ᐅ Substructure for Terrace / Patio

Created on: 21 Jun 2016 22:05
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Andreas2001
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Andreas2001
21 Jun 2016 22:05
Hello everyone,

Our house is now 6 years old, and we want to replace the patio slabs (at the time, we installed plain concrete slabs for cost reasons). Now, we want to install porcelain tiles on top. A landscaper inspected the area and looked underneath the slabs. He found that the layer of grit is quite thick, around 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) at the spot he checked. Below that is the crushed stone layer, but we don’t know its thickness; it might be thinner.

The landscaper recommends removing and rebuilding the base because there is too much grit used. Since the new tiles are about 2 cm (1 inch) thinner, adding 2 cm (1 inch) of grit on top would mean a total of about 10-12 cm (4-5 inches).

Is that really too much? Why would this be a problem?
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matte
21 Jun 2016 22:38
Huh? He says 8-10cm (3-4 inches) of gravel is too much, so he adds another 2cm (1 inch) on top? Something doesn’t add up...
One0022 Jun 2016 07:21
No, he means he would have to add an extra 2cm (1 inch) on top due to the reduced thickness of the porcelain stoneware in order to reach the current height. And that would be too much. That’s why it needs to be redone.

If this could be a problem, I would always ask the person who claims it is one. I can only guess: Unlike crushed stone, grit cannot really be compacted. Presumably, the risk of the porcelain stoneware breaking is too high. Just ask him.
Mycraft22 Jun 2016 09:15
Let him just add 2cm (around 1 inch) of fill and level it out... what could possibly go wrong? Don’t fall for the nonsense about the distance... this is just a scam aimed at making money.
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Payday
22 Jun 2016 11:02
These thin porcelain stoneware tiles can easily crack. The substrate must be perfectly level to prevent any breaking edges.

The simplest method would be to choose new tiles of the same thickness as your current ones and replace them one-to-one. Remove the old tiles, smooth the surface, and lay the new ones on top. Over the years, the base has already been compacted anyway. If you start removing and replacing parts, everything will need to be realigned. The pure replacement could also be done by yourself with the help of one or two strong friends (the tiles are heavy).
Mycraft22 Jun 2016 11:08
That’s exactly what I’m talking about… just remove the old panels, level the surface, and install new ones…