Drying times ( screed, adhesive, Epoxy grout)

[gc100]

So I'm into tiling my house and I've got several concerns. Due to timelines and wanting to keep things moving as quick as possible, we laid the tiles in the kitchen area over a week, then after a whole day rest, we then grouted so the kitchen install to start.

 

I have several worries:

 

1. Now my concern is that have chosen to use epoxy grout throughout the house for more easy maintenance, and cleaning etc. However my worry is that I put that in too quickly, given there was a few rows of tiles that had only be down at most 36 hours or so. Epoxy grout is basically waterproof and I'm concerned the cement base adhesive won't dry out. If my understanding is correct, it should cure ok (as this is a chemical process), but it my not dry out or take a very very long time. My worry is that the tiles may lift later down the road. They are ceramic tiles but they have a very hard/waterproof glaze on the surface.
2. My second concern around this is how quickly I turn on the UFH after and ramp up given the above situation. We was pushing hard to get in for xmas (which is doable),but if the adhesive is not 100% cured/dried...
3. In our bathroom we have a wetroom and we had to put a new section of screed down in the shower to get the gradient correct. Its about 50-60mm thick and was laid on the 15th Oct. Given the recommendation for drying times is 1mm  per day for first 30mm and 1mm per 2 thereafter I'm calculating it won't be fully dry until end of this year. If we are to be in for xmas I need to start laying tiles on that in the next week or so. Am I going to end up in trouble if I start laying tiles next week? It will be wetroom tanked with Bal as well.

 

Any advise would be most welcome. I fear I might need to resign to the fact we won't be in for xmas which will be a big disappointment for the family and myself. However I don't want to ruin the build by rushing the last few weeks .

 

Edited to add: we are also using Ditra decoupling matting.

Edited November 26, 2020 by gc100

[nod]

I wouldn’t worry We normally grout  each section the following day or even the same day so it can protected from the heavy commercial traffic 

Nearly every floor we do is spects for Matting now The mil per day is rarely practical on commercial work Though I always get it in writing that the floor is suitable and cured Even if it isn’t 

I wouldn’t worry about a small amount of screed drying 

 

Regarding the heating 

I normally tell clients Give it a week 

Then start the heat at 18 and add 1 per day 

 

Even with matting you will need expansion joints in every doorway 

and break up large rooms with a EJ also 

Minimum 10 mil around skirtings 

 

   Good luck for Christmas 

[gc100]

28 minutes ago, nod said:

I wouldn’t worry We normally grout  each section the following day or even the same day so it can protected from the heavy commercial traffic 

Nearly every floor we do is spects for Matting now The mil per day is rarely practical on commercial work Though I always get it in writing that the floor is suitable and cured Even if it isn’t 

I wouldn’t worry about a small amount of screed drying 

 

Regarding the heating 

I normally tell clients Give it a week 

Then start the heat at 18 and add 1 per day 

 

Even with matting you will need expansion joints in every doorway 

and break up large rooms with a EJ also 

Minimum 10 mil around skirtings 

 

   Good luck for Christmas 

 

Thanks @nod - are you in the trade I presume?  Are you using epoxy grouts? In your experience do you ever get any tile lifting after a period?

 

Regarding the jointing - I fear that might be too late. The kitchen is about 6m by 8m - I didn't put an expansion joint in there after I read this https://www.schluter.co.uk/where-should-movement-joints-be-fitted.aspx and thought we should just about be ok.

 

Perhaps I should of in your experience?

I have on at the doorway where it goes into the hallway. The hallway is 1m x 14m and I did consider putting one half way down, but as we have wood tile effect tiles it would of looked pretty terrible and the builders convinced me 'it would be all right'. We've got about 5-10mm under the skirting board depending where it is and the cut. 

 

Edited to add: they are porcelain tiles as well.

 

Many thanks

Edited November 26, 2020 by gc100

[nod]

13 minutes ago, gc100 said:

 

Thanks @nod - are you in the trade I presume?  Are you using epoxy grouts? In your experience do you ever get any tile lifting after a period?

 

Regarding the jointing - I fear that might be too late. The kitchen is about 6m by 8m - I didn't put an expansion joint in there after I read this https://www.schluter.co.uk/where-should-movement-joints-be-fitted.aspx and thought we should just about be ok.

 

Perhaps I should of in your experience?

I have on at the doorway where it goes into the hallway. The hallway is 1m x 14m and I did consider putting one half way down, but as we have wood tile effect tiles it would of looked pretty terrible and the builders convinced me 'it would be all right'. We've got about 5-10mm under the skirting board depending where it is and the cut. 

 

Many thanks

I run a plastering and tiling company For over 35 years 

A lot changed over the years 

We used to put a 70 mil screed down in the morning and tile it in the afternoon No drying out time there 

 

Regarding EJ Normally every 8 mtrs But doorways are a must