Slater
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 11:41 AM |
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tiling advice
I am re-tiling our bathroom. I have knocked of the old tiles and am left with the old adhesive in ridges about 1-2mm proud. Now, can I tile directly
on top of this rough surface or should I try to make it smooth by removing the ridges (time consuming and very messy) or putting a thin skim of
plaster on to fill in the gaps???
The new tiles are tumbled travertine mosaic 50mm square, but come in 300mm square sheets.
Any advice welcome....
[Edited on 24/3/09 by Slater]
Why do they call Port Harcourt "The Garden City"?...... Becauase they can't spell Stramash.
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 11:53 AM |
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are you using a "comb" style spreader?if so and the ridges fit into the groves in the comb then i cant see a problem,thats how i did mine
many years ago and they are still up.
ps you know about the baton and spirit level? 
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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mookaloid
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 11:56 AM |
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like with most things, if you start with a good base the finished item should be good.
It's much harder to get all the tiles flat if you start with a rough surface.
also depends on your tiling technique, If you are the kind of person who puts the adhesive on the back of each tile before sticking it to the wall it
won't matter so much but if you use the proper toothed spreader over a larger area to quickly cover the area then the flat surface will be much
better.
Which method you use to get the flat surface is a matter of choice and whether the existing wall is sound.
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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nick205
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:02 PM |
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By the sound of it you're new tiles are held in 300mm squares with a mat bonded to the back of the smaller pieces?
If so thena flat surface will be a lot easier to work from and achieve a good smooth/level finish. A light skim of plaster would be the
quickest/easiest route I think.
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Peteff
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:04 PM |
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You could have tiled over the old ones quite easily, but best to level up the surface and PVA it before you tile again. I just skim with thistle then
PVA when it dries and tile. You use lots of adhesive if you don't fill the grooves in.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:14 PM |
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Ive tried a few ways in the past. By far the best result is on a flat wall. Your tiles probs werent cheap, they are worth a bit of skim first if you
cant get the old adhesive fully off.
Why not get the sander out You can do snowman / ghost impressions while your missus kicks you through every room in the house (due to the dust - not
cos tiling adhesive dust is a pheremone)
You might get away with it if it is truly 1 - 2mm proud and even across the whole wall, but those tiles do really need a good base.
I put small tumbled quartz tiles in a kitchen a while back, and also some natural slate down on a floor. i so wish i sealed them BEFORE grouting. Are
yours pre-sealed? Big problem with these 2 sets was that they were all random thicknesses. I hope yours are uniform (should be if they are on a net
backing).
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Slater
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:20 PM |
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Yes, I will skim it to make it flatter, I have a big bag of joint filler in the garage, so will use that, then PVA to seal it.
Darren
I have been advised to lay the tiles, then grout, then seal them. Apparently if you seal them before grouting then the grout can't penetrate the
stone and will fall out.
Thanks
Why do they call Port Harcourt "The Garden City"?...... Becauase they can't spell Stramash.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:26 PM |
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i think it depends on the type of tiles ref grouting / sealing methods. As you know - best to go with advice given by supplier.
The slate floor tiles were an utter nightmare to grout. Proper pain to wipe off. Then i read the instructions Doh! There were 2 different sealers i
had to use though. Cant remember the names but one of them was before grout, other for after grouting and then once a year. (From Fired Earth).
I bet yours will look amazing once they are done. What are you using these Browny points for? Can you trade them in for a trackday pass out or trip to
Mac#1 summers party at Newark (assuming there will be one).
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Hellfire
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:29 PM |
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Bear in mind that natural stone tiles are heavy and make sure that the wall can take the weight.
Phil
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James
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 12:38 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
i think it depends on the type of tiles ref grouting / sealing methods. As you know - best to go with advice given by supplier.
The slate floor tiles were an utter nightmare to grout. Proper pain to wipe off. Then i read the instructions Doh! There were 2 different sealers i
had to use though. Cant remember the names but one of them was before grout, other for after grouting and then once a year. (From Fired
Earth).
Cr@p! Maybe that's why my 'half-polished' dark grey tiles have been such a nightmare. There were no 'instructions' as
such.
The grouting was a pain and I couldn't get it all off which hasn't helped the look. And any water on there (we're in a really hard
water area) leaves really bad marks.
I've been thinking of digging them all up and re-tiling!
Cheers,
James
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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iank
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 01:11 PM |
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The tiler that did our bathrooms used a steam cleaner to get the old adhesive off, worked well and a lot less mess than sanding.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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Hadders
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 05:40 PM |
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Iank is spot on. I always use a steam cleaner. Let it soak for a few seconds then scrape off (easily). Left with a nice flat wall.
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Slater
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| posted on 8/4/09 at 03:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by theconrodkid
are you using a "comb" style spreader?if so and the ridges fit into the groves in the comb then i cant see a problem,thats how i did mine
many years ago and they are still up.
ps you know about the baton and spirit level?
just a tester to see if I can do the quote thingy
Why do they call Port Harcourt "The Garden City"?...... Becauase they can't spell Stramash.
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richard thomas
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| posted on 8/4/09 at 06:56 PM |
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If they are real stone 'travertine' and not imitations,then you will need to seal them before you grout then seal them again after - or
that's what my supplier told me. Seemed to work anyway...
Be careful when you try to adjust them when they are on wet - travertine tiles are not as rigid as porcelain etc. and are quite easy to break...not
cheap!!
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bigfoot4616
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| posted on 8/4/09 at 09:06 PM |
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another vote for the steamer to remove old adhesive.
get the wall as flat as possible first, makes things much easier.
check the weight per square meter of the tiles. 20kg is the max for a plastered wall including the adhesive. large travertine tiles usually are
heavier than that but you should be ok with the mosaics.
i would use bal mosaic-fix for the adhesive and a 3mm notched trowel
as for sealing check with the supplier.
don't prime the walls with pva, get a proper primer
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