[Thad E Ginathom]

In my mother country, a concrete floor is levelled and smoothed With a thin coat of a runnier compound. The tiles are then laid using a specific tile cements. It is not difficult for a worker with some amount of skill and practice to lay them smooth and even. I won't say even I could do it, I probably can't, but it is not one of the most highly skilled building tasks. (It's more the ancillary stuff with tiling that is skilled: getting the entire layout right, cutting, etc).

[speed79]

I have an independent house with 30 years old building, which I had bought in 2018. It has old mosaic flooring, and I was able to rent it out (with some difficulty) after some woodwork (kitchen cabinets) and replacing Water Closets. It is getting vacated this weekend. I am planning to improve the interiors so that it would be easier to rent out and would fetch a better rent.

As all the woodwork (made of block board) in kitchen that I had got done previously has got damaged with water, i need to get woodwork re-done (with waterproof plyboard this time). I am also planning to put tiles over mosaic tiles of the floor (using Roff cement), without removing the old mosaic floor tiles. Which tiles should I put for Tile-on-Tile for floor: Vitrified or Ceramic or any other? I have always lived in marble/granite floor houses, and have no idea of different types of tiles.

Also, planning to replace old metal water pipes with PVC, change all taps/water fittings, replace tiles (remove old tiles) of bathroom (wall + floor) and replace kitchen wall tiles.

It is a single floor 2 BHK house with about 650 sq feet carpet area. I do not want to spend a lot on these improvements, something in range of Rs. 2-3 Lakhs, which should be good for next 7-10 years (after which I plan to demolish and make a new building).

Location is Bangalore. 1200 sq ft BDA site near OMBR layout.

All improvement ideas are welcome.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by Aroy

The USP of stone (Marble, Kota, Granite etc) is that they can be ground and polished in situ. So you get a smooth finish. Tiles rarely give a smooth finish and there are always joints which may act up in future.


Regarding granite, they are not ideal for homes. Though they have a super smooth finish after proper polishing, they are extremely slippery and people are prone to slip and fall (especially elders).

Yes, marble can be polished. But hate having to get it done periodically. It's quite a messy affair is it not? And marble is not very forgiving when it comes to stains.

And tiles also come in large sizes to minimize the number of joints. My house is an old house. I've tiled over the mosaic floor, have retained marble in a couple of rooms and upper floor is just old polished cement floor (which is by far the best of the lot )

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by speed79

All improvement ideas are welcome.

Tiles - Go for vitrified instead of ceramic. Better aesthetic also, less issues with grouting.

One issue you need to be ready for with putting tile on top of existing floor is slight difference in floor height and associated issues with door requiring cutting at bottom to avoid it from rubbing across the tiles.

Changing of pipeline is an expensive work, but may be required with the age of the house.

[d.w.w.]

Originally Posted by speed79

I am also planning to put tiles over mosaic tiles of the floor (using Roff cement), without removing the old mosaic floor tiles.

We did the same thing on my parent's house. The guy who was doing the tile work warned us not to do this. He suggested we remove the mosaic and then lay the tiles. Since we didn't had space to dump the waste mosaic getting removed we pushed him to fix the tiles above existing floor. Now the tiles started coming off the floor here and there and makes loud sounds when we walk on the floor.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by speed79

I am also planning to put tiles over mosaic tiles of the floor (using Roff cement), without removing the old mosaic floor tiles. Which tiles should I put for Tile-on-Tile for floor: Vitrified or Ceramic or any other? I have always lived in marble/granite floor houses, and have no idea of different types of tiles.

Also, planning to replace old metal water pipes with PVC, change all taps/water fittings, replace tiles (remove old tiles) of bathroom (wall + floor) and replace kitchen wall tiles.

All improvement ideas are welcome.

1. Do not put tiles over mosaic. They will not bond and will start cracking/rising. Keep the mosaic or go the full length by removing the mosaic and replacing them.

