Electric UFH Wrong type of Self leveling compound and cracks / underfloor heating - Tile Advice

[johnw100]

Hi

We had self leveling compound laid about a week ago by our builders in our shower room and through to our kitchen/diner, i`ve been cleaning today and i`ve noticed cracking and breaking at the edges near the patio doors. It was laid onto plywood boards (in the kitchen area) , concrete in the shower room. Underfloor heating cable was stuck down to the subfloor.
I found an empty bag of the product and it was non-flexible , it says not to use with underfloor heating and wooden flooring!

We are going to have floating engineered wood flooring put down on top in the kitchen area.
Any suggestions about this, I`m thinking theyre going to need to take it up and start over. Shower room has been tiled, and the underfloor heating runs from the dining area into it.
Thanks in advance

 

[One Day]

Hi

We had self leveling compound laid about a week ago by our builders

That's your problem - plain and simple. Builders.

Seriously though, they will have used the cheapest possible rubbish, mixed too wet and not primed the sub-floor first.

It's what they do, builders. They should stick to bricks and mortar.

 

[One Day]

Any pictures of the bag and the floor would help a proper diagnosis though...

 

[Simon Dale]

Seen it all before !! They may learn from this when you give them a 5K bill for putting right.

 

[LM]

That's a complete failure. A flexible leveller must be used with ufh to cope with the contraction and exspansion that occurs when the temperature changes, normal leveller will eventually turn to dust. The same problem will occur over the timber floor also. The whole lot will need to be removed unfortunately.

 

[Flintstone]

Classic builder trick really, one I have seen a few times too. Make sure they pay for some one who knows how to do the job to come and do it correctly.

 

[johnw100]

Thanks, Heres some photos of cracks and the bag they used.Sealoflor Floor Levelling Compund - Sealocrete - https://www.sealocrete.com/sealoflor-floor-levelling-compund/

Notice the important section of the bag...

 

[johnw100]

Thanks for the replies
They also used it in half of our now tiled shower room, the other half was a shower tray. I assume thats going to have to come up aswell?

 

[johnw100]

The scenario is i can see the builders arguing that these cracks are normal and theyve done this before without any problems at other properties. I know builders.
Should an option be to ask the underfloor heating to be turned on (gradually) and see if any problems arise. If they do , bring it all up.
Otherwise if it seems ok leave it and try and get some guarantee from the builders that should it fail in the future they will fix it?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

show them the bag if they still dont want to listen get them to phone the manufacture up but all work stops until its sorted etc

 

[Simon Dale]

Just tell them to do it right the second time and you wont take them to the cleaners !