Amtico - but can we wait 5 months for floor to dry? - Tile Advice

[atsgmo]

We are looking for flooring for our new kitchen, lounge and hallway and would like to use LVT throughout. The vast majority will be floorboards but we have had underfloor heating put in a relatively small area of the kitchen and lounge which was screeded with 100mm depth about 2 weeks ago. We have been advised that any LVT/Amtico type flooring will require 5 months before it can be installed due to the screeding needing to dry. Our builder is trying to get us to install porcelain but we would rather LVT as it is warmer on the feet and cheaper, but we don't want to wait so long for the flooring to be laid as it will delay the rest of the project finishing - and the builder obviously doesn't want to wait either. Can anyone advise on what we should do here - we don't want to make a mistake and for the flooring to come up in a few months time.

 

[Jedstiles]

Just for info it needs to dry for tilling also. Moisture has to go somewhere,if you put down tile you trap it under the tile. When you turn UFH on it will all expand.

 

[atsgmo]

Just for info it needs to dry for tilling also. Moisture has to go somewhere,if you put down tile you trap it under the tile. When you turn UFH on it will all expand.

Thank you. So how long should we wait (or insist with the builder) if we go for porcelain tiles?

 

[Ben-gee]

40 days plus 120 days = 160 days, which is just over 5 months.

Surely you looked into this at an earlier stage?
I am assuming a sand/cement screed; other screeds will have different drying times- ask whoever laid the screed.

 

[Jedstiles]

I usually go by 1mm a day so at least 100 days fo 100mm screed. I would be checking humidity levels even then with a electronic meter. Officially you should be doing evasive checking i.e. break it open and see what it's actually doing.

 

[bsc ceramics]

1mm a day for the 1st 40 days 0.5 mm a day after that. is it a liquid screed?
you can force dry them. If you google RB liquid screeds i think it will have info
on it or give you some advice

 

[Ajax123]

There are lots of options depending on the screed type. Liquid DPMs, fast track moisture suppressants, uncoupling membranes, force dry techniques so it really depends on the screed type as to what you can do.

 

[ben_gee]

you dont need an electronic meter, lay a piece of plastic (eg DPM) and weigh it down, lift it after a couple of days; if it's wet or the floor colour where it was is different from the surrounding - then you need to wait some more time.