Possible to turn underfloor heating on low while tiling due to cold? - Tile Advice

[jordan1372]

Tiling a new extension. Cement poured screed on piped underfloor heating.

Heating has been commissioned, and turned off 48 hours before tiling. Fracture matting laid across all floor and started to tile.

But its so cold in here, the tiles I laid 2 days ago (customer supplied standard set S1 flexible powder adhesive) the adhesive in the joints is still soft-ish. It is hardening up but VERY slowly.

Obviously the best thing to do is leave it to cure naturally but they want kitchen in ASAP.

Here's my question. The adhesive states that you can leave the underfloor heating on whilst tiling set to a max of 15°c. Is this possible? Could it be put on low, no higher than 15c just to take chill off, and help curing process. I know you shouldn't but is it possible in these cold damp winter months in the UK?

 

[Tiler1987]

Call the adhesive rep and ask for advice, if they say yes its OK to put the heating on get it in writing just to cover your own a**

 

[Tiler87]

Call the adhesive rep and ask for advice, if they say yes its OK to put the heating on get it in writing just to cover your own a**

 

[Ajax123]

it is possible but fraught with potenital for danger. Adhesives are designed towork generally in optimal conditions typically at 20C so if the floor is consistently at 20C then you owuld be fine. Trouble is the underfloor heating will cycle based on room emperature unless you over ride the room stats. Problem with that is that you are reliant on the mixing valve and the boiler controls. Most manifolds do not have capacity to go down to 20C so will be too warm.

you would be better using a space heater to increase the temperature BUT that could then prematurely dry the adhesive so again is problematic.

most adhesives are designed to work to 5C so my suggestion would be put another jumper on and your thermal long johns and get on with it.