Hi,
As in my intro I have never tiled before and have set myself one major challenge. I am tiling an en-suite with 610x405x12 honed and filled travertine.
I am tiling the floor and the walls in the brick effect pattern. I have looked through the many posts and have tried to assemble all of the information to suit my particular project -concluded below. Any comments/advice against my proposal would be greatly appreciated.

Floor - 4sqm
I currently have 25mm chipboard screwed every 150mm onto T&G floorboards. I understand that the chipboard is not a good base to adhere to so I am planning to replace with 12mm plywood. I am going to use a white thick bed spf adhesive with a 20mm notch trowel and grout with Mapei Colour grout - jasmine, and sealing with HG impregnator before and after grouting.

Questions:
1. Is the ply the right thickness and does it need to be a special type of ply?
2. Is the trowel size about right for fixing to wooden floors?
3. Do I need to prime the plywood? If so what with?
4. Which spf is best for this - was looking at Keraquick or B&Qs Mapei Buildfix?
5. Does the spf need any extra additives?
6. What impregnator/sealer should I use? Was looking at HG Impregnator.

Walls - 16sqm
The two largest walls are solid block with 25mm render and then skimmed but have been painted with emulsion. The shower will fit in the corner of these walls and will have its own pre-fabricated tray. The other 2 smaller walls are plasterboard - no skim!
I was planning on either 3mm or 4mm grout lines. I am planning on using a 10mm notch trowel and a white rapid set flexi adhesive and grout with Mapei Colour grout - jasmine, and sealing with HG impregnator before and after grouting.

Questions:
1. Will water get through the sealed tiles?
2. If so do I need to waterproof the shower area? Can I do this with a waterproof adhesive?
3. What is best to prime all walls?
4. From your experience do 3mm or 4mm grout lines look best?
5. Is the trowel size about right?
6. Which spf is best for this - was looking at Keraquick? Does it need any extra additives?
7. Does the emulsion need to come off?
8. What impregnator/sealer should I use? Was looking at HG Impregnator.

Should all of this be a success then I have a kitchen and a bathroom to tile. Should it be a failure I will probably get divorced - ok maybe not but I recognise that I could screw up and travertine ain't cheap. I will be taking my time over this one.

Many thanks in advance

Hi mate
in answer :

Yes re-do floor but with at least 18mm ply screwed down every 150mm
10 MM SQUARE NOTCH will do for floors
One part flexi andhesive will do - try Mapei Keraquick white - no need to prime plywood
HG SEALER is not easy to use because if you over apply it will leave a hard to remove residue, try stone fix or LTP colour enhancing sealer.
walls sound ok, but you would be best off sanding to remove most of the emulsion ( imagine if you stick sellotape to imulsion paint and leave for a few days then pull it off) The paint will come off onto the tape.
New plaster walls need to be primed with a coat of acrylic primer diluted 1:3 whaen using cementious adhesives ( to stop the adhesive reacting with the plaster)
2mm grout lines for trav on walls and floor
Kerraquick white is fine for walls
Again use LTP or stonefix rather than HG
10mm trowel ok for walls
When using mapei grout especially colours make sure you get water to powder ratio correct or risk severe colour difference and efforvescence

hi thedavis i hope youve not started tiling yet?? my advice is to get a pro tiler as this is not an easy job.so good luck. DO NOT tile onto the skimmed walls these tiles are to heavy!!!!!!! you need to seek more advice.if the chipboard floor is down solid you can go over this with an uncoupling membrane this will save u a lot of work. im sure dave will be along soon with more advise my typing is to slow

Have tiled loads of travertine onto skimmed walls - no come backs or problems ever

leatherface the maximum weight for skim is 20kg/m2 ceramic tiles upto 8mmthick(max)or natural stone tiles upto 7mm(max)

Have a glance at this Leatherface Tiles and Adhesive Weight Per Square Metre - THE TILE SOURCE I don't make the rules I just try and follow them

Originally Posted by whitebeam

Have a glance at this Leatherface Tiles and Adhesive Weight Per Square Metre - THE TILE SOURCE I don't make the rules I just try and follow them

I am hearing what you are saying and know the facts
These are recommendations.
Each case is to be taken on it's own merits.
I have not had any comeback or tiles fall off in any of the jobs I have deemed fit for tiling in natural stone.
Nor will I.
Regards

What about British Standards then

floor; 18mm exterior grade ply, (I screw every 150mm,)
I'd use a 10mm solid bed trowel (the notches are semi circular), seal the underside and edges of ply with primer (stops moisture ingress), If using mapei, I'd go for the granifix adhesive rather than keraquick for travertine. I've used HG impregnator lots of times and found no problems with it as long as you wipe the excess off with a lint free cloth after about 10 minutes
walls; can you take the skim off the rendered walls, as previously stated weight ratio issues! a sds hammer chisel will probably do the job, sounds extreme I know but there is every possibility that the job will fail if you try to tile onto skim! Having done this prime with diluted acrylic primer and use a standard set white spf, back skim the trav with white spf,10mm trowel fine, HG impregnator fine!
Good luck
Doug
ps you'll need a wet cutter for trav tiles

Hi
do not wish to get into a silly bickering match
Know the weights etc
I am fully insured and will rectify any problems if they appear.
Every job that is not done to BS does not fail.
Please do not quote British Standards to me unless you are familiar with every clause and subsection in the entire tiling section in the most recent addition. I am sure that many of us do not do everything to fully confirm to British Standards.
I have bills to pay and a family to feed. i will take any work that I know that I can do to a good standard ( My Standard )
I am always busy, never advertise, van not sign written, name not in phone book.
I will continue to do so rather than turn down work - this is not to say that I will do anything just to make a wage.
Each job is assessed on it's own merits.
I will not be replying to any further posts on this matter.
You are well entitled to your own opinion as am I.
Regards

Well i am with everyone else on the subject of weight and especially seeing as they are 12mm thick,but as you say Leatherface you have done it before with no comebacks on you,but even so you are taking a risk mate.On the subject of insurance,read the small print on ya policy,sure it states somewhere on all ploicioes that " any work undertaken that does not comply with BS regulations will warrant the insurance null & void" meaning you could end up with a hefty bill to pay.Anyway as you say you are entitled to your opinion as is everyone else

Jimmy