Problem: Tiling a kitchen floor. Half is covered in bitumen (from parquet floor). Half is a new concrete slab. There is a 35mm level difference across the floor and is fairly lumpy. Possible solution No.1?: Use latex self-levelling compound such as arditex na. BUT: I am slightly worried the new slab may move and crack along the joint. Which will crack the slc and the tiles. BUT: This solution will offer no insulation and due to the level difference will cost an arm and a leg! Possible solution No.2?: Lay chipboard tounge and groove flooring. Using an adhesive to take make it level (in a similar fashion to dot and dabbing) then tiling onto that. Maybe screwing it to floor as well BUT: will this stand the test of time? BUT: is there an adhesive available to do this? Please, please help. Gone round and round in circles with this one. Thank you in advance
We don't really have the funds or time to do that. This project has been 6 months now and that would really set us back. Thanks for the response.
There are other brands of self levelling ling compound, other than ARdtex NA (non ammonia). Is the 35mm difference between the new slab and existing?
Yea we have been given a price for ultra IT-bond http://www.ultra-floor.co.uk/product.jsp?productID=157 There is a 20mm variation on the bitumen and the concrete falls about 15mm down from the lowest part of the bitumen. Thank you for your response
This is the same product i used, it is 2 part and come with a 5lt latex bottle. (purple bag) I was going to recommend grinding down some of the bumps on the concrete floor, finding the highest part. This is going to be quite a noisy and dusty job, there are machines avaialble to hire for this. You will need to try an aim for a 5mm variation, this will save adhesive. If its engineering floor then it needs to be 3mm with a 3 meter range.
They recommended IT-bond which is a yellow bag. Gunna need so much of it! There are no bumps, they are more like lumps, but hardly visible. Might look not the pumping option... Thanks again!
Greetings from afar! So solution is.. For all that are researching Take off some of the bitumen with a grinder to reduce amount of slc required. Apply sbr/cement slurry to remaining bitumen. Prime the concrete part of the floor. Apply standard water-based (concrete application) slc to all of floor. Jobs a good'n. Hopefully....
Wouldn't be grinding bitumen, plenty of asbestos used in bitumen been used to stick down parquet in the past. Would be looking build up the levels as others have said though
If you are tiling over, the quickist option might be to put some batons down on the lower section and lay 18 mm ply or tile backer board or cement board, over the whole lot, then you can tile on top of that with flexible adhesive no problem.
Ok now I have just seen your floor pic I think I would go with a self levelling screed, or even better an epoxy type screed that would adhere to the bitumen, and provide flexibility.
By the time you faff about trying OTHER ways of levelling it out........you could just bite the bullet and self level the whole area........adding an expansion gap between the different screeded areas.