Floor tiles are never flat apparently

[saveasteading]

For information....we were advised  and can confirm, that our 900 long porcelain tiles all have a curve in the length.

Adds to the challenge. Fortunately laying them to 300 staggers reduces this 3mm difference.

I hadn't heard of this characteristic. 

The team are taking to tiling. Superb for the first time.

 

We are also impressed to find 19 different patterns, reversed makes 38, so it won't have visible repeats. 

[Pocster]

Yeah it’s true not flat . I have found that with self levelling kits you can pretty much mitigate the ‘bend’ 

[ProDave]

We agonised over this, considering "stone wood" for the kitchen, but in the end we did not want that everywhere and did not want a transition to a different flooring, so we went engineered wood everywhere 

 

It was my tiler friend that advised me about the "bend" and only to use a short stagger if you do that.

[saveasteading]

They seem to be managing fine just with adhesive and a level/straight edge.

[saveasteading]

1 minute ago, ProDave said:

We agonised over this

In principle we don't like materials pretending to be something else. Wood would have been appropriate but over budget and dog damageable. UFH will work better too.

Still, most tiles have only 6 patterns and strong features and 'knots' that would be in line...no real knots look the same.

 

These tiles look so real.  Topps contrived to have repeats even in their 1m2 display. But in real life we can lose the strong patterns in cuts and are happy.

 

Good discount too.

[Thorfun]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

In principle we don't like materials pretending to be something else. Wood would have been appropriate but over budget and dog damageable. UFH will work better too.

Still, most tiles have only 6 patterns and strong features and 'knots' that would be in line...no real knots look the same.

 

These tiles look so real.  Topps contrived to have repeats even in their 1m2 display. But in real life we can lose the strong patterns in cuts and are happy.

 

Good discount too.

the do look rather good! mind tell me/us where you got them from? was it from Topps as shown above or was that just a dig at them and their tiles and display?

[Temp]

When I was looking at tile levelling systems a few months ago I found this vid on exactly this problem with bowed tiles. He shows how the levelling system bends them flat.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Temp

[saveasteading]

They were from topps, inverness. The staff were very good altogether in talking prices, openess about the repeats issue  and delivery.

I was just surprised that the displays didn't do justice to the mix of the tiles.

 

At first visit they gave a good offer based on a large quantity.

Anything they describe as a pallett gets a good price. It turned out that didn't mean a whole pallett of one type, just ' a lot' (more than a boot full?)

 

[saveasteading]

Any advice on whether a tile levelling system would work for us?

I can foresee difficulty in furniture not sitting properly.

I  have poked at the levelling wedges in a shop but thought it was more for rough floors, or for amateurs. 

Will the tiles bend or break? Will the adhesive stay in place where lifted?

 

Im thinking that test 1 is to put a weight on and see if it bends flatter.

[Roger440]

6 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Any advice on whether a tile levelling system would work for us?

I can foresee difficulty in furniture not sitting properly.

I  have poked at the levelling wedges in a shop but thought it was more for rough floors, or for amateurs. 

Will the tiles bend or break? Will the adhesive stay in place where lifted?

 

Im thinking that test 1 is to put a weight on and see if it bends flatter.

 

I cannot think of a single reason not to use such a system!

 

The garage at my old place, the concrete ended up rather less flat than i hoped.

 

My favourite tiler did it (11m x 6) with 2 ft square tiles and a proper levelling system. Not a single lip of any sort anywhere, despite the uneveness underneath.

 

Ive used it myself since. Quite why any tiler perseveres without is beyond me.

[saveasteading]

Reasons why not to..

I've employed and observed, sometimes assisted, some stunningly skilful tilers.

They wouldn't dream of using artificial aids.

They didn't use spacers. Adhesive was always rapid set, to the extent that one of them held a wall tile in place for about 10 seconds while picking up the next tile. Only worked on a job price which turned out to be £300+/ day when worked back.

 

And at Topps they said most tilers don't use them. 

So that's why perhaps not.

 

The team were laying more today, and used the system.

It provides a little more smoothness, but they find that the pushing of the wedges shifts the tile and the joint is inconsistent.

 

But they also say it is going much faster with the levelling system, and perhaps they will find a solution to the joints.

 

More news as it comes.

[Temp]

18 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Any advice on whether a tile levelling system would work for us?

 

Perhaps do the test in the video I posted. The one around 13:40 to 13:55 where he uses a levelling system on a few spare tiles then shows the tiles have been flattened.

[Temp]

10 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Reasons why not to..

I've employed and observed, sometimes assisted, some stunningly skilful tilers.

They wouldn't dream of using artificial aids.

 

That can depend on the quality of the tiles or stone and its not always the same way around. 

 

 I couldn't use a levelling system on cheap stone that is varying thickness. Don't need it on good quality tiles that are uniform thickness and flat. 

 

I prefer to use a rubber faced block I call a blat but I had to make my own last time as I couldn't find one to buy.

 

[saveasteading]

The tiles are very flexible. Putting two base to base there is a 4mm gap which easily pinches together. I was wondering if it would be easier, faster and cheaper to press down hard, then lay a weight on the middle. It could be removed and reused in half an hour or so.

 

Looking to speed things up as there is a long way to go.

[saveasteading]

So it is going well with the levelling clamps. Pretty well essential for these 900 x 150 tiles, and quicker than manually minimising the steps.

Achieving about 1m2 per hour with whole tiles, but will prob get faster.

 

[Nickfromwales]

On 03/04/2023 at 11:39, saveasteading said:

The tiles are very flexible. Putting two base to base there is a 4mm gap which easily pinches together. I was wondering if it would be easier, faster and cheaper to press down hard, then lay a weight on the middle. It could be removed and reused in half an hour or so.

 

Looking to speed things up as there is a long way to go.

Nope!