minimal grout lines

[Draka]

Hi all.

I am building an extension to my house and one of the major features will be the floor, I want to minimize the grout lines between tiles ( I would butt them if possible) and to have a perfectly flat floor.

The floor will be on 2 different areas the new extension will be 150mm slab then 150mm polystyrene insulation then 80mm screed with UFH then self levelling compound then travertine tile 11mm x 610mm x 610mm, in the existing house it will be on a wooden joisted floor so I will be placing battens between joists then chipboard sitting on the battens then insulation then screed with UFH to level with the top of the joist ,then self levelling compound then tiles, I hope to have a seemless transition between the new and old sections.

Any advice on

A. getting minimal grout lines and whether thier is a minimun due to expansion or the grout getting in to the gap, would Epoxy resin for example be a good choice ?

B. wether this is something I cqan do with time and care, for example I was thinking if I could get some flat wire mesh approximatly 5mm thick and lay this on the floor then blot mastic on the back of the tiles and push them down until they sit on the wire it should make for a perfectly flat floor, or if the floor was perfectly flat maybe use some other sort of glue and lay them like carpet tiles ? are these stupid ideas ? should I stick with the more traditional approach I just dont want to be breaking up some tiles because they sit up slighly after the tiler has laid them as I dont feel confident to go with the tradional approach myself.

Feedback greatfully appeciated

 

[jctilingservices]

Simple answer mate, get a pro tiler in
the floor of your house is wooden therefore you cannot butt up your trav, due to expansion/ movement/flex chipping the edges, so you would need to have the bare minimum of 1mm, even thats pushing it unless that wooden floor is SOLID.

 

[jctilingservices]

Hi all.

I am building an extension to my house and one of the major features will be the floor, I want to minimize the grout lines between tiles ( I would butt them if possible) and to have a perfectly flat floor.

The floor will be on 2 different areas the new extension will be 150mm slab then 150mm polystyrene insulation then 80mm screed with UFH then self levelling compound then travertine tile 11mm x 610mm x 610mm, in the existing house it will be on a wooden joisted floor so I will be placing battens then chipboard then insulation then screed with UFH then self levelling compound then tiles, I hope to have a seemless transition between the new and old sections.

Any advice on

A. getting minimal grout lines and whether thier is a minimun due to expansion or the grout getting in to the gap, would Epoxy resin for example be a good choice ?

B. wether this is something I cqan do with time and care,


(dont even think of doing it yourself mate)





for example I was thinking if I could get some flat wire mesh approximatly 5mm thick and lay this on the floor then blot mastic on the back of the tiles and push them down until they sit on the wire it should make for a perfectly flat floor

I just laughed so hard, not to sound as though i am taking the p.ss mate but that is ridiculous





, or if the floor was perfectly flat maybe use some other sort of glue and lay them like carpet tiles ? are these stupid ideas ? should I stick with the more traditional approach I just dont want to be breaking up some tiles because they sit up slighly after the tiler has laid them as I dont feel confident to go with the tradional approach myself.


Get a pro tiler in, stipulate that you want no lippage, Not that there should be any in any caes, dont forget you will have to have an expansion joint as well, you are gonna have to use different adhesives, thinset and flexi.

 

[Draka]

Thanks JC

I have budgeted £1000 for grouts adhesives and hiring a tiler, but wanted to explore the idea of doing it myself as there have already been a number of savings I have made by exploring my options.

for example I was thinking if I could get some flat wire mesh approximatly 5mm thick and lay this on the floor then blot mastic on the back of the tiles and push them down until they sit on the wire it should make for a perfectly flat floor

I just laughed so hard, not to sound as though i am taking the p**s mate but that is ridiculous

Your the second person to say it is stupid and I even suggested it might be, not sure why as no-one has really explained why, if enough mastic was used and the tiles are pretty thick stone.

dont forget you will have to have an expansion joint as well, you are gonna have to use different adhesives, thinset and flexi.

Sounds like good advice.

If the screed and chipboard sits between joists would that make it solid enough to have 1mm lines ?

 

[Richard C]

Your the second person to say it is stupid and I even suggested it might be, not sure why as no-one has really explained why, if enough mastic was used and the tiles are pretty thick stone.

Weve ended up with a duplicate post rather than one moved to the correct forum so for the benefit of my fellow tillers, see here for another bit of the story ;
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=263661