Is it normal for adhesive to take time to go off when using it on new render?

I have tiled onto a newly rendered wall - wall was rendered using a product called limelite renovating plaster, a mix of sand/cement with some lime in there. It's not a plaster in the sense that bonding coat etc is, it's advertised as a product similar to sand/cement/lime mixture, which it appears to be.

Previously, when tiling straight onto render the results have been fantastic. Our bathrom tiles are done with that and they've been up there 5 years. In addition the same approach was taken with 2 of our let properties.

It seems to be that the tubbed addy (6x6 tiles) is taking longer to dry. Today I had to replace a tile that I put up a couple of days ago (damaged by mistake). The adhesive is Weber fix (yellow tubs) from CTD. I noticed that the adhesive was still slightly plyable.

I suspect I haven't let the wall dry out long enough, and the adhesive will take a few more days to dry. I'm grouting on Monday now, so we'll see then.

How long has it been rendered..?

Only a few days Dave, Previously I've left it for a week or so

I would have left it a couple of weeks if its about 3 quater inch thick

OK thanks for that.

What is the situation now? Am I just going to have to wait longer for it to dry? We've got the heating in the bathroom on.

With the benefit of hindsight I would have insisted on studwork and aquapanel.

If the webber adhesive is class B adhesive, means that the water comming out of the render will break down the properties of the adhesive, should have used
powder ady, (AA)
they are only 6 inch tiles you could leave it to dry out for another week or so, dont grout it up though till then

Thanks Darren

This is the situation in full.

About 50% of the area where the tiles are was not re rendered as the substrate in these areas was sound and didn't need replacing. The rest (crumbly plaster) was taken back to the wall and done again.

I really wanted to get the job finished on Monday, by then the rendered areas will be a week old. Would this be too quick to complete it?

Because the bath and some panelling cover the botton 18" of the wall, bath panel is off at the moment, I can tell you that the rendering looks dry in these areas..

Next time, as you say, use bagged adhesive or use aquapanel.

I'm fast going off tubbed adhesive - I note that a lot of tilers don't use it full stop.

If you have the heating on a week will do, go ahead and grout
tub adhesives are only really good for flat walls and ceramic tiles, any packing out to do then the tub gear wont dry, cement is the best way to go, faster drying, quicker grouting times and more depth to it
Hope this helps
Darren

Limelite should have a finish applied, it's not a render finish. It's in the case where a damp injection has taken place similar to dry-coat and renderlite

Thanks Darren

I first thought there may be a problem when some of the tiles were attracting condensation earlier in the week. I asked the householder to put on an electric rad at room temp, coming on and off during the day and night. The condensation disappeared by the next day

I didn't attempt to use the limelite as a render. I really wanted to just have it as a substrate. I keyed it with a trowel thinking it would behave just like a render coat.

I've used it quite a bit in my own house in the way it's supposed to be used, with the finishing plaster.

So have I made a major $%££"$ up

I would'nt say major, british gypsum say there dri-coat can be tiled directly with tiles. Any rendering I have ever done for tilers has never had any lime added, remmember these undercoats are designed to keep water out so give the drying time a bit longer

if your using the cheap yellow tub of weber tubbed gear thats on the cheap at ctd im sorry but its worthless rubbish.i dont personally think it should be sold it should be given away free.the worst adhesive i have ever used.i found when trowiling it on it barely stuck itself to the wall never mind a tile.

I agree with Darren, I never use ready mixed adhesives anymore, you can only build up 3mm with a ready mixed adhesive and drying is a nightmare. I've just used a new product from weber called weber set plus a freebie from there rep its a white powder suitable for porcelain and its only £10 a bag for 20kg at my local stockist, try and get your hands on a free bag its good stuff.

The problem here is not the build up, it's the drying out.

I think I'll be sticking to bagged adhesive for anything other than 6x6 onto plasterboard/hardibacker/completely dry substrate etc in future. Even then I may use bagged adhesive.

I've not yet had terminal problems with tubbed adhesive sticking, but I don't want a first.

i use tubbed adhesives..but i will say it again the cheap weber one is utter nonsense and i can probably guarantee thats why your tiles havent stuck.i had the same problem with it.

I have used this addy before and have had no problems with it. It's not the best on the maket granted but the tiles in question stuck fast.

lol oh well good luck

Thanks, I won't be using it again though, there are better ones on the market, besides, I'll probably be using bagged from now on for most of my tiling.

Admittedly I did buy it because it was on promotion for the last job. I had one full tub left over, which is all but used now. So that'll be chucked. And I won't be buying any more of that one.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Update

Went back today and the adhesive seems to have dried out OK.

I didn't lift a tile but I could see that the adhesive at the edges and between the tiles (gout lines) was hard.

job finished, but I'm looking closely ad bagged addy now