will expand more than the Ditra will allow. They have a new Ditra mat called 'Ditra Drain" this too allows movement, but allows any water that passes through the grout into the adhesive, to drain away under the tiles and exit so that no water can collect and freeze.

Use flexible adhesives with add mix taking it to S2 rating, Mapeia dhesives and grout are brilliant, and a quick phone call to them will give you a fully spec'd job from them.

Hope this helps.