Help..Advice please - pics inc. - tiling bathroom walls. - Tile Advice

[vsp89]

Hi all,

Really need some advice on how to tile my bathroom walls. Currently the walls have small 2-3mm thick ceramic tiles that are stuck on very firmly. I've been advised by the tiller that he can tile directly on top of the tiles. Just wondering what the best options are. I've been researching and it looks like the max weight is around 20kg per square meter on plastered walls. Correct? ... I could rip off all the tiles and have the walls skimmed to make the walls flat and smooth but again I've read that tiling over plaster or bonding is not a good idea. What about boarding straight over the tiles with hardibacker with mechanical fixings and tiling over that? ... So confused. Any help guys??

 

[Andy Allen]

What tiles are you planning to use

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Tiles are 108x108mm or 152x152mm Cameo Topaz - somewhere from 1973 -1980. They will have been fixed with a tubbed ready mixed tile adhesive.
Take them all off as they will not take any additional weight and are totally unsuitable to tile on top of.
Remove all loose adhesive and top coat plaster, acrylic prime the walls and mechanically fix and board adhesive fix new boards ( waterproof if you wish). You could have the walls skimmed instead, wait 3 weeks, and use tiles under 22kg/mt inc adhesive.
Oh! - Change your tiler!

 

[vsp89]

What tiles are you planning to use

I was looking at 30x60 ceramic tiles.

 

[vsp89]

Tiles are 108x108mm or 152x152mm Cameo Topaz - somewhere from 1973 -1980. They will have been fixed with a tubbed ready mixed tile adhesive.
Take them all off as they will not take any additional weight and are totally unsuitable to tile on top of.
Remove all loose adhesive and top coat plaster, acrylic prime the walls and mechanically fix and board adhesive fix new boards ( waterproof if you wish). You could have the walls skimmed instead, wait 3 weeks, and use tiles under 22kg/mt inc adhesive.
Oh! - Change your tiler!

3 weeks before tiling. Damn, I've I my got about a week. So your saying remove all tiles then top coat plaster, then board then wait 3 weeks before tiling. Almost all the tiles I've looked will be over 20kg per square meter including adhesive ...

 

[WetSaw]

You only need to wait if you plaster not if you board.

 

[vsp89]

You only need to wait if you plaster not if you board.

Thanks pdc, so bed to remove tiles. Maybe fill out any large holes with bonding and then board straight over followed by tiling. Would it be best to board with hardibacker and csn t be mechanically fixed straight to the wall (all walks are made from block)

 

[White Room]

The backing looks like sand/cement....could you confirm this

 

[vsp89]

The backing looks like sand/cement....could you confirm this

Hi mate, I'm not 100% sure to be honest, sorry. It's quite crumbly when you take a chisel or screw driver to it. If I scrape a chisel across it it will crumble. So not like a solid cement wall I guess ...

 

[White Room]

Hi mate, I'm not 100% sure to be honest, sorry. It's quite crumbly when you take a chisel or screw driver to it. If I scrape a chisel across it it will crumble. So not like a solid cement wall I guess ...

What part of London are you from....

 

[vsp89]

What part of London are you from....

South Croydon

 

[White Room]

South Croydon

Probably a tad to far to pop round, All sand/cements can vary in strength depending on the mix.

What tiles are you going to be fixing to the walls and also is it the whole bathroom....

 

[vsp89]

Probably a tad to far to pop round, All sand/cements can vary in strength depending on the mix.

What tiles are you going to be fixing to the walls and also is it the whole bathroom....

That's unlucky mate. Thanks for the thought though much appreciated. The tiles are 30x60 ceramic 9mm thick. I worked it out at around 21kg per square meter for the tiles alone so I'm a bit worried about whether or not it's safe. What's the best method of fixing tiles to this kind of wall?

 

[vsp89]

That's unlucky mate. Thanks for the thought though much appreciated. The tiles are 30x60 ceramic 9mm thick. I worked it out at around 21kg per square meter for the tiles alone so I'm a bit worried about whether or not it's safe. What's the best method of fixing tiles to this kind of wall?

Oh and yes it's the whole bathroom

 

[White Room]

Personally I've done a tad over weight with ceramic, if the backing is sand/cement I would scrape any loose finish plaster and prime the render and tile on that....definitely wouldn't tile on tile though.