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tile questions, bathtub questions, general masonry questions

AWW$HEEET

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AWW$HEEET Community Regular

AWW$HEEET

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1. Tile question. If you are laying tile on a subfloor (3/4" plywood) is it necessary to use durock to prevent cracking? I currently have ugly vinyl in this area. If I add durock, and THEN tile, I think its gonna bump my total thickness up so high that the transition from the tiled area is gonna be a huge step down. Solutions?

 

2. Has anyone had a bathtub re coated, and how did you like the results?

 

3. Has anyone poured a concrete bathroom countertop, and how did you like the results?

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evan9381 Newbie

evan9381

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1) i wouldnt put tile on plywood. We did when i moved into this house in the full bath, 3 years i have a few cracked tiles and all the grout looks like shit

 

2) I haven't had a tub recoated, but I want to get mine done. Jason (wnaplay) knows a guy that he said will do it for super cheap, something like $150. he has posted about the guy before. He gave me his number months back, but the number was disconnected. I actually just asked him if he had a new number for the guy in the last few days when he sent me the link helping me sell that kia.

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AWW$HEEET Community Regular

AWW$HEEET

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Remove all layers of subfloor and shave down floor joists. Its a slow process and one you want to take your time with but it may be your only option if you definately want to lower the transition height.

 

Probably not worth it then. Maybe just install new nicer vinyl or laminate (probably not ideal for a bathroom)

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LJ Newbie

LJ

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Probably not worth it then. Maybe just install new nicer vinyl or laminate (probably not ideal for a bathroom)

 

Armstrong makes some really nice vinyl planks that are dead on to tile. I have it in a rental and literally everyone thought it was real tile.

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wnaplay1647545503 Newbie

wnaplay1647545503

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What exactly is the current height of the floor areas? Are the currently even, and if so are you planning on transitioning from carpet to tile? It is certainly possible to place tile directly to a wooden subfloor, has been done for years and is still the prefered method by alot of professionals. One rule when doing this is to change out the wooden subfloor with exterior grade plywood instead of interior grade which is probably whats down now. Ideally you would want to put 2 layers down, one screwed to the joists and the second screwed to the first but not the joints. This doesnt necessarily make sense if your trying to save height. You certainly can and I have put floor tiles directly to one single layer of plywood. Using backerboard or cement board isnt a guaranteed failsafe for tiles becoming loose or broken they do make it less likely however tile has been around and used on floors far longer than they have been around. I say if the height bugs you bad and your hellbent on tile then cut out the subfloor from wall to wall and replace that area with exterior grade stuff, prep the floor and add tiles(I wouldnt get crazy expensive stuff) finish the bath and leave it. If after a few months/years you notice the floors are having issue its not that difficult to remove baseboards, bust up some tile, unscrew the plywood and put something else down. If you dont want to risk it then check out the new plastic tiles they have at the stores, I personally think they look great and have been very pleased with them over at the shop. They can be placed edge to edge or even grouted in between to appear as ceramic. They are self stick, the adhesion is great and the tiles are very thick just like a floor tile. They come in many colors. Stop by the shop if you want to see some in place.
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LJ Newbie

LJ

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What exactly is the current height of the floor areas? Are the currently even, and if so are you planning on transitioning from carpet to tile? It is certainly possible to place tile directly to a wooden subfloor, has been done for years and is still the prefered method by alot of professionals. One rule when doing this is to change out the wooden subfloor with exterior grade plywood instead of interior grade which is probably whats down now. Ideally you would want to put 2 layers down, one screwed to the joists and the second screwed to the first but not the joints. This doesnt necessarily make sense if your trying to save height. You certainly can and I have put floor tiles directly to one single layer of plywood. Using backerboard or cement board isnt a guaranteed failsafe for tiles becoming loose or broken they do make it less likely however tile has been around and used on floors far longer than they have been around. I say if the height bugs you bad and your hellbent on tile then cut out the subfloor from wall to wall and replace that area with exterior grade stuff, prep the floor and add tiles(I wouldnt get crazy expensive stuff) finish the bath and leave it. If after a few months/years you notice the floors are having issue its not that difficult to remove baseboards, bust up some tile, unscrew the plywood and put something else down. If you dont want to risk it then check out the new plastic tiles they have at the stores, I personally think they look great and have been very pleased with them over at the shop. They can be placed edge to edge or even grouted in between to appear as ceramic. They are self stick, the adhesion is great and the tiles are very thick just like a floor tile. They come in many colors. Stop by the shop if you want to see some in place.

 

The Armstrong groutable squares are really really nice as well. The vinyl planks that are not groutable are great for a bathroom and the like as you can just place them over the existing floor with literally no more prep than just sweeping and mopping.

 

You can kinda see the planks here 522828_778239889303_1110696534_n.jpg

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LJ Newbie

LJ

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I have the armstrong groutable squares in the entry way of the shop. Very easy to use, actually look nice and the adhesive was much better than I was expecting.

 

Yeah. If you are willing to take the time and effort to prep the subfloor, they are definitely the best way to go.

 

I just did the floating planks because it was for a rental and I wasn't going to spend the time to prep the subfloor

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Trouble Maker Rookie

Trouble Maker

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2. Has anyone had a bathtub re coated, and how did you like the results?

 

Cast-iron or fiberglass?

 

Berto got a crack fixed in his (fiberglass) tub, and it sounded like he really liked the results. I'm sure that involved re coating at least part of it.

 

The tub in our new place is cast iron and at least the part you walk on has been redone at some point. That area doesn't have the glaze anymore and is rough, so it holds dirt really easily. I would really like to get it redone at some point if someone could get the glaze right. I imagine that's harder, if not impossible to do with the tub installed. If anyone has any experience with contractors who've done a good job with cast-iron tubs I would love to hear about them!

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