tiling onto an emulsion painted wall?? - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

Boosha · 25-09-2008

i have this job coming up next week. the walls have been painted with a couple of coats of emulsion, the walls are above a bath. what should i do to prepare them. tiles are 300x450.

cheers.

**grumpygrouter** · 25-09-2008

The emulsion paint should "mechanically removed" to do the job correctly Boosha.

I have deleted the duplicate post in the other thread boosha.

Boosha · 25-09-2008

thanks for that grumpy, i was advised elsewhere that as it was emulsion it would be ok as long as i apd'd it before hand.

I know there is a big hoo har as to whether tiles will hold but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I'll tell the bloke to get on with a belt sander then !

**grumpygrouter** · 25-09-2008

If it is emulsion Boosha, all you need to do to prove it is not a good surface is get a wet cloth and rub it reasonably hard. The paint will come off! It is a bit like the old PVA situation, tile over the top but if moisture gets through it reactivates the paint. you will also find if you tile on top of it and then after 15 mins or so remove a tile, the paint will come with it leaving a nice clean bit of plaster/board, what ever is underneath.

I think I read in another post somewhere that skimming with adhesive and removing after 15 mins does a great job of lifting the paint!

Boosha · 25-09-2008

thanks for that grumpy, its only 10m2 so I will leave it up to the bloke to decide how he wants to remove it.

Taz8130 · 28-09-2008

Hi Boosha

I've just finished a bathroom where it had been painted with emulsion. decided best option was to remove it before tiling.

Didn't try applying cheap adhesive for a few minutes, although I also have read on here that it works.

Method I opted for was to pick up a 1.5" paint scraper (not wallpaper scraper) from B&Q. Found that it came off quite easy, without carving chunks out of plaster underneath. Would recommend that you keep a small file handy while you are working, to keep the edge sharp.