kitchen floor - tile to edge or just the plinth

polar · Post by **polar** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:13 pm

I am planning to rip[ out the kitchen and need to repair the floor at that time. I am therefore planning to lift floor (T&G Chipboard) insulate between the joists and then cover in 22mm (25??) WBP plywood such that I can then lay porcelein tiles throughout. Ply to be screwed every foot and noggins fitted to support ends. There was talk of biscuiting the joints but that seems a bit excessive - any views?
Now to the Q - if I only tile to the plinth (or just behind) I save lots of money but end up with perfect wells to trap any future leakage from dishwasher / fridges / burst pipes etc. Freestanding washing machine space I assume needs to be tiled.
I think I am better biting the bullet on cost and tiling wall to wall before fitting new kitchen over the top. Having discussed with a few friends this seems to generate discussion - What are your views - wall to wall or plinth to plinth (and if the later, is there a dodge for fitted dishwasher space etc)??
Thanks

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:24 pm

This is not really a simple question. There is no way that you can select from two.

There should be a third option-

tile under plinth and where any appliances will fit, such as dishwashers and washing machine etc. It is important to tile where these appliances go because if you just tile up to them you leave a lip and it makes it very difficult to remove the appliance.

Tiling under the plinth of floor units- to the wall is wasteful and often unnecessary, but if you have already bought the tiles you may as well tile to the wall ( leaving an expansion gap )

You should use 25mm WBP ply to do a proper job

The biscuits are a bit excessive- just make sure that you use noggins where any joints are.

If your kitchen is large then tiling wall to wall might cost a lot, but if it is small then tiling to the wall would not cost so much and so you have to work out how much you will save and if it is not a lot then you can tile from wall to wall

pistonbroke · Post by **pistonbroke** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:29 pm

I would tend to compromise, tile it all but use the cheapest tiles you can get for anywhere that doesn't show.

Although I would count the slots for the dishwasher etc as areas that show

Mooncat · Post by **Mooncat** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:07 pm

Tiling only where it shows can be expensive if you decide to change the cabinets and appliances. A year or two later the matching tiles may not be available!

thescruff · Post by **thescruff** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:20 pm

If you only tile up to the plinth you get a ditch under the units that hold the water every time you mop the floor, this will soak into the sub floor and cause damp or smell problems.

polar · Post by **polar** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:54 pm

Thanks for the quick responses - I knew it would not be straight forward!

Having quickly started looking for 25mm ply I now have another Q - What is the differenc between the different plywoods and which should I use - fundamentally I know I need WBP but after that, there appears to be "internal, external (just a rougher surface layer???), Brazillian, Spruce, Far Eastern plus a couple of others I am now Mr. Confused!

Mooncat · Post by **Mooncat** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:32 pm

The Brazilian and the Far-eastern red are very likely to be plundered rainforst products.

Mooncat · Post by **Mooncat** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:35 pm

thescruff wrote:If you only tile up to the plinth you get a ditch under the units that hold the water every time you mop the floor, this will soak into the sub floor and cause damp or smell problems.

Very true, it happened to us, leaking dishwasher caused cork tiles lift, and the MDF cabinet sides to rot. All three items had to be replaced.

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:24 am

get your ply from your local wood yard ask for exteriour ply ask for a discount and expect 10 to 20%
if you use newsons or travis they bump up the prices so expect 30 to 50%discounts just tell them you have lots of other work comming up so will be a regular customer in the comming weeks

if you expect your tiles to still be down in 15 years then tile to the wall

i would screw it down every 6 to 8" but thats just me

Mooncat · Post by **Mooncat** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:26 pm

A poster on another forum suggested that nowadays tiles are replaced after "five or ten years". Which seems like a squandering lifestyle. Tiles can last for centuries. It seems to me that if we get the job done properly, a tile scheme can last decades.