RE: [A/S] Tiling Floors

["Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hunter,

I think you are pressing your luck andfighting the laws of physics if you
try to use conventional thinset (even with added latex) in your trailer.
Thinset is a "concrete type" mortar with a little extra "glue" for some
minimal additional tensile strength.  That is the problem, the thinset is
not particularly strong in tension, so that when you drive over a bump or
bounce the trailer and the floor underneath the thinset flexes, the thinset
will crack. Actually it is likely to crack MANY times and thus CRUMBLE over
time.

In terra firma construction, thinset is used over a RIGID, NON FLEXING
substrate - like a reinforced concrete slab, a mortar bed, or a concrete and
fiberglass cloth reinforced rigid panel generically called Wonderboard.

Ceramic tile applied to a wood (plywood) floor with mastic adhesive is a no
no, and just doesn't work - no matter what the vendors say.  Sure, the
mastic will adhere the tile to the plywood, and even hold up under
vibration.  However, there is another sneaky problem - the grout between the
tiles will break and crumble from the flexing!

I don't mean to be as spoil sport, but one does have to deal with reality
once in a while!  There simply is no practical way to apply a rigid, non
flexible material (tile AND grout) to a flexible substrate and not have it
crack or break loose. Even a "floating" system is not likely to work due to
both the flexing and the vibration it would have to withstand in a travel
trailer application.

Oliver Filippi