Anhydrite or Concrete - dont know

[Filip]

Thought I would have an easy job to tile my daughters new build house kitchen floor but then I start reading on help forums about Anhydrite floors. But I do not know if she has one or not, its a new build Barrett home.
My local supplier stocks Tilemaster and I see that they do Anhyfix but the spec says it is not suitable for a normal concrete floor which I do not know if she has.
So what to do - do I sand and then SBR or APD and then use a normal cement based adhesive.

 

[Tile Shop]

I have a feeling that all Barratt homes are Sand/Cement screed, (based on recent local plots) but would double check with them just in case . Failing that, if you can take a picture and post it up here, we may be able to ID it for you. It wouldn't be wise for us to advise a solution until you know what you're dealing with.

 

[Andy Allen]

If its a new build on a housing site i can almost guarantee its a sand and cement floor, give it a good scrape to remove any debris, prime with an acrylic Primer and tile away..
BTW. .....They sometimes level the floors with SLC which can look like a anhydrite screed .

 

[Filip]

Thanks chaps for the quick reply,pictures attached I will get my daughter to ask the site people as it is a big build that will be going of for years. I will have a look and a poke but I have a picture taken when they let us in at pre plaster stage to see where all the pipe and cables were and it looks a bit light grey like the photos of Anhydrite I have seen. But another one taken the other day when they had to rip out and replace a cupboard looks like sand and cement.

 

[Filip]

been over today and spoke to a site manager who said that the floor is concrete and then its floated to give a smooth surface. On closer inspection I can see that some of the top smoothed layer has come off leaving a harder screed looking surface.Some areas are compleatly free of any top surface. Some of the smoothed areas are quite hard and others are easily scrapped off. Is there anything wrong with this approach.
Sand off the areas that are weak and leave the rest.
Seal with two coats of Prime Plus | Flexible Primer & Bonding Agent | Tilemaster Adhesives - http://www.tilemasteradhesives.co.uk/preparation-products/primeplus-flexible-primer-and-bonding-agent
And then use Standard Set Extrabond | Standard Setting, Polymer Modified, Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive - http://www.tilemasteradhesives.co.uk/adhesives/standard-set-extrabond-tile-adhesive
Its a kitchen and the tiles are ceramic 60x30.
Attached close up pictures of floor

 

[Bill]

What ever it is it is in poor condition...... 600x300 ceramic on floors is asking for trouble. Are the British Ceramic Tile by any chance?

Any UFH?

 

[Filip]

No UFH and the tites are regional reflections from tops (Dwyan slate colour )

 

[Bill]

The tiles are porcelain not ceramic.

 

[Filip]

I don't have the box in front of me but the 10 page mini brochure does say ceramic

 

[Bill]

According to Topps website ... they are porcelain.

 

[Filip]

Just looked myself and yes it does doesn't it, I am getting my daughter to send me a picture of the end of the box with the info on but while she is sending that - here are a couple of shots from the brochure

 

[Filip]

Just looked on the bottom of the tile I have here and it says PORCELAN MADE IN TURKEY embossed in the tile and they are 10mm thick

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Check the stock before you start!
I had the same situation last year with this range.
Topps advertise that they are made in Britain and are suitable for floors - both facts are not true. The tile they show is a white biscuit wall tile that they are selling like BCT tiles with soft glaze, totally unsuitable for floors. However the tiles I received boxed as above were in fact porcelain and made in Turkey!
When this was pointed out to Topps in M25 corridor area of Redhill they stated that they were changing supplier of this range and hadn’t updated their webpage!
So they are advertising a British range of ceramic tiles to look like British quarried stone, but switching the supply to a Turkish porcelain without telling you! Sums them up really.

 

[Filip]

I am now so confused --The brochure says ceramic and British made - the tiles say Turkey and porcelain and the website say British and porcelain and ok for floor. Are you saying that they are no good for a floor. And I am not sure what you mean when you say white biscuit, I am looking here
Regional Reflections™ Dwyran Tile | Topps Tiles - http://www.toppstiles.co.uk/tprod46638/regional-reflections-dwyran-tile.html

 

[Just Rizzle]

looks like a screed layence has settled on surface like anhydrite i would sand off as this is loose and will not secure the adhesive or slr and must be removed before tiling

 

[Dumbo]

That's expensive for what it is

 

[Filip]

looks like a screed layence has settled on surface like anhydrite i would sand off as this is loose and will not secure the adhesive or slr and must be removed before tiling

From what I have learnt over the past 48 hours that is also my thinking, its like some areas were wetter than others and its just pools of cement dust gone hard in those areas, if it comes off then I will take it off. Am I ok with the primer I plan to use, reason being its what the local supplier stocks

 

[Filip]

That's expensive for what it is

She got them at half price. So not the price on the website as they have gone back up now

 

[Just Rizzle]

all screeds whether sand cement or anhydrite have latence on the surface this is the water that comes to the top when tampering or trowing the product and should always be removed

 

[Ajax123]

If its barratts outside London and its a house it is probably self compacting concrete. Not only would it have laitance it will also have a curing agent on it. As with all screeds and concretes it should be mechanically abraded prior to bonding floor coverings.

 

[Filip]

Looks like I am going abrading away first then. Is my choice of primer ok after the abraiding this one -Prime Plus | Flexible Primer & Bonding Agent | Tilemaster Adhesives - http://www.tilemasteradhesives.co.uk/preparation-products/primeplus-flexible-primer-and-bonding-agent

 

[Tile Shop]

Just looked myself and yes it does doesn't it, I am getting my daughter to send me a picture of the end of the box with the info on but while she is sending that - here are a couple of shots from the brochure

View attachment 96590 View attachment 96591

For anyone who cares or was unaware or for future reference, the term "ceramic" can be confusing. We commonly know it as a glazed clay tile, but its also a description used in the industry as an umbrella term for any clay product that goes through a firing or kilning process, which also includes porcelain (glazed, double loaded, twin charged and full bodied), quarry tiles and several forms of terracotta.

As you were

 

[Filip]

I dont actually know what the difference is in terms of working with and I am still unsure why a previous poster said they were not suitable for the floor. And why choose a porcelain tile over a "normal one" as also am I right to think I will be needing a 8mm wheel for my Bellota cutter as it only came with a 6mmm and I have tiled a bathroom - floor to ceiling with that little fella

EDIT - just seen the
Tile water absorbtion experiment
so water proof is 1 reason to use porcelain over ceramic

 

[Filip]

Just received the box info dont know what that tells us but the tile defiantly says porcelain on the bottom

 

[Bill]

Size of the wheel is irrelevant so long as it is sharp.

 

[Ajax123]

Looks like I am going abrading away first then. Is my choice of primer ok after the abraiding this one -Prime Plus | Flexible Primer & Bonding Agent | Tilemaster Adhesives - http://www.tilemasteradhesives.co.uk/preparation-products/primeplus-flexible-primer-and-bonding-agent

yes looks ok to me