Replacing solid timber floor with tile - help please

Manuel

Hi,
I have a small kitchen/living room which currently has a solid pine t&g floating floor. It's well worn now, being a soft wood in a high traffic area, and is also damaged in places from a water leak.

I saw this as an opportunity to take it up altogether and put down tiles instead.

When I showed it to a tiler, he baulked when he saw the height of the floor. I think it's 22mm. He pointed to the kickboards, skirting, door architraves, door saddles, and reckoned it would be tricky/ugly to bring down the floor level to tile. He recommended sticking with the timber flooring, and just get it repaired and treated.

Maybe he's right, but is it really that big a deal to put down the tile to the same level (22mm)? Could I not put down something like a layer of marine ply on the finished concrete floor and start from there? The tiler talked about bringing up the floor level with self-levelling compound but he just didn't like the idea - said it has to be laid 3mm at a time and is tricky and expensive.

In the short term I can get the timber repaired and treated, but I was kind of hoping for a more permanent solution ....

I'd appreciate some more opinions ...

Thanks!
/M.

kilclon

What size and thickness are your tiles. I can't see it being a huge issue to make up 22mm especially if you choose suitable tiles.

shane6977

Agree with Kilclon's comment above. It all comes down to the tiles you choose. I have 10mm travertine tiles in my kitchen on an 8mm adhesive bed with a transition strip to the hall and dining room timber floors (22mm thick). If you are going for a thinner tile you can always put down a WBP plywood substrate to make up the levels.

agusta

Manuel wrote: »

Hi,
I have a small kitchen/living room which currently has a solid pine t&g floating floor. It's well worn now, being a soft wood in a high traffic area, and is also damaged in places from a water leak.

I saw this as an opportunity to take it up altogether and put down tiles instead.

When I showed it to a tiler, he baulked when he saw the height of the floor. I think it's 22mm. He pointed to the kickboards, skirting, door architraves, door saddles, and reckoned it would be tricky/ugly to bring down the floor level to tile. He recommended sticking with the timber flooring, and just get it repaired and treated.

Maybe he's right, but is it really that big a deal to put down the tile to the same level (22mm)? Could I not put down something like a layer of marine ply on the finished concrete floor and start from there? The tiler talked about bringing up the floor level with self-levelling compound but he just didn't like the idea - said it has to be laid 3mm at a time and is tricky and expensive.

In the short term I can get the timber repaired and treated, but I was kind of hoping for a more permanent solution ....

I'd appreciate some more opinions ...

Thanks!
/M.

hi,you cant put marine ply or wbp down on a concrete floor and then tile,the timber would sweat.the best way to do this job is to take up your timber floor and take off scirting boards and door saddles,tile the floor and fit your old scirting board or idealy fit new scirting boards and use slimline offset door saddles at the doors.this is the most professional way to do this job and also the cheapest way