Expansion joints or skirting off - Tile Advice

[Frazer Dulson]

Hi all,

I've been fortunate to get a fair few 30-40m2 downstairs flooring in varying new builds (private work). So kitchen hall utility downstairs loo etc.

Each time the customer wants a continuous floor I.e. no door trims.

I use a multi tool to cut the bottom of the archies and slide the tile under.

The problem I've been having is the skirting boards (and walls) are never parallel in two adjoining rooms and in effect you need a horse shoe shaped tile to get the tile neat to the skirting boards on both sides of a door way.

I've tried different methods to get over this problem and outlined the problems with each below.

1 - take all the skirting boards off before starting. Problem with this method is it's a nice new white painted new build and the skirts are usually siliconed to the concrete floor. So when finished and stuck back on it never looks as good as before I started.

2. Set out the tiles in such a way that the horse shoe cuts have a really thin bit somewhere, notify the customer of the issue and then do a cut in the horseshoe in an inconspicuous place and stick down without a grout line, sort of masking the issue. Problem here is it drives me mad and I can't stop looking at It afterwards.

3. Not tried this yet because customers never want them, but maybe
put expansion gaps in the doors. I beliebe this is the 'proper' way due to varying room temperatures etc and size of floor, so get customers to sign off they've told me to do it that way...

What do you guys do? Have I not thought of something ...

Thanks,
FD

 

[Flintstone]

What are the tiles? I would put an expansion joint in the door way personally.

 

[Frazer Dulson]

What are the tiles? I would put an expansion joint in the door way personally.

9 times out of 10 600x600 porcelain.. isnt so much a problem with smaller tiles because the straightness is less exaggerated by the shorter length ...right?

Would you do it for all the doors then? Or just the ones with the issue. It's only usually one or two out of the 5. (5 being living room, kitchen, cupboard under stairs, toilet and utility. )

Thanks for the reply

 

[Flintstone]

For me I usually put them in where there’s a real change of room, not so much a cupboard etc if the floor is all one.

 

[LM]

The skirts really should be removed and you should also put an expansion at all doorways anyway.
Nobody that knows what they’re talking about will criticise an expansion joint at a doorway. I would put one in every doorway rather than just one.

 

[Frazer Dulson]

The skirts really should be removed and you should also put an expansion at all doorways anyway.
Nobody that knows what they’re talking about will criticise an expansion joint at a doorway. I would put one in every doorway rather than just one.

Thank you for your input too, definitely food for thought!! Suppose it is the fail safe method anyway.

Re removing skirts, I know it makes it a lot quicker in terms of cuts not needing to be accurate, but if you're still siliconing round them in either method at the end (up to or off), the outcome either way "looks" the same, but is there any other rationale for it? Just so I can explain/justify to customers in future why they're gonna have to touch up walls/bottom of skirts when I've finished... or is that something a tiler would be expected to do also?

Thanks again !!

 

[White Room]

It's very well saying take the skirting off even though it's been decorated it can lead to a great deal of work and upsetting the site agent on new builds or any other new build come to that.

 

[LM]

Any decent site agent wouldn’t allow skirting etc to be fitted before tiling works to a floor have been completed.

 

[LM]

Thank you for your input too, definitely food for thought!! Suppose it is the fail safe method anyway.

Re removing skirts, I know it makes it a lot quicker in terms of cuts not needing to be accurate, but if you're still siliconing round them in either method at the end (up to or off), the outcome either way "looks" the same, but is there any other rationale for it? Just so I can explain/justify to customers in future why they're gonna have to touch up walls/bottom of skirts when I've finished... or is that something a tiler would be expected to do also?

Thanks again !!

Aethistics apart expansion is the main reason. It’s simply much better on all fronts to have the skirting on top of the tiles, not to mention the fitting benefits of not trying to slide a horse shoe cut under two architraves and a door stop and still expect to have sufficient adhesive coverage. I understand that on some older houses with elaborate mouldings that taking them off is daunting, but if the layout can’t be manipulated to accommodate the tile installation then what are we expected to to. If you compromise the adhesive bed then your’e leaving a vunerable job.
I want a quick and easy easy to retire rich but I can’t have it so I have to do it the hard way. Sometimes it just is what it is.

 

[Frazer Dulson]

Any decent site agent wouldn’t allow skirting etc to be fitted before tiling works to a floor have been completed.

In my experience of it thus far (and I'm no where near as experienced as you guys), the customer usually decides they want tiles just before they get the keys so it's too late for the skirts not to be fitted, or even a few months down the line when they realised they cocked up letting someone like per**mmon put sh**e vinyl down and want it ripping up cos it's nackered already.

I think if expansion joints were indeed put in all the doors you can get a sufficient adhesive bed as no need for the cuts anymore? What do you think?

 

[Flintstone]

I don’t think anybody knows about your issues with cuts and layout except yourself. Make the best of what’s in front of you, it’s all you can do.

 

[Frazer Dulson]

Oh and not to mention how big some of the gaps are behind the skirts which the builders have just pumped full of caulk and 50 paslode nails... Not easy to reinstall and looks ***** until repainted

Am I having a valid dilemma or do you guys just crack on with it without thinking about it ...

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I’d be more concerned with what type of screed are you Tiling on, how long has it been down, are there any day joints and what guarantee you are giving them!

 

[Frazer Dulson]

I’d be more concerned with what type of screed are you Tiling on, how long has it been down, are there any day joints and what guarantee you are giving them!

Ok haha.. let me check I'm on the right page then

Screed as in concrete or anhydrite .. drying times for concrete 6 weeks + depending on depth, any sooner s2 TM ultimate addy.

Day joints .. Not sure on this but I'm guessing you'd see them ? Would it give rise to separate movements ?

Guarantees - I thought all tiling jobs are meant to last until they've probably forgot who did it lol hence why I wanna make sure I get everything spot on (and ask you guys!)

Cheers again for all input

 

[SteveH]

The skirts really should be removed and you should also put an expansion at all doorways anyway.
Nobody that knows what they’re talking about will criticise an expansion joint at a doorway. I would put one in every doorway rather than just one.

Can you recommend a joint that looks good in doorways?