Makes You Think - Tile Advice

[robbieraven]

Unusual post but thought I'd share. About 15 years ago before I was tiling for a living I did a small conservatory floor for myself. I bought some tubbed junk from a well known green DIY store and the tiles too, not entirely sure the screed was even fully dry, I'm not even sure I primed the screed, lol. I was up there the other day, not a single cracked or loose tile and apart from the fact the grout was a bit tired it looks fine. Makes you wonder with all the beautiful prep work we do these days! Happy Christmas all.

RR

 

[One Day]

I tiled my bathroom floor many years ago - long before tiling for a living - and used tubbed adhesive straight onto underfloor heat mats and then fixed 4" tumbled travertine onto that.



....it lasted about 10 months before it all came loose!

 

[Qwerty]

@robbieraven .....I reckon I could take the whole floor up in about 10 minutes, removing the adhesive would take a further 10, priming another 10, tiling a few hours and grouting and clean up an hour. And voila, a floor even Arnie would curse having to take up!

I never question the prep advised nowadays, it is for good reason. All I know is I hope I never get called back to rip out any of my jobs as I know how much of a challenge one or two tiles have been in the past!

 

[On one]

.....I've done a number bathroom refurb's where the tiles have had to come off,but just because the whole bathroom is getting updated.
You come across tiles on emulsion,tiles on wallpaper,D&D tiles,minimal % contact and on the surface of it there are no visible defects,until you start ripping it apart.

 

[Mr Tiler]

Even with all these safeguards in place you still get the odd tile that fails. Imagine if every tiler just slapped it on any old how lol. Ive done some questionable prep in the past for freinds and family just to test the capabilities and strength of tiles, adhesive etc and none has come back to bite me either. But better safe than sorry i say

 

[Old Mod]

I've posted some of this before, but if u haven't seen it, it's interesting, I think.
Tiled an attic ensuite for my builders own house, earlier this year, with Tilemasters products and Ardex WPC.
Within 24hrs, his wife, changed her mind and I was asked to remove them and change for a different colour.
To be fair, she was right!
Didn't mind, being paid twice never offends me!
So it was green plasterboard, Ardex WPC and Setaflex.
I didn't actually remove ANY plasterboard,
Tilemaster did the hard work.
This was result.


Decent prep and materials seems to work for me!

 

[White Room]

My mate removed his bathroom floor tiles, hardboard nailed to floorboards adhesive and tiles, it was a mare to get up, no cracking whatsoever in the joints...would I do it that way, not on your life.

 

[Rizzle from the Portizzle]

if you have the courage to use your knowledge and know how rather than any spec given to you by some clueless rep your job will never fail