Hi I'm only starting out and a relative has asked me to tile there kitchen walls,
on one wall its covered with 12mm plywood presuming that the walls were uneven when kitchen went in , the tiles they are using are 20x20 plain white, am i right in thinking that I cant put adhesive straight onto the plywood and would be better off putting backerboard or plasterboard onto the plywood first then tiling over this.

Thanks for any help

If it is only a small area then this product is perfect, available in 5kg bags....Gaz
BAL Mosaic-Fix Tile Adhesive
A bright white, non-slip, water and frost-resistant, cementitious wall and floor tile adhesive specially formulated for fixing mosaic tiles including glass mosaics. It is also suitable for fixing ceramic wall and floor tiles, metal or glass tiles, marble, terrazzo, and natural stone in interior and exterior locations. Suitable for use in swimming pools. Can be used on most surfaces including MDF (in internal dry areas).

Thanks Gaz area that has plywood is about 375cm wide x 150cm high with presses half way down and a fan extractor as well, does this need to be primed using BAL flexi adhesive , why use a mosiac adhesive

Mosaic-fix is not just for mosaics, it is an absolutely brilliant powder adhesive, fixes most things to most things.

Bal only recommends priming the rear and sides when tiling onto plywood NOT the surface to be tiled.

Any priming is usually done with a primer like this
BAL Prime APD
A modified acrylic polymer dispersion for use as a primer for a variety of backgrounds/bases prior to fixing ceramic tiles, mosaics and natural stone and prior to the application of levelling compound and the BAL WP1 TANKING SYSTEM. BAL PRIME APD isolates products containing calcium sulphate such as gypsum plaster and anhydrite screeds from cement-based adhesives, thus minimising the risk of reaction between the two materials.

Also suitable for use on cement:sand rendering, blockwork, plasterboard, cement:sand screeds and timber. It also provides surface strength to friable surfaces and reduces the porosity of porous backgrounds/bases, thus preventing the formation of air bubbles and prolonging the flow time with levelling compounds and extending the open time of tile adhesives. The primer is blue in colour to help ensure that a complete and even coating is obtained.

You could also use BAL white star and then you can use it for all the splash back tiling and cheaper too...........

Originally Posted by goodenough

Thanks Gaz area that has plywood is about 375cm wide x 150cm high with presses half way down and a fan extractor as well, does this need to be primed using BAL flexi adhesive , why use a mosiac adhesive

I think you mean primer, if so, you don't need to prime if using mosaic fix and Grumpy is right Mosaic -fix is one of the best highly polymer modified adhesives known to man.....Gaz

Robbo what your saying if i'm reading this right is that the plywood isnt primed but the actual tiles them selfs, would it not do any harm to prime the plywood

You don't need to prime anything bud.....

Just go straight ahead with the fixing with mosaic fix
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Originally Posted by robbo

Bal only recommends priming the rear and sides when tiling onto plywood NOT the surface to be tiled.

Any priming is usually done with a primer like this
BAL Prime APD
A modified acrylic polymer dispersion for use as a primer for a variety of backgrounds/bases prior to fixing ceramic tiles, mosaics and natural stone and prior to the application of levelling compound and the BAL WP1 TANKING SYSTEM. BAL PRIME APD isolates products containing calcium sulphate such as gypsum plaster and anhydrite screeds from cement-based adhesives, thus minimising the risk of reaction between the two materials.

Also suitable for use on cement:sand rendering, blockwork, plasterboard, cement:sand screeds and timber. It also provides surface strength to friable surfaces and reduces the porosity of porous backgrounds/bases, thus preventing the formation of air bubbles and prolonging the flow time with levelling compounds and extending the open time of tile adhesives. The primer is blue in colour to help ensure that a complete and even coating is obtained.

Yeh sorry just read my post back...
When tiling on to plywood Bal only recommends priming the rear and sides of the plywood NOT the surface to be tiled.



But as Gaz says you Don't need to prime..

Thanks for the replys i'll let ye know how i got on Thanks again

Originally Posted by Dave

You could also use BAL white star and then you can use it for all the splash back tiling and cheaper too...........

Spot on, perfectly ok no priming required either