2. Unless the metal pipes are leaking or if the water flow is drastically reduced, do not bother. Even if the pipes are leaking, just replace those which need replacing. Replacing pipes involves lot of wall cutting and the costs will increase.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

1. Do not put tiles over mosaic. They will not bond and will start cracking/rising. ...

Do it with proper tile cement/adhesive? Not ordinary cement.

[One]

Originally Posted by speed79

i need to get woodwork re-done (with waterproof plyboard this time). I am also planning to put tiles over mosaic tiles of the floor (using Roff cement), without removing the old mosaic floor tiles. Which tiles should I put for Tile-on-Tile for floor: Vitrified or Ceramic or any other? I have always lived in marble/granite floor houses, and have no idea of different types of tiles.

Also, planning to replace old metal water pipes with PVC, change all taps/water fittings, replace tiles (remove old tiles) of bathroom (wall + floor) and replace kitchen wall tiles.

It is a single floor 2 BHK house with about 650 sq feet carpet area. I do not want to spend a lot on these improvements, something in range of Rs. 2-3 Lakhs.

All improvement ideas are welcome.

1. We have never used Marine Ply in our kitchens. Regular Commercial ply works well as long as the lamination is done from all sides. My current house, kitchen cabinets are 10 years and counting. No issues yet.

2. Tile on tile is very frequently done here, not heard of people complaining. One alternate which you can do is use a linoleum sheet instead on top of mosaic for tiling. Works well enough for years of you use a proper quality (brand) one. (A close family member with dogs in house had it for years).

3. Replacing pipes is tricky to answer. It is costly and time-consuming. Is it needed - one never knows till a (GI) pipe starts leaking and then one needs to break open walls. Will it leak - at some point; when - you never know. They could last another 5 years as 30 year old pipes or they could be soon passing their expiry date. Only thing I can suggest here is - wherever you are replacing pipes, do them all together.

[The Rationalist]

Originally Posted by speed79

I am also planning to put tiles over mosaic tiles of the floor (using Roff cement), without removing the old mosaic floor tiles. Which tiles should I put for Tile-on-Tile for floor: Vitrified or Ceramic or any other?
I do not want to spend a lot on these improvements, something in range of Rs. 2-3 Lakhs, which should be good for next 7-10 years (after which I plan to demolish and make a new building).
All improvement ideas are welcome.

Have you considered Luxury Vinyl Tiles? It costs ₹70/sq feet. It is pasted on the floor using adhesive, can be easily replaced, can be taken out at time of demolition and re-installed at another place. It comes in 1.5, 2 mm thickness. I have used 1.5 mm ones from the brand Wonder Floor. Quite good looking and also the floor will not be cold. If the tiles you are planning to put is cheaper then go ahead.

[TurboKat]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Yes, marble can be polished. But hate having to get it done periodically. It's quite a messy affair is it not?

To be honest, the last time we got marble polished was when we had installed it 17-18 years ago. Since then, it has retained the shine. The main thing is how one maintains it. One should never use abrasive detergents to wipe marble floors. Cold water and mild floor cleaners go a long way in preserving the shine

[null]

Hello, We want to go for a metal roof sheet covering on our roof. Main reason to go for it is to cover the roof area (from rain & sun - cooler lower floor). Also, would like to utilize the roofed terrace area now & then. I don't want an expensive solution (involving multi layers tiles etc), OK with the noise created during rains.

My concern is mainly the heat under the roof because of continuous sunshine on the metal surface. Planning to go with white colored / coated sheets to reduce heat. Somebody recommended me puff sheets, which potentially costs as much as (read as very expensive) putting a new RCC floor altogether. Another concern are the birds which can make the place their sanctuary. Plastic nets etc. might not be a long term solution.

Anyone here who has got a metal sheet roofing done for their house? what are the pros & cons after it's installation? (in Bangalore, if that matters)

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by speed79

I am also planning to put tiles over mosaic tiles of the floor (using Roff cement), without removing the old mosaic floor tiles. Which tiles should I put for Tile-on-Tile for floor: Vitrified or Ceramic or any other? I have always lived in marble/granite floor houses, and have no idea of different types of tiles.

