Steve's 12x24 Running Bond Project Part 2

[orangetones]

Has anyone ever had any serious problems tiling next to hardwood with the moisture that is present in the thinset and ofcourse releases itself into the air? Any issues with wood floors cupping?

[cx]

You'll have a gap between the tile and wood flooring, Steve, and the little bit of moisture in that proximity is no hazard to your wood.

What is a hazard is getting any thinset mortar, or anything containing Portland cement, on any unfinished oak. Will make dark stain that you will not successfully remove. Be sure to either finish the wood first or mask it off well or both.

My opinion worth price charged.

[orangetones]

So I am correct in saying that there is a 1/4 dip in the middle of an 8 foot span. This dip is due to different heights of the joists. So the imagine parallel lines and a level run 90 degrees to them. As you go to the left, the gap occurs between my 8 foot level and the floor and then comes back up. So... if I am running 12x24 tiles lengthwise parallel to the joists, do I really need to level out this dip in the floor? I figure if I ran them the other way, the 24" length going towards the dip, there might be lippage issues, but if they are parallel to the joists, I might be able to just roll with it. What do you folks think?


If I do need to fill it. Can I just put some modified thinset there and screed it out? It is plywood. Next issue is that I am going over it with Ditra. Would I still use a modified to go over top of the explosed plywood and the then hardened thinset? Does that work?

Let me know folks. please!

Thanks again for the help.

[orangetones]

bump

[Davestone]

The problem with your thinking is you are using a running bond,which would cause your corners to be in the middle of the next tile.Just skim some modified thinset over it,you'll be fine.

[cx]

Steve, you want that floor flat. Really flat. Thinking that you can escape all the problem because the long axis is mostly parallel to your uneven sections is to deny that it's about 27 inches across the diagonal of those tiles and, as Stoner wisely points out, you're gonna be using a running bond or brick pattern. Get yourownself a 27-inch board and just go about laying it this way and that all over that floor and you'll get a feel for how much trouble you might be encountering when you start laying tiles. And keep in mind that your running bond is gonna magnify your problems even more. That pattern with tiles the size you're dealing with can be a problem on perfectly flat floors unless the tiles are nearly perfectly flat. Yours aren't.

I'd make every effort to flatten out as much as I could before trying to install the Ditra.

And yes, you can install the Ditra over the plywood and your patches with the same thinset mortar that is modified to meet the standards of ANAI A118.11. It'll say that onna bag.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[orangetones]

Thanks guys. I guess I will be doing a little screeding... So, I know you folks don't seem to like Custom's stuff, but would versabond do the trick for this, or should I go the step up to flexbond? I might be able to get my hands on some other thinsets, but I have some of that on hand that is recently bought.

Next question... how long to wait after building up that area before putting the ditra down? I know until it is dry right?... But how do I know it is dry enough? I have a house with central airconditioning that is currently being used.

Thoughts?

Thinset? Dry time?

Maybe even a question about screeds... Would a nice straight 2x4 do it? Or should I get some kind of metal edge?

Thanks again for the help.

[orangetones]

Thoughts anyone?

[cx]

Not at all sure why you'd think we didn't like Custom products, Steve. We recommend their products regularly here. They do make a bottom of the line dry-set mortar (CustomBlend) that most of us don't consider a useful product, but they do make a lotta other useful stuff.

VersaBond is one of'em.

I got no eye-dee how a fella "screeds" thinset mortar, tell you the truth. I can apply the stuff with a trowel and maybe get it pretty flat, but trying to pull it flat with a screed board is just foreign to me. Works quite well with deck mud and I've done a share of that, but not with somethin' like thinset mortar. I'll let someone else 'splain how a fella does that.

For you low spots you could trowel in some thinset and check the level with a long straight-edge to be sure you're not high, and keep doing that until you're happy with your floor.

A 2x4 would not be my first choice for a straight-edge, first because it prolly ain't straight and second because it's too wide. A ten or twelve-foot aluminum or magnesium box straight-edge or an aluminum angle would be my preferred tools, but a 1x4 could work fine if you have access to a jointer to make it really straight on one edge. Or you just happen to get lucky at the lumber store.

The thinset's dry enough in this case when you can work over it. Overnight should be fine. Maybe less.

My opinion; worth price charged.