Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Tiling question

Anyone know of a good place to learn tiling techniques. I have tiled before but only with straight tile. My wife wants the br with the tiles angled to match the angle of our new neo angle shower.

How long before a person can tile on new cement?

What do you mean by new cement? Is this a new concrete slab? If so, 28 days minimum.:)

I had to tear out cement on some of the floor and replace new. It is two days old. Why 28 days?

Because theres some shrinkage as it cures and it takes 28 days to fully cure. Shrinkage can cause tile failure. How much cement did you bust up and replace? Did you just patch a few areas? Why did you bust up the slab? Were there existing cracks, new plumbing????

There are isolation membranes like ditra that you can use over a fresh slab without waiting 28 days. If you use ditra, the two days you waited is already enough.:)

I have no problem waiting 28 days I guess. I had to move some plumbing lines and add a sewage ejector plus added a drain as our basement did not have one. Thanks for your help.

Not knowing the extent of the work that you did on the slab, I'd use the ditra as extra insurance rather than installing straight to the slab. It costs a few bucks and yes its an extra step but it will make you sleep better at night, I promise.:)

Back to your original question. Most nice tile stores - as well as big box stores - have free seminars on installing tile. You've got a few days for your concrete to cure..... go find a class and pick up a few pointers.

Not knowing the extent of the work that you did on the slab, I'd use the ditra as extra insurance rather than installing straight to the slab. It costs a few bucks and yes its an extra step but it will make you sleep better at night, I promise.:)
Can that go over heating elements? I am going to heat the floor also.

I did my first tile job with the help of this website.http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php Lots of tile experts who will give you super good advice.

Can that go over heating elements? I am going to heat the floor also.

Yes you can. Go to the Schluter website and read about ditra.:)

Where is the shulter website?

You can't locate a Search Engine?:)



http://www.schlutersystems.com

I put in schluter and it came up with a bunch of things but now that I see the schlutersystems that helps.

I decided to go with the ditra as a overlayment on my warmwire from suntouch and then the tile on top of that. Any pointers?

Yes

I like to use slc instead of burying the cables in thinset. You will get a flatter surface for the tile and you'll be less likely to damage the cables.:)

Go to the suntouch website and read what they have to say. Then go to the schluter website and see what they have to say. You should be in good shape from there. Any questions after that come back and ask us.:)

What is SLC? I am no familiar with that.

SLC= Self Leveling Compound.

You mix it up like thinset, and pour it out onto the floor.

I know now. Just had to decipher.

Have you used it before? What is it like to work with?

I've used it before.

It can be a mess depending on how much, and where it's being applied.

It does exactly what the same implies, self levels the floor.

Sometimes depending on how "hot" you mix it, you have a short amount of time to work with it. Sometimes you have to feather the edges a little and/or knock down any high spots.

It comes in a 25-50lb bag and you mix it with water. Also, you NEED to apply the primer that comes seperately.

Some good reading on slc.:)

http://www.thefloorpro.com/community/article-discussion-forum/894-slc-radiant-heat-flooring-by-todd.html

I have one little section where the floor was removed and then replaced. The new cement has settled a little in some areas. It is a small section about 2' wide by 5' long where there is a slight slope. Should I put some SLC on that and let it just run to to level area? I am not and can not add any SLC on the entire floor.

Or would it just be easier to mix some thinset and level the small area myself?

I cant see your floor, but you will probably be better off just using a cement based patching compound instead of slc. It may be hard to contain the slc from running out of the depression and making a real mess. The patching compounds can be troweled flat and to a feather edge and dry quickly. You can use thinset to fill small dips and dings in the floor but probably not as big as what you have their.

How do you intend to bury the cable, with thinset?

We are talking 3/8 of and inch at the most down to 1/16 of an inch off of level. The area of 3/8 in off is only around a foot and won't take very much, really.

It sounds like you wanna use thinset to fill this depression. Is that the case?

Thinset can only be used to maximum of 1/4" thickness at a time, otherwise it will shrink and crack. Additionally, thinset is difficult to screed as it wasnt meant for this purpose.

How will you be burying the cable?

In thinset like it recommends from my cable manufacturer. That should be no problem as all the areas are 1/4 or less except a small area.
What would a good cement based patching compound be?

I have some stuff called TEC versapatch latex modified cement patch and leveler. Is that what you are talking about?

Anyone have an answer to this patch before I try it?

Have you read the instructions or did you just view the little flash video on the sun touch site?

From the install instructions:

STEP 8.4 Install the Floor
WarmWire can be installed in two general types of construction applications:
1. Thin-set or thick-set mortar beds (3/8"–1") over slabs or framed floors.
2. Self-leveling mortar beds (1/4"–1/2") over slabs or framed floors.

Notice option 2?

Thinset is very sticky and doesn't trowel very smooth as Johnny pointed out. Ditra wants a flat floor, not one full of peaks from trying to fill thinset over the wires. You will have peaks and valleys using thinset. Do yourself a favor and save yourself both headache and increased risk of wire damage by using SLC. Figure on 20 sf @ 1/4" depth per 50 lb bag. It will also fill in the shrinkage depression where the pipes run was patched.

I suggest you also go back and re-read the instructions from both Ditra and Suntouch and then post any questions you have at that point. When you involve in floor heating, there really is no margin for error.

I am not going to install the warm wire yet or the ditra. I am going to get the little section level first. I just want to know what is the best thing to level the floor first before the other things go onto it. I am not going to use thinset. I am going to try the TEC if everyone thinks that is good stuff to do a little section with.

The Tec product or any other cement based floor patch will work fine but would not be used later for embedding the wires.

I understand that. I tried the TEC product but it sets up way too fast. I could not get any of the product out of the bucket after five minutes. I used cold water and followed the directions to t. I will have to try something else.

All cement based floor patches are going to fire off very quickly. No installer has the time to patch 1 or 2 sf of area and wait until the next day to get back to work. These products are designed for the professional. You need to work fast with them and have everything ready to go. Mix it where you need it, have the area already clean and prepped to accept the product prior to mixing and you can't mix it and then say "oh, where'd I put my trowel?"

There are premixed products in a bucket and gypsum based floor patches but those are 2 of the last products you ever want to use, no matter what the bucket claims. There warranties also usually include the disclaimer that their liability is limited to the replacement cost of the product. Great, your $1000 worth of flooring products goes south and the product that caused it will reimburse you the $7-$20. Gee that will go along way to replacing the floor with the correct products. Thanks guys, mighty big of them.

You really don't want to be in a situation later where you need to make repairs over an in floor heat system.

I talked to the residential professional that has been laying tile for over 40 years and he said thinset would be the easiest and as good as anything to use.

I talked to the residential professional that has been laying tile for over 40 years and he said thinset would be the easiest and as good as anything to use.


Well there you go. Have fun.:) :) :)