Unregistered

Had bathroom tiled 2 days ago . Tiler had to replace a decor tile 2 days after completion and when he removed it the tile was covered in cement but the wall was pretty clean. He used cement adhesive and primed walls with acrylic as they were plaster.I did try the tiles for fix pre grouting and they couldn't be budged, absolutely solid on wall. I was just under the impression that after using cement adhesive the wall would come off with the tile on removal.
Thanks
Jack

GazTech

Jack are you sure it was acrylic primer and not PVA ?

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten"

sWe

Faulty application of primer seems most likely in my mind, assuming he did use an acryllic primer. Most acryllic primers require that you dilute them with water, and that you apply atleast two coats, when tiling onto plaster.

If the primer was supposed to be diluted, and it wasn't, the primer might not bond to the plaster, and/or seal the pores of the plaster properly. An insufficient number of coats could result in the pores not being sealed properly.The adhesive might simply have dried out too fast, due to the plaster absorbing too much water too fast, and that could mean a weaker bond to the plaster, such as what you described.

Other things that could've gone wrong... Wrong powder/water proportions on the adhesive, or he could've exceeded the bucket life of the adhesive... That an easy misstake with fast setting adhesives, if that's what he used. Or he could've mixed in more water after the adhesive had started setting, and that's bad, mkay?

If you know what primer he used, read the product instructions and compare those to how he used it. That could bring some clarity.

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Unregistered

definately acrylic mate I checked and it was diluted, again I asked and checked.
He did back butter the tile and not the wall for some reason.Ribbed pattern seen on plaster when removed. He drilled lots of hole in tile and prised off with driver, thats when i checked for wall damage. As I said I realy did try and shift the odd tile before grouting was done to ease my own mind and they were rock solid, could virtually swing on them.

GazTech

Was this fresh plaster ? without sufficient drying time, this could also result in lack of bond.....Gaz

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten"

Unregistered

not fresh plaster. acrylic primer diluted as instructions. tiler back buttered tiles and not wall for some reason. Ribbed shadows visible on plaster after tile removed. But no damage to plaster. Realy did try and budge a few tiles pre grouting as I am paranoid bout this kind of thing and you could virtually swing on them. Is this a case of a weakened bond and should I keep an eye on it?

Thanks

Dave

Also adhesives require time to gain strength as well as a bond......but with cement based after 2 days they shouldn't come away cleanly......i would go with the lads comments......

Dave....

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Fred

At the end of the day, adhesives take more than a few days to cure. It is normal for this to happen. Just put it back with rapid set adhesive, it will be ok.

sWe

It's not normal for it to come away cleanly imo, particularaly not after a couple of days. That the adhesive is still softish after only a couple of days isn't abnormal, but there should be adhesive sticking to the wall when you remove a tile, not just "shadows".

The open/working time of the adhesive must've been exceeded by a wide margin or something, or the adhesive was mixed with too little water. That's pretty much what I can think of.

sWe's compilation of guides to tiling

sWe's materials calculation spreadsheet

Unregistered

would the fact he seems to have buttered the tiles and not the walls have anything to do with the tile taking the majority of the bond strength when taking off? I have phoned him and it really does seem as if he has followed all the procedures. Acrylic primer etc. He even says he used a 100% coverage floor trowel. There must be some bond there as the tiles are unmoveable, should I just keep an eye on it and move on?

Thanks for the help

Jack

pjc

it depends on the tile as well if its not porous and the wall is sealed it can take a few days to dry in some conditions but the adhesive should be put on the walls and not on the tile generally but we all may put on one or two sometimes by back buttering:Pete

bigneil

my opinion for what its worth is,... rapid set adhesive dries in a few hours "chemically" but will take a lot longer to fully cure and dry out, i would expext any tile i stuck on to come off again with out too much swearing if it is done withing a week or so.if the other tiles were strong enough to swing on even if there is a weekness in the chain of adhesion, then you can stop stressing and put your mind at ease, because they are not going to fall off if someone slams the door or drills a hole in one.