Tiling a floor (on concrete)

[theone8181]

Hi we are going to be tiling our entranceway soon but I've never done tiling before. The floor is concrete, however there's been some self leveling put done on top. I've got adhesive, however there is a black sheet poking out the edge, and under that I can see brick. Should I just put more adhesive there to level it off, and what do I do with the sheet (can't remember if it's dpc, or something else). I'll try posting a pic.

 

[Adam_151]

How much of a difference in level are we talking, you could level it up, or you could just use the tile adhesive to build up the level. If its a lot then you could put a bit of cement in there, but if its only a couple of mm then it wouldnt work that thin. Fold the damp proof course down so it cover the brick and cover it over (may need to trim the excess down a bit so it has room to lay flat.

Spend a while setting out, try and get a row of tiles central to the door, and check that you arnt going to have any silly little cut bits, ensure you have kneepads

 

[200sols]

If its just lower at the edge then level it off with extra adhesive. If floor is out of level its always better to rectify it before tiling though. Don't forget to prime the floor before tiling and use a cement based adhesive.

 

[Sin_Chase]

What's below the concrete / self leveling compound? (SLC)

If it's any medium which might be prone to movement (timber for example) consider the use of an anti fracture membrane.

As above if the level difference in areas is small you can make up the difference with adhesive. If the floor isn't level or otherwise chewed up pour another SLC to make good. Make sure you buy an adhesive suitable for your application! The manufacturer will specify where it can be used. As a newb to tiling I would pick an adhesive with a normal or extended open time as you don't want a quick set that will dry before you lay. Priming is also important as you don't want the raw concrete sucking all the water out of your adhesive.

Finally I cannot recommend tile clips and wedges enough, use them! Extra useful for flooring as avoiding lippage is super important to avoid trip hazards.

 

[theone8181]

I've got some SBR bond that I'm going to use, the drop is only a few mm. It's all concrete, no wood. I might check how level it is based on how level the floor was in the other room the builder did.