Hi everyone,

I did a short college course last year, which if i'm honest wasn't the best, however i learnt sufficiently to set out etc.... But there wasn't much info. on background surfaces or substrates as you guys/gals probably call it. Or the types of adhesive to use on different backgrounds.
Therefore i've come on here to ask you guys, as this is the most informative forum going imo., and the people on here seem friendly & helpful.
Anyway, i've not had any work since doing this course, due to the economic slowdown, but in the next 2 weeks i'm going to do my own dining room floor & part of a bathroom, (2 walls), just to 'get my hand in'.
The dining room floor is 8m2 and has a concrete floor, can someone recommend what adhesive to use, think rapid set is par for the course?? and what grout, maybe microban anti-bacterial? Also what size bags for both the addy & grout will i need for the size of the room.
The bathroom walls - 1 has a plastered background on, i presume, a brick wall & is painted with emulsion & is 2.5m2 in size. The other is a plasterboard wall, again painted with emulsion & has a shower unit fixed in the middle of it, which i'll have to tile around & is only just less than 1m2 in size. My questions are - will i have to prime or tank both or one of these walls, or do i have to seal the tiles, and is sealing done after the tiling, i know very little about this? Also, again, what type and size of adhesive & grout will i need for these walls.
Finally, i will take the shower holder off the wall and tile over the old holes. Is it possible to use a normal drill bit to drill holes through the new tiles, to re-fix the shower holder?
Any help from you good people will be much appreciated.

Ste

Wow i thought i was going to bed in an hour! Lets start with one room at a time Ste and tell us what tiles you intend to use in each.
John

Sorry i was offline, i was thinking either 8" x 8" or 10" x10" floor tiles & definately 6" x 6" for the walls, both ceramic.

theres a few things here you must do
1-remove the paint this will help with adhesion
2-tank the shower area,this should be mandatory but people are still tring to tile without doing it
3-get the right drilling pieces for your holes,the ceramic ones aren't to dear,but the porcelan ones might cost a bit more!
4-the floor you can grot with any wide joint grout,no need for microban unless your doing it white/ivory which i would suggest you stayed clear off(it will never stay as good as you want it)
all the best with your bathroom!

Just for starters grey rapid set will be ok for ceramic tiles onto concrete 2 x 20kg will be ample, you will have a lot left over but it always comes in. I like Mapei grout at the moment, go to a stockist and decide on your colours. painted brick wall will have to be sorted, can you either plaster or dot and dab a sheet of plasterboard onto it, probably have to get rid of the paint,
Don't believe in tiling round showers, always take them off and tile behind
these drills are great for drilling ceramic WALL tiles TradeTiler.Ltd Arrow Head Drills
hope this will do for now, where are you based and what tile stockists are near by

thanks for the info. david. Just one thing, i thought you could get grey microban grout, my Mum has it in her porch?

Thanks faithealer for the advice. I'm based in LINCOLNSHIRE and there's a Topps in my town

Originally Posted by SH66

thanks for the info. david. Just one thing, i thought you could get grey microban grout, my Mum has it in her porch?

wouldn't go to the hassle and expense,microban is mould resistant,mould discolours lighter coloured grouts,and generally occurs when there is a lot of damp air or moisture in a room,as you say it's for a dining room!

Again David, once again thanks to you & anyone else for the advice.

Ste