F
Futuregrout
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Good evening all.
I need to tile the kitchen floor over the bank holiday weekend. We are having slate tiles. The existing floor is sand an cement screed, laid a few months ago. There is UFH under the screed. My wife wants a brick bond pattern, which I think means 600 x 400 tiles (which sound huge to me). I will be doing this myself. I simply cannot afford a tiler this time, and I have to get it done quickly as we are due to have our first child soon so I need to get everything finished off. And to be honest I get real satisfaction from doing a job like this to a passable standard, acknowledging that it will take me a lot longer than a real tiler and I will not end up with the same quality of finish.
I set out my plan for the work below - any questions or comments would be much appreciated. In the interests of full disclosure I have also posted on diynot and have had some good advice, but thought that I would come back to this board for specialist input.
I have also added a section on layout, because I cannot quite get my head around how best to do it. I will gather my thoughts and put my questions in a separate post.
Wednesday night.
1. Clear out room, hoover and clean floor, mop it to get as much dust up as possible and leave to dry.
Thursday night.
2. Prime with Mapei primer G.
- Not sure about how much to dilute - think it is 1:1?
Friday night
3. Put down ditra mat, with rapid set flexible https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/, with 3mm or 4mm square-notch trowel.
- Are there any cheaper alternatives to ditra mat? I find it a bit of a pain to fill in all of the holes and it costs a bomb, but there are some small cracks in the screed and I don't want to risk it.
- https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/: I assume I don't need latex?
Saturday
5. Fix tiles to ditra mat using standard set flexible https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/. Need to push https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ right in to all of the little squares. Use 10mm square notch trowel. Leave 4mm grout lines, using spacers. Also levelling clips/wedges (system to be decided) to make tiles completely level. All tiles to be back buttered in addition to bed of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/. Small gap to be left between tiles and the wall (to be covered with skirting board later)
- Cutting: I have a cheap wet tile saw. Is it worth me hiring a better one for the weekend?
- https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/: I assume I don't need latex?
Sunday
6. Finish fixing tiles as above.
- Any special tips on how to finish off on the Saturday, to allow me to re-start on the Sunday? When I have done floors before I have done them in a day (even if it meant working until midnight) so not had to consider it before.
Monday
7. remove spacers and clean the tiles with LTP grimex. Seal with LTP Mattstone.
8. A few hours later, grout tiles with Mapei Ultracolour Plus (grey). Clean with a sponge, a lot.
9. Seal again with LTP Mattstone.
I have added some pictures, although there is so much rubbish in the kitchen at the moment you will do well to actually see the floor!
View attachment 90637 View attachment 90638 View attachment 90639
I need to tile the kitchen floor over the bank holiday weekend. We are having slate tiles. The existing floor is sand an cement screed, laid a few months ago. There is UFH under the screed. My wife wants a brick bond pattern, which I think means 600 x 400 tiles (which sound huge to me). I will be doing this myself. I simply cannot afford a tiler this time, and I have to get it done quickly as we are due to have our first child soon so I need to get everything finished off. And to be honest I get real satisfaction from doing a job like this to a passable standard, acknowledging that it will take me a lot longer than a real tiler and I will not end up with the same quality of finish.
I set out my plan for the work below - any questions or comments would be much appreciated. In the interests of full disclosure I have also posted on diynot and have had some good advice, but thought that I would come back to this board for specialist input.
I have also added a section on layout, because I cannot quite get my head around how best to do it. I will gather my thoughts and put my questions in a separate post.
Wednesday night.
1. Clear out room, hoover and clean floor, mop it to get as much dust up as possible and leave to dry.
Thursday night.
2. Prime with Mapei primer G.
- Not sure about how much to dilute - think it is 1:1?
Friday night
3. Put down ditra mat, with rapid set flexible https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/, with 3mm or 4mm square-notch trowel.
- Are there any cheaper alternatives to ditra mat? I find it a bit of a pain to fill in all of the holes and it costs a bomb, but there are some small cracks in the screed and I don't want to risk it.
- https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/: I assume I don't need latex?
Saturday
5. Fix tiles to ditra mat using standard set flexible https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/. Need to push https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ right in to all of the little squares. Use 10mm square notch trowel. Leave 4mm grout lines, using spacers. Also levelling clips/wedges (system to be decided) to make tiles completely level. All tiles to be back buttered in addition to bed of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/. Small gap to be left between tiles and the wall (to be covered with skirting board later)
- Cutting: I have a cheap wet tile saw. Is it worth me hiring a better one for the weekend?
- https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/: I assume I don't need latex?
Sunday
6. Finish fixing tiles as above.
- Any special tips on how to finish off on the Saturday, to allow me to re-start on the Sunday? When I have done floors before I have done them in a day (even if it meant working until midnight) so not had to consider it before.
Monday
7. remove spacers and clean the tiles with LTP grimex. Seal with LTP Mattstone.
8. A few hours later, grout tiles with Mapei Ultracolour Plus (grey). Clean with a sponge, a lot.
9. Seal again with LTP Mattstone.
I have added some pictures, although there is so much rubbish in the kitchen at the moment you will do well to actually see the floor!
View attachment 90637 View attachment 90638 View attachment 90639
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