Adhesive for bathroom - Tile Advice

[danc87]

Hi all,

First time poster, long time user of this forum here!

I'm intending to renovate my bathroom in the coming weeks which will include new tiles on the floor and walls (18m squared). I have selected some ceramic tiles to go on the wall and around the shower enclosure and some porcelain tiles for the floor which will go on to plywood. Could anyone advise of the best adhesive to use for this? I've looked through a number of options and, to be honest, am completely confused as to what is best. I'm currently looking at Mapegrip plus paste (on top of Mapegum WPS tanking around the shower) however, I've seen in many places that powdered adhesive is considered better as it cures through a chemical reaction rather than evaporation. If I go down this route I'll also need to work out what I will use for the floor as Mapegrip plus is not recommended.

Any help much appreciated, this will be my second tiling job so I'm looking for the easiest method that will result in the best finish.

Thanks in advance!

Dan

 

[Steve6690]

Why plywood on a bathroom floor? Plenty of threads on here with advice to the contrary.

 

[danc87]

What would you advise instead? Chipboard?

 

[Steve6690]

What type of floor is currently down?

 

[danc87]

It's a failing concrete floor that I am planning to dig out and replace with suspended timber floor. The concrete flooring was also put in without a damp course so needs to come up as it is causing damp issues in adjoining rooms.

 

[Steve6690]

Generally it is better to overboard a wooden floor with something like 6mm Hardibacker (cement board), but as you're re-doing the whole floor from scratch there are others here more qualified to advise you on a "ground up" floor plan.
For the adhesive though, porcelain on a floor needs a powder flexible adhesive - there are plenty out there, see what's available locally - something like an S1 rapid set or semi-rapid. On the walls use a standard set powder. Don't forget primer too, ideally from the same manufacturer as the adhesive.

 

[Bond]

If your replacing the solid concrete floor, replace it with concrete on a damp proof membrane and perhaps add sheet insulation under and around the abutting walls. If you go down the suspended floor route,(l assume the rooms on the ground floor) you will need to dig out a substantial amount to accommodate flooring ,joists, wall plate ,air space, sealing the oversite area with dpm and concrete
Then you will need to introduce air vents on two opposing walls.
and dwarf wall to support the joists. would think twice about going down the suspended floor route, unless your going over block and beam or something similar.

 

[danc87]

The rest of the house is suspended timber floor so the air circulation is no problem and we will be digging down to the level of the rest of the house. We need to open up the gap under the floor as the current concrete floor is causing damp issues (it's a 1900 victorian terrace)

 

[Bond]

The rest of the house is suspended timber floor so the air circulation is no problem and we will be digging down to the level of the rest of the house. We need to open up the gap under the floor as the current concrete floor is causing damp issues (it's a 1900 victorian terrace)

You can still elevate the damp issues with the installation of a damp proof membrane and insulation as suggested. If the solid floor is effecting air movement in the sub-floor area (high relative humidity) you can provide additional air movement by ducting
pipe within the concrete slab from the outside. Just seems like your giving yourself a lot of extra work. Good luck with your project.