New Cutter For 600x600 Porcelain? - Tile Advice

[Robert19306]

Hi everyone, I'm about to start tiling my new build home with some 600x600 porcelain tiles its quite a big job (around 80m2) onto a hemihydrite screed which is dead level. The job consists of a kitchen, sunroom where tiles will be running through a set of double doors to link them and a front hall also joining to the kitchen which I think I'm going to break up with a mosaic of the same tile under the door. I'm after recommendations for a suitable cutter for the job. I have read that a wet saw may chip porcelain and maybe a bit slow for the amount of cuts I will have. I have also looked at score/break cutters but some seem to cope with porcelain better than others.
Anyone have any recommendations for a cutter that will do my job?

Cheers
James.

 

[J Sid]

Ok, I will start it..... Got to be a Rubi
And a good dry blade for your grinder

 

[Dave]

Best cutter option has to be a Sigma.

Now I'm more concerned about your screed , have you read up on commissioning before and after tiling and the procedures for screed preparation .
Then there is the RH% of the screed before tiling can commence.

 

[Robert19306]

Thanks for the replies please don't let this turn into a sigma vs Rubi thread. I have however noticed a decent amount of people say they have had trouble using the rubi for large porcelain? Anyone shed any light on it?? As to the screed preparation it has been down for 10 weeks with heating on for 4 now, it has been professionally moisture tested by someone from bal with a set on floor type tester (can't remember the name) and the Calcium carbide test both were showing the same results and it is ok for tiling. He recommend using two coats of Ardex p51 primer brushed on in opposing directions and possibly give the floor a slight sand to rough it up first. think his advice is pretty in line with what I have read up although I am always open to suggestions from the pros. As for underfloor heating i will try and have it commissioned for a couple of weeks after tiling as he also recommended no heating for 2weeks if not we will bring it on very slowly and monitor the water temperature bringing it up 5 degrees per week to operating temperature.

 

[Bill]

Almost any score and snap 600mm sized tile cutter will cut 600mm porcelain tiles. There is no right and wrong, it is preference to what most fixers are used to using. If the tiles are riven faced then you may need a different sized cutting wheel but the emphasis for a cut is the wheel itself. Make sure it is in good nick, you can tell if it is any good by the sound it makes when scoring.

 

[One Day]

The problem Rubi face at 600mm and upwards is simple design inadequacy.
Rubi design is excellent up to that size but at 600+ they just don't have the solidity of Sigma.
Hence the reason for either multiple rails to add strength (which imo doesn't work well) or the copy-cat design we see now in some of the Rubis.

My suggestion would be a 3C3M max from Sigma - kept clean and sold on after you've used it and you'll have done a job using great tools and will probably get back £250 out of £300 easily.

 

[Just Rizzle]

hi Robert any will do sigma or rubi but have you though about which method your going to use to stick down your floor.
you have anhydrite screed nice and flat have you removed the latence yet?
are you using a decoupling method or are you sticking straight to the screed?
picking a cutter is the least of your problems.

 

[Robert19306]

Hi Ray, as I said in my above post moisture tested and ok. Plan is to put on 2 coats of Ardex p51 in opposing directions. I have not decided whether to sand it or not but probably will as I've had paint sprayed on and have some overspray at edges I am led to believe the hemihydrite screed has no laitance

 

[Spare Tool]

Just out of interest what's the drying times for this type of screed?

 

[Robert19306]

• 1mm per day for first 40mm then 1/2mm per day for each mm of additional depth. For example 50mm screed will dry in 60 days.

Can be force dried much faster depending on depth.

 

[Dave]

Drying times naturally depend on site conditions , ideal is 20dg C (outside ) with windows open. . Try that in the winter lol.

As above force drying is the best option when it's piped.

 

[Robert19306]

Just thought I would add to this, there seems to be some confusion about the screeds and I am having trouble getting good advice.
Basically my screed is hemihydrate and not the seemingly more popular anhydrite, where the confusion seems to come from for me anyway is the laitance. I have been told by my screed manufacturer that their particular hemihydrate screed has no laitance the top of my screed is smooth and hard with no dust at all. I am also led to believe andydrite screeds have a more dusty loose surface finish when they are fully set which obviously means they have to be sanded and hoovered prior to priming however my screed already has a smooth solid surface as I said above which the manufacturer assures me won't need sanding prior to priming. In fact he has told me about instances where tiles have had to be for whatever reason removed and the Un sanded screed has put up very great resistance to tile removal. So to summarise the above I have Ardex telling me that I need to sand my smooth screed therefore creating dust that I don't have now and a screed manufacturer telling me that I don't need to and just prime with Ardex p51 straight on top. Has anyone come across an hemihydrate screed before? I'm tempted to put some pictures up to show what it is like. What I should do now is anybody's guess. obviously Ardex and screed manufacturer aren't willing to put in writing that either of their opposing directions are correct?????

 

[Bill]

Here you go Robert........ let the doubters read

Ecoscreed

 

[Robert19306]

Thanks for that Tom, it does seem to prove the point about hemi having no laitance. Even states one one is a stronger bond when not sanded. What to do now lol

 

[neal.o]

I wont get involved with the screed as far as a cutter goes i use rubi
I have a tr and tx and both are very good with porcelain