Hi

As I posted a few weeks ago, I was about to embark on tiling a wooden
floor. I have tiled floors before but not on a wooden one.

The floor was a floating chipboard floor which I covered in 12mm marine
ply and screwed every 6" in every direction. I then painted with a coat of
PVA and water.

Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors.

I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that about 5 or
6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel.

Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates. If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?

If it makes any differenece, the tiles are big (45cmx45cm) so there are
less grouting gaps where the air can get in ? Im not sure about the logic
of this but anyway !

Thanks

Tim

Tim Smith wrote:

Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors.

I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that about 5 or
6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel.

Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates. If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?


I've used this adhesive for tiling part of a worktop. It takes a very,
very long time to set - much longer than it says on the pot. You need to
allow a week before you walk on them.

The large tiles will also slow things down. Don't worry, just wait.


--
Grunff

Grunff wrote:

Tim Smith wrote:

Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors.

I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that about 5 or
6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel.

Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates. If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?


I've used this adhesive for tiling part of a worktop. It takes a very,
very long time to set - much longer than it says on the pot. You need to
allow a week before you walk on them.

The large tiles will also slow things down. Don't worry, just wait.


--
Grunff

Thanks Grunff,

Now Ill have to replace the tile I took up ! I guess my wife will have to
wait before filling the kitchen cupboards again !

Tim

Timothy Smith wrote:

Grunff wrote:

Tim Smith wrote:

Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors.

I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that about 5
or
6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel.

Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates. If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?


I've used this adhesive for tiling part of a worktop. It takes a very,
very long time to set - much longer than it says on the pot. You need to
allow a week before you walk on them.

The large tiles will also slow things down. Don't worry, just wait.


--
Grunff

Thanks Grunff,

Now Ill have to replace the tile I took up ! I guess my wife will have to
wait before filling the kitchen cupboards again !

Tim

Just a thought,

since the tin said 48hrs and everyhting felt reasonably solid (after all
most of the tiles are) I walked on this last night and the worktop fitters
did for an hour or so yesterday.

Assuming that all the tiles are still level and havent sunk, there isnt
likely to be any other problems been caused by walking on it before it is
fully set are there ? I assume that its best to leave longer then before
putting general traffic but the odd footstep or so shouldnt cause any long
term problems.

Is this correct ?

Tim

Timothy Smith wrote:

Assuming that all the tiles are still level and havent sunk, there isnt
likely to be any other problems been caused by walking on it before it is
fully set are there ? I assume that its best to leave longer then before
putting general traffic but the odd footstep or so shouldnt cause any long
term problems.

Is this correct ?


I think it'll depend on how firm it had set :-)

There's no point worrying about it at this stage - you're either going
to have to redo it, or it'll be fine. You can choose to redo it now, or
to wait and see what it's like in a few days. I'd pick the latter.

--
Grunff

You can choose to redo it now, or to wait and see what it's
like in a few days. I'd pick the latter.

If you decide to do it again, try a different adhesive. I used Ardex Flex
7001 Timber System and it was excellent. It certainly didn't take 48 hours
to set. The tiles were 600x400mm slates. It's been down for over a year and
there hasn't been so much as a crack in the grout (Ardex Flex FL).

http://www.ardex.co.uk/ardexflex_7001.asp
http://www.ardex.co.uk/ardexflex_fl.asp

Christian.

Timothy Smith wrote:

Timothy Smith wrote:


Grunff wrote:


Tim Smith wrote:


Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors.

I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that about 5

or

6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel.

Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates. If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?



I've used this adhesive for tiling part of a worktop. It takes a very,
very long time to set - much longer than it says on the pot. You need to
allow a week before you walk on them.


The large tiles will also slow things down. Don't worry, just wait.



--
Grunff


Thanks Grunff,


Now Ill have to replace the tile I took up ! I guess my wife will have to
wait before filling the kitchen cupboards again !


Tim


Just a thought,

since the tin said 48hrs and everyhting felt reasonably solid (after all
most of the tiles are) I walked on this last night and the worktop fitters
did for an hour or so yesterday.

