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Discuss Which tiling system is best? in the Tiling Advice | Tile Forum area at TilersForums. USA and UK Tiling Forum

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Apologies if this has been asked before and I suspect all tilers have their individual preferences, but I would appreciate some feedback as my tiler is recommending an https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive//grout that I've never heard of, well, it's not one of the best known, but possibly you guys are aware of it.

I have fitted a DIY wet UFH heating system supplied by OMNIE. It uses their 22mm routed tor-floor boards and it will be overboarded with 9mm glued and screwed ply to give a good solid floor.

Omnie produce a document recommending the following Tilemaster system specification for tile over their boards:

  • Tilemaster Prime Plus for priming the ply boards (although this isn't strictly necessary for new plywood)
  • Tilemaster anti-fracture mat fixed with Tilemaster Ultimate https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/
  • Tilemaster Ultimate https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ for fixing the tiles
  • Tilemaster Grout 3000 for grouting

My tiler would prefer to use his own https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ and grout, which he will supply. As I am preparing the floor for him (partly due to his lack of availability) I've decided it would make sense to use all products from his preferred manufacturer, so this is what would be used:

  • Rocatex Ultimate Grip Primer
  • Rocatex anti-fracture mat fixed with Rocatex C2TE S1 https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/
  • Rocatex C2TE S1 semi-rapid flex https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ for fixing the tiles
  • Rocatex CG2 WA Ultimate Grout

I have never heard of Rocatex, but at the end of the day I'm trusting my tiler to use products that will do the job as well as the tried and tested Tilemaster products recommended by OMNIE.

Anyone else used Rocatex? How does it compare to Tilemaster products?

Thanks.
 

Ajax123

TF
Arms
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9mm ply does not satisfy the standards for tile. The heating system sound dreadfully inefficient. Rocatex I think are owned by CRH (who own Tarmac)
 
OP
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9mm ply does not satisfy the standards for tile. The heating system sound dreadfully inefficient. Rocatex I think are owned by CRH (who own Tarmac)

What is it about 9mm ply that doesn't satisfy the standards for tile? Which tile standards are you referring to?

Thanks for the info on Rocatex. I received an email from them today confirming the Rocatex products that would need to be used to match the OMNIE supplied Tilemasters tile specification. They are familiar with the OMNIE torfloor system and are happy with the tile specification that OMNIE produce, which states that a "minimum" of 6mm ply must be glued and screwed to their 22mm torfloor boards to provide structural integrity. As I am planning to use 9mm ply this is obviously better than the minimum. I did consider using thicker ply, but decided not to based on floor levels and because wood isn't a very good conductor of heat, so the thicker the ply, the less heat will get through to the tiles from the UFH.
 

eddcottee

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Dont know anything about Rocatex, but would suggest you speak with "Omnie" about using "Pro warm" tile backer boards instead of the ply. Firstly they provide insulation for your underfloor heating, secondly they are so much stronger than ply, thirdly if they get wet, they wont disintegrate like ply.

There may be better options which others on here will point out, but ply is definitely not suitable. Hope this helps a little.

Edd
 
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Dont know anything about Rocatex, but would suggest you speak with "Omnie" about using "Pro warm" tile backer boards instead of the ply. Firstly they provide insulation for your underfloor heating, secondly they are so much stronger than ply, thirdly if they get wet, they wont disintegrate like ply.

There may be better options which others on here will point out, but ply is definitely not suitable. Hope this helps a little.

Edd

Thanks Edd. I have used Marmox boards around the shower area, which are similar to the pro warm boards, but these types of boards aren't suitable for fitting over the 22mm routed chipboard that is the Omnie torfloor system. Because the chipboard has routed channels into which the UFH pipe is pushed, the boards must be overboarded to provide the structural integrity that will be adequate for building regulations. These Pro warm tile backer boards won't give that necessary structural integrity.

I have had three separate conversations over the months with three different people from Omnie about their insistence that plywood must be used and not other materials such as hardiebacker cement boards, which are just as strong, but also much better at conducting heat than plywood, and great for tile on. Unfortunately, of all the systems they have had tested, only the plywood covering (they say) is acceptable to meet building regulations. Of course I'm free to do whatever I want and in fact in the early days of the bathroom refurbishment project I got some quotes for installing UFH and one of these was for an Omnie torfloor system, with hardiebacker boards over the top. Still, it's one thing for me to pay a company to install it and blame them if there are issues and another if it goes wrong after installing it myself, which is why I am reluctantly following Omnie's guidance to use plywood.

I will probably use exterior grade plywood and it will be covered in an anti-fracture mat, so will be a little waterproof, but obviously not as much as, for example, cement board.
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.... just realised, the pro warm boards are insulation boards, so they are designed to fit UNDERNEATH the UFH, not on top of it! I have to fit boards over the top of the Omnie floor boards as this holds the UFH pipes. So, this is another reason why these boards are no good for me as if they were put over the (wet) UFH they would prevent the heat getting to the tiles! Cement board is the perfect boarding to use as this conducts heat, but as I explained, this hasn't passed the Omnie tests as apparently it is easy to break if dropping something heavy onto it.
 

eddcottee

Arms
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Ah, I see. I miss -understood what you were getting at, so my apologies.

Still the fact remains that ply is not suitable for tile directly onto. Hopefully somebody on here will be familiar with the system you are intending to use and can offer some sound advice. Cheers
 

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