how long will it last 5 mm ply

[kevemo]

just thought i would put this up
did a job for a guy a month ago large travertine bathroom floor told him it needed over boarding and he insisted on using 5 mm ply nailed down with 25mm ring nails he said "thats how i did it in my last house and i worked fine"no mater wot i said about glueing and screwing 18mm board down he just wouldnt have it ,normally i would have just walked away but work is tight so ive told him i cant guarantie it and gone ahead and done it
i have exspected him on the phone by now to say grout is cracking but he hasnt
how long do you guys think this will last

 

[LM Ceramics]

i cant see it lasting long tbh but as you said you warned the client of the dangers and the work couldnt be guarenteed. personally i would have given this job a wide birth some jobs just arent worth the hassel they may bring

 

[Gazzer]

You should always stick to the manufacturers instructions and as far as I am aware no adhesive manufacturer will back you if you have used 5mm ply.
You are the professional and you have charged for your services. You are liable.

 

[kilty55]

if this job fails this guy can simply say you prepared it wrong,i hope its ok for your sake but as sirramic says your liable if this goes wrong

 

[kilty55]

kevemo it never ceases to amaze me the stupidity of some customers,they pay for stone,adhesives,primers,grouts but want to skimp on a 30 pounds peice of plywood and risk the whole thing going wrong:mad2:

 

[kevemo]

hope ive coverd myself forgot to say i put on reciept that customer requested 5mm ply againest my advice so no guarentie given
must apologies for my spelling never been any good at it

 

[kilty55]

kev.writing a disclaimer i dont think would stand up to be honest as you know its not supposed to be done that way

 

[jay]

if it goes belly up its your name that will get rubbished hope it holds for your sake

 

[kevemo]

got me worried now ,did want to walk away from it but you know how it is work was slack so did it, hope it doesnt come back to haunt me will keep you posted

 

[The D]

did you suggest a 6mm backer board surly the peace of mind is worth the minimal additional cost.

 

[Daz]

Depending on how insistent you were, it is possible that your customer will be too embarrassed to call you.

That won't stop him slating you to his mates but at least will serve as a small comfort.

 

[SandyFloor]

I look on it as a probability thing meaning if you use 5.5mm ply it's more likely to fail than 9.5mm which is more likely to fail than 18mm. Obviously as a pro you have to avoid the higher probability of failure. I've seen 5.5 mm ply tiled floors that have lasted years (not mine) though I will say the failures I've pulled up (and I've pulled up a lot) have usually been on 5.5mm and ocassionally 9.5mm ply mostly over floorboards. No point in worrying about it too much and put it down to experience.

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

just to add..... i have removed a tiled bathroom floor on Friday which was overboarded with 5/6mm ply nailed down, this floor had no cracking or grout missing and was on floorboards. when i asked the lady whos house it was how long it had been down she said that she wasn't sure as she had only lived there for 4 yrs.......it was only a small area 4sqm but i was well shocked.

 

[marbleman]

some advice , disclaimers aint worth the paper they are writen on, and you will always lose every time , is it worth it hope it stays down just for you

 

[redlee]

You have my sympathies, it isn't easy to walk away from work when you can be sure the next guy in will do it without questioning the ply. As captain said - if there are any problems the customer should be too embaressed to chase you.

 

[tfs]

I used 6mm ply on a small film set that I was building. I purchasde the ply then left in in the filming studio over night. When I returned the following day the boards were all severely warped and some very difficult to use. As this was just for a set I got away with it. (board were only being used to sheets some walls)

Bearing in mind this was only one night at room temp, imagine what could happen in a home and places with temperature change and moisture etc.

The only thing that may stop these board warping like mad is the weight of the tiles. If these boards warp at all the boards will just pop through the nails, staples or screws that were used to fix the board to the floor.