Tling over suspended wooden floor - TilersForums.com

[Minton]

Hi all,

I recently knocked through our kitchen dining room. The floor is a suspended wooden ground floor (flat edge floor boards) in a 1930's bungalow.

I'm looking to lay 600 x 600 porcelain tiles, but I want to add as little as possible height to the floor as possible.

The floor seems very sturdy, with very little or no flex. I placed a brimmed glass of water on different parts of the floor and we walked and hopped around. There was minimal disturbance to the water (certainly no spillage)

With this in mind, do you think I could get away with just laying 6mm hardy backer boards (or similar) and then tiling on top.?

One other thing, there is a small height difference between the two rooms, the floor in the dining area is approx 3mm lower. Would the adhesive sort that kind of difference in levels.?

Thanks,

Matt (tiling newbie!)

 

[Mike]

if you're confident the floor is solid enough then you could just lay the 6mm hardi/cement boards with a spf adhesive and screwed every 150mm. i would also put extra screws in the floorboards first. you could put slc on the lower floor. (one suitable for timber floors)

 

[Minton]

Thanks Mike. Should I also seal the floor boards with something before laying the backing board.?

 

[Mike]

You'd best prime it with a suitable primer for wood, not pva and make sure its tacky or dry before laying the boards. I lay all the boards dry then lift and re lay one by one leaving a 3mm gap between boards and last I fill the joints with the adhesive and scrim tape them. Also stagger the boards like bricks

tapatalk on my HTC

 

[Minton]

Great, very helpful, thanks Mike!

 

[Minton]

What sort of grout gap (and grout, for that matter) would be best for 600 x 600 porcelain floor tiles, also which primer and Adhesive.?

I see Mapei are highly regarded but don't know where to start TBH...

By the way, the only thing I have purchased so far are the tiles, nothing else.

 

[kilty55]

mikes advice is great minton....i would do the same

can i ask haver you ever tiled before?

 

[Minton]

Only my splashbacks in my last kitchen, nothing complicated (hence all the questions!)

 

[kilty55]

honest opinion,a floor in 600s i would get a pro in if you want a good finish,dont mean to be negative

 

[Minton]

Cost is the killer though - I don't WANT to do it myself, but have little choice. How much would a 25sq/m area cost in the south of England.?

I do like a challenge too