Tiling Over Floorboards - Bathroom - Tile Advice

[Dominic Patterson]

First of all, hello, I'm a newbie (have some rental properties which I work on) and am redoing our bathroom at home and creating an en-suite.

After tiling the en suite myself I decided to employ a tiler to do the main bathroom (also my wife insists, quite rightly).

I've had 3 tilers look at the job and have been told 3 different methods of how they will be doing the floor. My question is which one is correct?

Job is 1st floor bathroom, usual T&G floorboards on joists. Floor approximately 3m2. Floor is ok, fairly sound but probably not level and some high spots (which I could plane?). Tiles are 600x300 porcelain. Walls are ok and he will be doing 23m2 on there. So 26m2 in all with one window and tiling bath panel.

Tiler 1 says he would use a durabase matting in usual way. (most expensive £*** ish)
Tiler 2 says he will glue (with RSF) and screw 6mm hardiebacker, then tile (middle price £*** ish)
Tiler 3 says he will use a 2 part flexi adi and apply direct to floorboards (cheapest £*** ish)

Tiler 1 is too expensive anyway but that isn't because of his chosen way of doing the floor. Tiler 2 was recommended and tiler 3 I got from picking a card up at Topps.

So which is best? Only a bathroom fitter suggested ply and I didn't want the big step in from the landing.

 

[macten]

Tiler 2. Just get existing boards flat and deflection free first

 

[J Sid]

Tiler 1, .......you get what you pay for

 

[Lee@emctiles]

tiler 1.......£***.......that equates to roughly £xx per m2 inc materials........

im in the wrong game, i reckon i should get the tools back out!

TBH, there is nothing wrong with tiler 1&2s methods, providing the floors isnt like a tramoline.

 

[Dominic Patterson]

Tiler 2. Just get existing boards flat and deflection free first

Thanks for your reply.

tiler 1.......£***.......that equates to roughly £xx per m2 inc materials........

im in the wrong game, i reckon i should get the tools back out!

TBH, there is nothing wrong with tiler 1&2s methods, providing the floors isnt like a tramoline.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I don't believe you always get what you pay for. Perhaps I would with tiler 3 though, whose method alarmed me a bit hence this post. Floor is pretty solid.

 

[Tile Shop]

Tiler 2. He's the only one that has given any indication that he intends to brace the floor.

A highly flexible 2 part adhesive, on a flexible floor, with a solid tile? wouldn't risk it without overlaying. Bals old 2-part Fastflex still used to recommend bracing the floor first with 15mm ply. But not sure about the others that are currently available.

The first tiler is eliminating lateral movement, but not deflection.

Tiler 2 all the way

 

[Dominic Patterson]

Tiler 2. He's the only one that has given any indication that he intends to brace the floor.

A highly flexible 2 part adhesive, on a flexible floor, with a solid tile? wouldn't risk it without overlaying. Bals old 2-part Fastflex still used to recommend bracing the floor first with 15mm ply. But not sure about the others that are currently available.

The first tiler is eliminating lateral movement, but not deflection.

Tiler 2 all the way

Thanks for your reply. Having researched similar threads on this (very useful) site and based on the answers above, I'm now convinced that's the way forward. He was recommended also, so that's usually a plus. Thanks again.

 

[J Sid]

tiler 1.......£***.......that equates to roughly £xx per m2 inc materials........

im in the wrong game, i reckon i should get the tools back out!

TBH, there is nothing wrong with tiler 1&2s methods, providing the floors isnt like a tramoline.

Now thats an opinion......
You don't know what he is pricing to do....
Possible, level and reinforce the floor before uncoupling, tanking over bath - shower? Mitres' round window, make bath panel, boxing in pipes, silicon internals.....

Is price 3 a tiler? Is he a jack of all? Or is he signing on and this is a bit of beer money.

Passing comment on the floor fixing method is what is required and the price quoted for all the work is neither here nor there.

Rant over

 

[Lee@emctiles]

its all about opinions Julian, ive only been doing this for 21 years so you maybe be right, what would i know!

 

[J Sid]

I agree with you opinion of tiler 1 and 2's fixing methods, as you expect, but saying that tiler 1 is to expensive is wrong, opinion or not.
We don't know what he has priced to do or the finish job he will produce. Assuming all three have quote the same is wrong. If it turned out to be JonnyC, Gary the Tiler or 3-fall would you still be say to expensive?

 

[Ian]

And this is why we don't discuss prices in the open forums, there's never the full story!

 

[Dominic Patterson]

And this is why we don't discuss prices in the open forums, there's never the full story!

Guilty! Sorry.

Now thats an opinion......
You don't know what he is pricing to do....
Possible, level and reinforce the floor before uncoupling, tanking over bath - shower? Mitres' round window, make bath panel, boxing in pipes, silicon internals.....

Is price 3 a tiler? Is he a jack of all? Or is he signing on and this is a bit of beer money.

Passing comment on the floor fixing method is what is required and the price quoted for all the work is neither here nor there.

Rant over

Thanks for your replies. Price was just extra (unnecessary in hindsight) info. Price 3 is professing to be a wall and floor tiler, according to the business card from Topps. No tanking required I've done it already, new straight plasterboard walls and window reveals all round, already tanked, bath panel frame done by me and delta board panels ready to be fixed on, once floor done. Bath pre-sealed with silicon. 4 lengths of metal trim to do on plumbing wall, window etc. Needs to do minimal work to floorboards where plumber took them up and left them loose, the rest are rock solid. I didn't prep the floor, as I thought it best left to a tiler who knows what's required to do a proper job. Quite a bit of work but nothing difficult or controversial and no wall prep required except priming the untanked bits. That's why I thought £that amount was a bit rich but that's just my opinion.

 

[Unused Account 1]

If you want something to last ten years ,worth the extra ,to many looking at trying to get state of the art work for cheapish ,you cant ,peace of mind is better ,good luck

 

[G Taylor Tiling]

Tiler 1, .......you get what you pay for

Agree Tiler 1... "Good work ain't cheap, cheap work ain't Good"
You get what you pay for, experience alone is what is included in his price!
Dural matting all the way for me, with Tilemasters ultimate and Kerakoll liquid grout!!!

 

[White Room]

Personally I would gone for number 2....