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Thinset on subflooring – Bad idea?

Bathroom Repair Tutor – Revised 120922 › Forums › Flooring › Thinset on subflooring – Bad idea?

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    • July 30, 2018 at 9:39 pm #3286
      EdenVaschon
      Participant

      I watched a YouTube video by another experienced bathroom remodeler who pointed out the perils of adding thinset directly to a subfloor. It showed him laboring intensely as he struggled to remove tiles from the subfloor, damaging it badly and ultimately removing it entirely. He was making a sensible point in that retiling a bathroom and floor can be expensive enough for clients. Yet should a contractor (God forbid), ever make a mistake that needs to be corrected, (or if a client or new homeowner should ever decide that they want to change the tiles), the cost of retiling will increase significantly given the added expense of a new contractor having no choice but to rip out and replace the entire subfloor given there is no way to remove the thinset from it without damaging it. He suggested that other methods should be taken to install tiling without ruining the subfloor with thinset.

      Can you tell me what you think about his point of view?

      Eden Vaschon – USMC

    • August 28, 2018 at 8:16 pm #3402
      Jeff Patterson
      Keymaster

      Hey Eden, just following up – did you and Steve discuss this via email? Just want to make sure you got an answer. Sorry for my late response.

    • August 28, 2018 at 8:16 pm #3403
      Jeff Patterson
      Keymaster

      Hey Eden, just following up – did you and Steve discuss this via email? Just want to make sure you got an answer. Sorry for my late response.

    • August 29, 2018 at 9:33 am #3406
      EdenVaschon
      Participant

      No. No one responded to my post. I’m about to dive full-on into a career of kitchen and bathroom remodeling after many years of handyman work and the recent completion of 900 hours in training at APEX technical school. I’m very excited about getting things going so I tend to ask a lot of questions. I assumed I was getting on his nerves. My apologies if I’ve been an annoyance.

      Eden Vaschon
      CEO/Founder
      http://www.VetPros.com

    • August 29, 2018 at 9:42 am #3407
      Jeff Patterson
      Keymaster

      Ah man, sorry about that. I apologize. Sometimes we answer questions via email and I wasn’t sure if Steve did that for you. We’re still getting use to the new Forum. CONGRATS on your training!!! Huge high five and accomplishment, you should be proud. Always feel free to post here or send us emails, either is good.

      Steve started a mammoth project right about the time you posted your question, so I’m sure he just missed it.

      I saw that video you mentioned and many professionals disagree; tile floors should be very difficult to remove, and in fact they should last decades. His assessment doesn’t make sense and is wasteful, i.e. assuming people will want a new floor every 5-10 years.

      We recommend setting tile per industry guidelines, TCNA, and ensuring the subfloor doesn’t deflect, there’s an isolation membrane like DITRA (and that is installed per Schluter directions), and tiles are backbuttered for 95-100% thin-set mortar coverage in wet areas. Our buddy Sal DiBlasi doesn’t like that installer, and for good reason, lol

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