who checks the state of the subfloor before tiling
Anonymous user 16/03/2024 - 2.51 PM
Hello, we have been left with a newly tiled bathroom floor which, over approx 10 feet from window wall to doorway, slopes downwards by around 45mm. There is also a 5mm dip in the middle. The old suite was ripped out and everything taken back to bare wooden floorboards by them, so we had not known what the subfloor was previously like. (We could not have asked them to quote for it as due to the positioning of the old bathroom suite we had never walked on or seen most of the floor to know how unlevel it was; a fact they were aware of). The bathroom fitters/tilers say because we did not tell them the subfloor was so off level and uneven they 'tile to the subfloor that is there as that's all they can do'. This seems unfair as we were relying on their experience to check such things and tell us. (If they had checked and informed us we would have been happy to pay any extra cost to mitigate the slope, as had been the case with other unforeseen aspects of the job). Their solution to bring up the level is now to tile over the new tiles and use self levelling compound. We think it best everything is stripped back to the original subfloor to start again, especially since the shower tray would almost disappear under the new tile level. (We have never expected a perfectly level floor, but surely part of employing a professional is precisely because you trust that they know more than you. It is a fair point that not everything can be known at the quoting stage, but it is reasonable to assume a conscientious professional will notice and mention problems that could affect the overall result for their client). Any advice on whether what they say is true and fair would be gratefully received. NB edited parts are in brackets, done for clarification of points originally made. Thank you to all those who have taken the time to answer.
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
My first thoughts are that what the tilers have told you is indeed 'true and fair'; a 45mm drop over 10 feet is pretty noticeable, and if you did not raise this issue at the quoting stage then I feel they are correct to tile to the existing floor. As they say in the County Court, it all hinges on what was agreed.
How can they rectify this, even if they stripped back to the original floor, as you say the slope is from the window to the door . . . if they created a dead level floor, then it would be 45mm higher than your hall at the doorway.
It is fine to say after the event that you 'relied on their experience to tell you', but if you did not ask them to quote for leveling the old floor, then it's fair to assume it was not included in their quote and as such was not agreed. If on the other hand their quote says ' to level existing floor' then that's another matter . . .
* The above answer relates to the original post which has since been edited by the O.P.*
Answered5 August 2023
1
Anonymous user
The tiler is supposed to CK the floor foundation and advice what type of underlay is the correct one , we use 2 types , durabase to b on top of Chipboard, in case is a floorboards we must use 6mm hardbackers ,
After that's if they floor still uneven , we must screed the floor ,in order to get the new down .
I personally wouldn't lay tiles on an unleveled subfloor, as a levelled subfloor is crucial for the proper installation and longevity of the tiles. If this wasn't picked up on the site visit/quote this would then be discussed with my client to look at the options and costs involved as the subfloor should be stable to prevent movement or flexing that can lead to tile breakage or shifting.
It is a difficult one- it is really the tilers/bathroom fitters responsibility to check sub-surfaces before tiling, as we are the experts and professionals- but it is also difficult for us to quote fully when existing suites/floor or wall coverings etc are in-situ.
It is difficult to answer fully without knowing exactly what’s been discussed/quoted for- What should have happened is that when quoting, the installers should have informed you of the potential (with a rough estimate of costs) to level the floor when the existing coverings are removed. This is not always easy as there are lots of variables and it means the price can be higher or lower than estimated, which doesn’t always go down well with customers- but unless the surfaces are bare and ready for prep work when quoting, it is very difficult to quote to the penny.
Answered5 August 2023
1
Anonymous user
Subfloor should have been self levelled to start with
