Good Ceramic Floor Tiler needed

[davehowden]

Hi all,

I want to lay ceramic tiles over existing grotty brown ceramic floor tiles and am looking for a "proper" tiler (like one who uses tile spacers!!) who would know how to do this, does anybody have any actual experience of such a person please?

Thanks,

Dave

[SpokaneAl]

I have had quite a bit of tile laid in Thailand and have never seen tile spacers used. We have been happy with the results.

[davehowden]

I have had quite a bit of tile laid in Thailand and have never seen tile spacers used. We have been happy with the results.

In my place the tiles have been laid too close together restricting the space available for grouting to take hold, I figured tile spacers would be the way to go?

Edited December 6, 2014 by davehowden

[Dante99]

I have yet to see tile spacers used here. I just have a talk with the tile guy about how many millimeters the grout space should be or get a wire or piece of wood that is the right spacing. Put a couple of pieces of tile on the floor to demonstrate and measure. Watch him do the first few rows.

[SpokaneAl]

I have had quite a bit of tile laid in Thailand and have never seen tile spacers used. We have been happy with the results.

In my place the tiles have been laid too close together restricting the space available for grouting to take hold, I figured tile spacers would be the way to go?

Our tile guy considers himself a true professional and does not seem to appreciate supervisory direction from the homeowner. We give him the project, buy the materials and keep him in soft drinks, energy drinks and water and leave him, and his wife, who is is partner to go at it. They have laid every tile in our house and just finished a massive project involving our patio, driveway and carport. Their work is magnificent.

[kurtramsbottom]

Tile spacers are for DIYers pfft

[eyecatcher]

Tile spacers are for DIYers pfft

Tile spacers are for professionals who want to take pride in their work. They also support wall tiling that is stuck with readymix or bagged adhesive mixed correctly.(allowing some sliding)......NOT like they do here; one cup of water and then throw a full bag into it; trying to make contact adhesive!

if you dont use them the tiles will slip out of line and then its impossible to retrieve. Spacers of about 3mm ensure there is room for expansion movement apart from anything else.

I have seen floor and wall tiles not just here but generally they are not all the same size, just 1mm difference makes butting together a nightmare.

Spacers are not used here simply because like everything else, tradesmen as so bloody lazy.

you can buy them at Global; watsadu, home pro;home sukka; not cheap though.

Personally I find matchsticks perfect, good spacing, easy to retrieve and re use.

Just a point to bear in mind, advise against tiling over exisitng floor tiles, the bond is rarely good enough, but tiling over wall tiles often the better idea.

[steve187]

I am a floor/wall tiler in the UK, tile spacers are a must to get a good job, a 3mm joint is British Standard for floor tiling to allow for expansion, as is an expansion joint un-grouted every 8m, giving the tiles a joint allows for differing size tiles to not coarse line to jump

The methods used in Thailand are the reason so many floors fail here, loose tiles etc, Porcelain tiles require a flexible adhesive suitable for porcelain, they will never stick to sand and cement.they may hold for a while but will pop as soon as some expansion takes place try taking a porcelain tile up that has been laid using this method, - they will come up as clean as a whistle

Sand and cement fixed tiles went out 30 years ago in the UK. even when we did use this method we used to lay a patch 1 metre wide by the length of the room and use a cement slurry spread on the screed to enhance sticking.

Edited December 7, 2014 by steve187

[davehowden]

STEVE187

What do think about laying ceramic floor tiles on top of existing ceramic floor tiles using a special type of tile adhesive , has latex in it I believe?

Thanks for your replies all.

Dave

[kurtramsbottom]

Tile spacers are for DIYers pfft

Spacers are not used here simply because like everything else, tradesmen as so bloody lazy.

you can buy them at Global; watsadu, home pro;home sukka; not cheap though.

Personally I find matchsticks perfect, good spacing, easy to retrieve and re use.

Now ye talking ,that's how I was taught to tile by my grandad yonks ago.

[steve187]

STEVE187

What do think about laying ceramic floor tiles on top of existing ceramic floor tiles using a special type of tile adhesive , has latex in it I believe?

Thanks for your replies all.

Dave

Before tiling onto existing tiles, check to see if ALL tiles are fixed and firm, If fixed firm i would then make a slurry mix of the adhesive and spread onto the old floor with a roller or a paint brush or an english style broom head, allow to dry and then re-lay the new tiles with a suitable notched trowel maybe 10/12 mm using 3mm spacer but have the spacers standing up so they can be removed after, keeping all joints even, without lips. A good quality adhesive such as weber should be used. ( i think its an orange packet) weber products are different in the Uk to Thailand.