Help!!!! Tiles falling off wall!

[Lily Swizzle]

Hi Guys

I'm new to this forum so hope someone here has the knowledge to tell me what I'm doing wrong!

Started tiling around the bath a few days ago. All seemed to be going well till a couple of tiles fell off the wall in the middle of the night - didn't half give me a fright. I've used Unibond Tile Adhesive & Grout with anti-mould; and ceramic brick shaped tiles. House is over 100 years old and I'm tiling onto a wall with a few layers of paint on. (Did the kitchen a few years ago and had no problems at all - put adhesive onto tile rather than wall). Anyway, I've now had about 20 tiles fall off - the adhesive is on the back of the tiles and still a bit powdery..... think this could mean that it's the wall I have a problem with... should I have painted it with something? I've attached some piccies...... All help greatfully appreciated as I don't like to be defeated!! Thanks.
Fallen tiles

My poor wall.....

I've still got to do behind the sink....

 

[doug boardley]

it's the paint Lily, you should've removed it first. Us pro tilers never use the tubbed adhesive/grout stuff either.

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Thanks for your advice Doug, I'll start again... will try another sort of adhesive & grout stuff too - I presume the mix it up yourself stuff is what you experts use is it? Hopefully I'll have learned something by the end of this nightmare!!

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

As Doug above, that particular adhesive is rubbish, as Doug says remove the paint, prime the wall with SBR, use a cement based adhesive, (not ready mixed)

 

[chrisprendy]

spot on phil,you should be able to save most of the tiles by scrapping of the addy SOONER THE BETTER ,not a nice job but easy enough with a bit of sweat.good luck

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Thanks Phil...I'm on the case!!

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Thanks Chris - Have started removing the rest of the tiles already before I lose anymore in the bath.... trusty scraper is out too.... will have to do some sort of a 'map' so I can see where the cut ones go when I'm fixing them on again...... so much to do!!

 

[AJPlumbing]

Good luck Lily. I think you've got an admirable attitude, I like your style when faced with a set-back.Also, your tiling looked really, really good, and they are a classy choice of tile, so when it's re-done with paint removed, wall primed, and better adhesive, I'm sure it will look superb and last for many, many years. Best of luck!

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Thanks for your encouragement! Just stopped for a cuppa and a 'surf' for suitable reasonably priced tile adhesive....not had my tea yet as I burnt it to a cinder.... oh dear..... am getting carried away with all this DIY malarkey and all you lovely people out there helping me!

 

[White Room]

Hi and welcome Lily....

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

:welcome: to the forum lilly don't be a stranger ,we love pictures ,so if you get the chance post afew as you re--do the job

 

[doug boardley]

Thanks for your encouragement! Just stopped for a cuppa and a 'surf' for suitable reasonably priced tile adhesive....not had my tea yet as I burnt it to a cinder.... oh dear..... am getting carried away with all this DIY malarkey and all you lovely people out there helping me!

just go down to your local tile shop Lily, I wouldn't bother getting any adhesive and grout off the internet.

 

[Ian]

Welcome along to Tf


Sent via Tapatalk for iPhone

 

[Del W]

Welcome to TF. Cant add to all the good advice given.

Yes I can. Tell your friends. Prep work is the key. Good luck.

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Here's the latest update - I'm knackered. Have nearly got all the tiles off the length of the bath side - scraping the grout off as I go. Here's some pics.... will hopefully finish that wall tonight and do the other one tomorrow. Don't suppose you guys know where I can get 4 pluggy things to plug the holes in the bath where I took the bath handles off do you? Just thought I'd ask if you had any ideas....... the people in B&Q gave me a strange look when I asked - think they thought I was an idiot.....Thanks for all your support - you've all been lovely x


At least the marble I got out of a skip didn't smash!!

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Hello, I'm back again. Have an afternoon/evening full of adhesive removal from backs of tiles planned. Have got trusty sander out to sand the walls too after I've scraped some of the paint off. Was thinking ahead and just wondered which adhesive I should go for: Mapei Buildfix Rapid Set Wall Tile Adhesive? Or Mapei Buildfix Single Part Super Flexible Adhesive? Any pros and cons of either? (apart from one is more expensive than the other...)? Am going to get the Mapei Buildfix Plaster Primer to prime the walls first after all the paint is off..... hope this is the right thing to do...... Thanks lovely peeps, it's nice to have some knowledgeable bods to speak to....

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

Hi Lily ,if i was you i would go for the Mapei Buildfix Single Part Super Flexible Adhesive,as the fast set might give you a few problems keeping -up with the setting time, looks and sounds like you are having great-fun
keep up the good work and we are loving the pictures :hurray:

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Thanks for the advice! Don't know what I'd do without you guys..... would be in even more of a pickle than I am already!!

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Can I ask what you are using as spacers there?

 

[Lily Swizzle]

The spacers I'm using aren't the usual cross shaped ones... they're like little tiny plastic tubes about 3cms long and 2mm wide - got them off my bro in law who'd had them for ages and didn't like them.....remind me of those sugar pink panther cigarette sweets they used to sell when I was a kid.....you can't eat them though..... or smoke them, but you can blow through them - don't know if that's an advantage or not... I'm rambling now - must be the tile adhesive......

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Thought they looked like cotton buds or straws

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Hahahaha... somehow I don't think cotton buds or straws would work.... it would give all you pro tilers a laugh though......

 

[White Room]

You could try to soak your tiles in water to see if the adhesive on the back softens up...

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Do you know whitebeam, that's exactly what I've been doing for the last few hours!! Got a wirey dishwasher thing and a scrubbing brush, (can't find the wire brush - I'm sure I had one once...) and am in the kitchen sink - (tried it in the bathroom sink initially till it started to come away from the wall - that's another problem though - discovered the whole sink was stuck on with silicone stuff when I took the tiles off - no screws! It's balanced jauntily on the pedestal now till I can get long enough plugs and screws to screw it into the wall!) I've still got about 20 tiles to go..... and the ones still on the wall at the bottom of the bath! Good job I'm home tomorrow - can spend all day at it!

 

[White Room]

Good luck:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Lily Swizzle]

Hello again. All the tiles are now off the wall and I've cleaned the adhesive from the backs - took ages but I'm glad it's done.


I've started removing the paint from the walls. Managed to get most of the blue off with a sander - then I hit some green paint which is proving a right pain to remove - doesn't seem to want to sand off so have resorted to using a wallpaper scraper and it's coming off in fingernail sized pieces. Anyone got any better ideas? At this rate I'll be at it all week!!!





Hope you're still enjoying the pictures and I'm not proving to be too much of a pest!!

 

[Gazzer]

What grit sanding paper are you using. I find a rotary sander more aggressive but you dont want to damage the walls.

 

[Lily Swizzle]

I've got a Black & Decker iron shaped sander with quite harsh red coloured sanding sheets with P40 on the back - don't know if this is the grade or not. They've done a great job at one end of the wall - removed 2 layers of paint to reveal the plaster underneath no problem, it's just the bits painted with 2 layers of green paint which are proving a pain. (And that's most of the wall!) So I've had more joy with a scraper for that - different coloured plastery wall underneath too.

 

[Gazzer]

Well thats pretty coarse grade .

 

[Lily Swizzle]

I guess I'll persevere with the scraper for now then. May give the sander another go later - doesn't half get dusty though - my hair's gone white.....