Are 15 mm to 20 mm gaps too big!! - TilersForums.com

[chorltonred11]

Hi

I'm new to the forum and i have to attempted my 1st tile job. Any way all well until someone pointed out the gap betwee the tiles was too big! I used ceramic tiles on my kitchen floor and when using the tiles spacers i postioned them incorrectly. The gaps are around 15 mm!! Is this too big and will it cause me problems if i grout the gaps in future or if it is ok what type of grout will i need to use. I have not finshed laying all the tiles yet and have been using ready mixed wickes floor and adhesive grout for concrete floors. Can someone please help me!!!!!!!!

Sorry if i have posted this twice as i'm new forums as well!

 

[grumpygrouter]

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but ready mixed adhesive really isn't suitable for floors, no matter what the diy sheds tell you. What size tiles have you laid? The adhesive you have used need to to dry by evaporation and not chemical reaction. if you have laid large format tiles, there is a chance that the adhesive will never dry out at all. As for the grout, well this can be got around by using an appropriate wide joint grout but I feel you need to address the adhesive issue first. Good chance you can still lift your tiles and start again with a more appropriate adhesive and get your grout joints down to a better size.

 

[grumpygrouter]

Oh! Welcome to the forums. xx

 

[TheWrightTiler]

sorry mate but have to agree with grumpy there

ready mixed adhesive on a floor regardless of the substrate is in my opinion a waste of time and money

powdered adhesives are the only way to go as grumpy says ready mixed is a dispersion adhesive which dries by air and powdered adhesives dry chemically

where are you based

if near a ctd or tile giant get a bag of mapei kerraquik, each bag will cover roughly 5m2, mix a little at a time if unsure on speed

floor must be primed also using a suitable accrylic primer not pva

as for the joint widths in my humble opinion 15 - 20 mm is too big, normally 5mm is sufficient but can do up or down depending on style

again the tile shops i listed can supply a suitable grout for this purpose

sorry mate but as the song goes rip it up and start again

andy

ps welcome to the forums

 

[davy_G]

As with above, may well need lifting, especially if they are large format. 5mm gaps should suit well and use wide joint fleci grout.

Good luck with it.

 

[DHTiling]

Hello and welcome...

What made you go with a wide joint...?

 

[chorltonred11]

I didn't decide to go with a joint that wide on purpose i placed the spacers in wrong place and by the time i'd realised my error half the floor was done!!

 

[hillhead]

I lifted 25m2 of tiles this morning,and used the kango to scrape theadhesive up!! over 4 hours it took!!! but with your tubbed gear you should have no such probs.

 

[brian c]

lesson learned the hard way here im afraid.

 

[chorltonred11]

I lifted two yesterday and they came up pretty easily. The outside adhesive was dry but inner bits still damp. I will lift the rest sat morning and start again with a smaller gap!! What should i use to prime the floor and how long before i can lay tiles on it. Also what type of powder adhesive and grout should i use and where can i get it from? I'm based in Manchester and have easy acces to Wickes but not sure about ctd or tile gaint. Thanks to everyone for all your help!! Just a quick note though i thought the big gaps looked good and it's no wonder i was thinking i have loads of tiles left!!!

 

[Deleted member 9966]

Where abouts in Manchester are you?

There's a Tile Giant in Ashton under Lyne, and the nearest CTD is in Chester. Alternatively you could try Topps Tiles if there's one more local to you. The shop advisors should be able to tell you what the best adhesive and grouts to use for your tiles. Take a tile with you to the shop too, to be on the safe side.

 

[Deleted member 9966]

Sorry, just spotted the bit about primer too. All of the top brands - Mapei, BAL etc - do their own primers. If you speak with the shop advisors, they'll be able to recommend one for the floor you're tiling on to. The instructions on the bottles usually tell you how long the primer takes to dry.

When I laid my kitchen floor the BAL primer I used said to wait 30-45 minutes from what I recall. I gave it a good hour or so and it was perfectly dry and tiled no problems.

 

[chorltonred11]

Just checked on Topp tiles and they only seem to have BAL adhesives and grouts which the recommend. Are these ok to use?

 

[Deleted member 9966]

Yeah, BAL products are very good, and I used these when I did my kitchen floor. Don't forget to go for the powdered, cement based adhesive and it's up to you whether you choose to go for a rapid setting adhesive (takes around 4 hours or so to set) or a standard adhesive which will take substantially longer to set. The rapidset adhesives unfortunately tend to go off quicker so if you're unsure about how fast you'll be able to get the tiles down, I'd go for standard adhesive as it will stay wet in the bucket for longer.

And try and haggle on the prices as speaking from experience, BAL products at Topps are quite expensive if you're a normal Joe Public customer and not a tradesman.

And when you've done your masterpiece floor, take some pics and splash them on here so we can all have a looksie :hurray:

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

"IT ALL GOOD ADVICE ",HI MATE AND GOOD LUCK:welcome::welcome: