BIG help required. I've recently had my bathroom walls retiled with 300X600mm porcelain tiles. I cleaned all the walls of the old stuff so the prep'g was right and employed a very experienced tiler to do the job.
The walls are straight and level so we're ok there. The job went well but the tiles are a REAL b*gger to work with. He completed most of the work over 2 days and grouted the day after.
1st issue was the ivory grout was darker in places as if it was still damp but was solid hard!
2nd issue was when he came back to finish off, the next day a tile fell off the wall when I was lightly removing a spacer. The adhesive was still damp.
When I checked on here and with him I was shocked to find he'd used normal adhesive not the proper stuff!!
The job's done so don't want to remove the tiles if possible. Any ideas? Need constructive advise please..

Did he use a tubbed Adhesive? If so, a tubbed adhesive needs to be able to dry out. If it is grouted, there is no way the adhesive will ever cure.

On top of that fact, tubbed adhesives just aren't suitable for porcelain. They don't have the neccessary additives to adhere to porcelain.

When you say normal adhesive..please elaborate...


OH and welcome to tilers forums...

You have two issues here...1. porcelain tiles and 2. the size of them. The tiler should have used a cement based (powdered) flexible adhesive for these tiles. Sounds to me like he has used tubbed adhesive and unless you have a porous background there is a good chance the adhesive will never dry!!

Originally Posted by alwig

BIG help required. I've recently had my bathroom walls retiled with 300X600mm porcelain tiles. I cleaned all the walls of the old stuff so the prep'g was right and employed a very experienced tiler to do the job.
The walls are straight and level so we're ok there. The job went well but the tiles are a REAL b*gger to work with. He completed most of the work over 2 days and grouted the day after.
1st issue was the ivory grout was darker in places as if it was still damp but was solid hard!
2nd issue was when he came back to finish off, the next day a tile fell off the wall when I was lightly removing a spacer. The adhesive was still damp.
When I checked on here and with him I was shocked to find he'd used normal adhesive not the proper stuff!!
The job's done so don't want to remove the tiles if possible. Any ideas? Need constructive advise please..

Hi & welcome.

Oooppss!

1. He doesn't sound very experienced to me, wrong adhesive, doesn't do his own prep work etc. etc..
2. Sounds as though you may be experiencing efflorescence or a bad batch of grout (unlikely).
3. Why were you removing the spacers?? Did he use ready mixed adhesive? Don't bother answering, we already know. The adhesive is not suitable for large format tiles or porcelain! .

Unfortunately, I'm sure that all the tiles need to be removed and fixed using the correct adhesive - sorry!

On a positive note, the tiles should all come off very easily and if you find any stubborn adhesive on the back, just soak the tile overnight and you should be able to clean it off with no problems.

Originally Posted by alwig

BIG help required. I've recently had my bathroom walls retiled with 300X600mm porcelain tiles. I cleaned all the walls of the old stuff so the prep'g was right and employed a very experienced tiler to do the job.
The walls are straight and level so we're ok there. The job went well but the tiles are a REAL b*gger to work with. He completed most of the work over 2 days and grouted the day after.
1st issue was the ivory grout was darker in places as if it was still damp but was solid hard!
2nd issue was when he came back to finish off, the next day a tile fell off the wall when I was lightly removing a spacer. The adhesive was still damp.
When I checked on here and with him I was shocked to find he'd used normal adhesive not the proper stuff!!
The job's done so don't want to remove the tiles if possible. Any ideas? Need constructive advise please..

firstly i have to agree with the other answers and that it sounds as if the tiler has used the wrong adhesive.

secondly you say that the tiles are on and you do not want to remove them if possible? yet you say that when you removed a spacer the tile fell off the wall.....consider what you would feel like or do if in say a week or three you or some one else were having a bath/shower and one of these tiles comes away 600 x 300 will not be a light tile, if the tiler knows that the tile came off i suggest that you get him back and redo properly...if he has used tubbed adhesive the good news is that the adhesive can be removed from the tiles and wall easily as it will not have cured yet... sorry for going on but this can be quite serious.
chris.
sorry forgot to say welcome to the forum.

Your grout is patchy ..more than likely from the damp coming from the adhesive that is still wet....this can cause wetting of the grout even though the grout is set...

But i think you have bigger probs than patchy grout..

I'd like to know what adhesive he did use

probably the same one that was used on boro1986's bathroom......sorry to say it but this is becoming an all to common problem....makes me mad that i am sat at home not working and other tilers are making such basic mistakes

Originally Posted by CJ CERAMICS

probably the same one that was used on boro1986's bathroom......sorry to say it but this is becoming an all to common problem....makes me mad that i am sat at home not working and other tilers are making such basic mistakes

You will find that they got the work as the quote is cheap...and he will have used the £5 a tub..............perhaps!

Originally Posted by grumpygrouter

You will find that they got the work as the quote is cheap...and he will have used the £5 a tub..............perhaps!

very probably.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Take them down and get it done right..........before they possibly come down of there on accord

Thanks guys for all the help, you've just confirmed my nightmare. I was hoping for a fix / solution rather than removing them and starting again. Heat gun on the tiles to dry the adhensive!!!!
It would appear the grout is possible holding them together as this is solid. So is it a case of all off and start again?

A 300x600 falling can do a lot of damage to someone.............

Hope you haven't parted with any cash

Originally Posted by alwig

Thanks guys for all the help, you've just confirmed my nightmare. I was hoping for a fix / solution rather than removing them and starting again. Heat gun on the tiles to dry the adhensive!!!!
It would appear the grout is possible holding them together as this is solid. So is it a case of all off and start again?

I fear so.

so what adh did the pro tiler use /////////////

Just to refresh. The guy has been in the trade for 40 years. He's done work for me any many others in the past. Nice guy and qood quotes. I advised of the size of tile and type. Only after he'd nearly completed did he say you're never too old to learn!! Relating to the toughness of the tile!! Seems he'd not layed porcelain before!!
He's used a normal tub of water based adhesive, which I now realise is at fault for the tiles falling off. Well I have to prise them off.
He now doesn't want the job so I've requested the 50% I've paid to date returning. Great!!!
This now leaves me with a near completed tiled / grouted bathroom.
What's the best methods to take them all down? I'll need to remove the grout - pig of a job!! Prise the tiles carefully off - they have since been discontinued and I have 5 spare!! Soaking the tiles will remove the adhesive.. What a total swine of a job!!
Any advise / alternatives? Will the grout hold them on as they slowly dry through the dry lined walls. Should I suck and see and if the do show signs of loosening then take them all off later? HELP HELP HELP HELP!!

If you've resigned yourself to the fact that they have to come off, and they do, once you have a start point ( top of course first ) then they should pop off with a bucket trowel or similar, just take it slowly, one at a time. I would cover any item that can be damaged as more than one tile could come off, cover well with hardboard / ply or whatever is at hand.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by alwig

Just to refresh. The guy has been in the trade for 40 years. He's done work for me any many others in the past. Nice guy and qood quotes. I advised of the size of tile and type. Only after he'd nearly completed did he say you're never too old to learn!! Relating to the toughness of the tile!! Seems he'd not layed porcelain before!!
He's used a normal tub of water based adhesive, which I now realise is at fault for the tiles falling off. Well I have to prise them off.
He now doesn't want the job so I've requested the 50% I've paid to date returning. Great!!!
This now leaves me with a near completed tiled / grouted bathroom.
What's the best methods to take them all down? I'll need to remove the grout - pig of a job!! Prise the tiles carefully off - they have since been discontinued and I have 5 spare!! Soaking the tiles will remove the adhesive.. What a total swine of a job!!
Any advise / alternatives? Will the grout hold them on as they slowly dry through the dry lined walls. Should I suck and see and if the do show signs of loosening then take them all off later? HELP HELP HELP HELP!!

I find that staggering

Do I need to remove the grout to give myself a chance to save the tiles or wiill the tiles be reasonably tough enough to withstand a little prising? Also If I remove the top course and apply a little water down the back will that help to release the adhesive?

Staggered? I was totally p*ssed orf!!

I would use a roof slate ripper to get right behind the tiles.