Assuming that all the tiles are still level and havent sunk, there isnt
likely to be any other problems been caused by walking on it before it is
fully set are there ? I assume that its best to leave longer then before
putting general traffic but the odd footstep or so shouldnt cause any long
term problems.

Is this correct ?

You will end up with losse tiles.

Get a decent cement and redo it.;

A cementr that SETS not DRIES.


Tim

"Tim Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi

As I posted a few weeks ago, I was about to embark on tiling a wooden
floor. I have tiled floors before but not on a wooden one.

Too late now but best to use a 2 part flexible adhesive ... and importantly
a waterproof flexible grout, I used a 2 part grout as well.

Rick

Rick Hughes wrote:

"Tim Smith" wrote in message
...

Hi

As I posted a few weeks ago, I was about to embark on tiling a wooden
floor. I have tiled floors before but not on a wooden one.


Too late now but best to use a 2 part flexible adhesive ... and importantly
a waterproof flexible grout, I used a 2 part grout as well.

Rick


I did my grouting with BAL mediuem. It has cracked a little where the
tiles meet a stuid walll, but that was expected as there is still
shrinkage going on there.

Its not a 100% waterproof, but that has not resulted in any issues
wherever I have used it - even wet rooms.

Tim Smith wrote:

Hi

As I posted a few weeks ago, I was about to embark on tiling a wooden
floor. I have tiled floors before but not on a wooden one.

The floor was a floating chipboard floor which I covered in 12mm marine
ply and screwed every 6" in every direction. I then painted with a coat of
PVA and water.

Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors.

I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that about 5 or
6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel.

Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates. If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?

If it makes any differenece, the tiles are big (45cmx45cm) so there are
less grouting gaps where the air can get in ? Im not sure about the logic
of this but anyway !

Thanks

Tim

Yoiu did use a tile cement didn't you - a flexible cement based one, not
that rubbishy stuff that has to dry out and never does?

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Tim Smith wrote:

Hi

As I posted a few weeks ago, I was about to embark on tiling a wooden
floor. I have tiled floors before but not on a wooden one.

The floor was a floating chipboard floor which I covered in 12mm marine
ply and screwed every 6" in every direction. I then painted with a coat
of
PVA and water.

Over the weekend (it now being wednesday morning) I tiled about half the
floor (30 tiles) using Unibond ready mixed tile adhesive for wooden
floors. I then stayed off the floor until this morngin but noticed that
about 5 or
6 of the tiles still move up and down by a few mm's. I assumed that I
hadnt glued it properyl so I took one of the tiles up (which happened to
be at an edge). I found that the glue underneath hadnt really set
particularly hard - it was easy to scrape the glue off the floor with an
old chisel. Im assuming that the glue sets when the moisture evaporates.
If this is
correct, does hte fact that the ply is waterproof, thick and painted with
glue make this understandable ? or is something else wrong ?

If it makes any differenece, the tiles are big (45cmx45cm) so there are
less grouting gaps where the air can get in ? Im not sure about the logic
of this but anyway !

Thanks Tim

Yoiu did use a tile cement didn't you - a flexible cement based one, not
that rubbishy stuff that has to dry out and never does?

Hi all

Thanks for the advice and responses.

In the end I took up all the tiles so that I can make sure it is properly
done.

I reckon there were about 30 tiles I took up and I think I broke 2. I reckon
this just gives an indication of how soft the adhesive was even after 5
days.

It was reasonably easy (although tiring) to scrape the semi-drying adhesive
off hte floor using a wallpaper scraper.

End result, SWMBO has banned me from doing it (as I have many many other
jobs to do) and has demanded that we get a tiler in. After the work putting
them down and taking up, Im acutally reasonably happy to agree.

On a good note though, I went back to B&Q where I had bought the 6 tubs of
Unibond and explained that I had used 4 and still had 2 left. They agreed
without so much as an argument that if I took all 6 back (2 full and the
empty tubs) then they would refund the whole lot ! I guess this is probably
what Im entitled to since it didnt work, but it was refreshing not to have
to argue about it....all credit to B&Q in this case.

Tim