We have had tiles put on red oxide in our parents house over 20 years ago and it's still pretty good. We used Roff and back then it was a very new product as far as I remember. Having a guy who does this right is more important.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by speed79

I have an independent house with 30 years old building, which I had bought in 2018. It has old mosaic flooring,......

I am planning to improve the interiors so that it would be easier to rent out and would fetch a better rent.

.......................
Location is Bangalore. 1200 sq ft BDA site near OMBR layout.

All improvement ideas are welcome.

If the mosaic floor is not pitted, then do not do anything to it. Just get it polished. (Granite polish used for marble floors is the best option), especially if you are going to demolish the house at a later stage. . You will be surprised at the result.

Have you calculated the ROI of the improvement. In my opinion if you spend 3L on home improvement, the rent increase should be at least 10K per month. Any thing less does not make sense, as you are going to rebuild the house anyway.

[d.w.w.]

Originally Posted by null

Anyone here who has got a metal sheet roofing done for their house? what are the pros & cons after it's installation? (in Bangalore, if that matters)

We have metal roofing done at our house in Kerala, it helps to reduce the heat on the top floor by a huge margin. (I was living in the top floor of an apartment in Chennai, so I know how it heats up during day). Also it helps to reduce the cracking of exterior walls. You could use the terrace for drying clothes and never bother about rains, or use terrace for storage.

The biggest con we had was, as you mentioned birds. When we built the roof, we made sure it was plain and simple to avoid places where pigeons can nest. It worked, but it never stopped the pigeons/crows from making our terrace their resting place/toilet. We had bird droppings all over, on the overhead water tank too and needed regular cleaning. Finally bought some plastic/nylon nets and fenced the entire terrace and now the terrace is free of birds. No idea how long the net is going to last, have to wait and see.

[speed79]

Originally Posted by null

Hello, We want to go for a metal roof sheet covering on our roof. Main reason to go for it is to cover the roof area (from rain & sun - cooler lower floor). Also, would like to utilize the roofed terrace area now & then. I don't want an expensive solution (involving multi layers tiles etc), OK with the noise created during rains.

My concern is mainly the heat under the roof because of continuous sunshine on the metal surface. Planning to go with white colored / coated sheets to reduce heat. Somebody recommended me puff sheets, which potentially costs as much as (read as very expensive) putting a new RCC floor altogether. Another concern are the birds which can make the place their sanctuary. Plastic nets etc. might not be a long term solution.

Anyone here who has got a metal sheet roofing done for their house? what are the pros & cons after it's installation? (in Bangalore, if that matters)

I have following 3 types of roofs:
1. Metal roofing sheet for my car parking.
2. Metal-puff sheets for classroom for my wife.
3. Transparent PVC sheets similar to metal roofing sheets.

You do not need puff sheets at all, as metal sheets are good enough to cool the place and puff sheets cost almost same as concrete. My cars never get even warm under the metal roof.

The transparent sheets will cut off your roof heating by about 50% as these are not 100% transparent, but will still be good to dry your clothes well under it without fear of rain. It being Bangalore, i would recommend that your roof gets heated a bit as heat acts as a cleaning agent inhibiting mold growth. One downside of covering your roof is that the roof does not get washed when it rains, and you would need to wash it once in few months to keep it clean.

There is one more solution which is far cheaper than the metal/PVC roofs. You can paint your roof with damp-proof in white color. It is claimed to bring down the temperature of the house down by several degrees. https://www.asianpaints.com/products...amp-proof.html Its downside is that when sun is shining, you cannot open your eyes as the reflection from the white roof hurts the eyes, and you would need sunglasses to go on your terrace. I had first colored my terrace with white damp-proof, but later I had to mix black color pigment in next coat to make it grey colored.