Hi everyone I am a newbie - have introduced myself in the Newbie thread..... about to tile my bathroom, never done it before so I am looking at it as a challenge!!

I have had new plasterboard walls and ceiling, will I first have to pava walls? I have read conflicting views, some say yes some say no?

Thanks guys

Sorry PVA not Pava

definitely not PVA popeye. You can prime your boards with an acrylic primer tho' such as a diluted sbr

pva

P.V.A. Versus Primers

read this to understand why p.v.a is such a no go area mate

Thanks - what is sbn? Or could I just skip the primer and tile straight onto the walls?

what adhesive are you using popeye?

this is sbr

Ahh.... SBR Bond, I have bought cerafix non-slip tile adhesive

Interesting link David - Thanks

most tubbed adhesive doesn't need priming but check the tub anyway

Hi I have just read the instructions and it reads: Prime porous surfaces with 1 part unibond PVA diluted with 5 parts water and allow to dry. Seal with solvent based primer.

Originally Posted by popeye

Hi I have just read the instructions and it reads: Prime porous surfaces with 1 part unibond PVA diluted with 5 parts water and allow to dry. Seal with solvent based primer.

DO NOT put PVA on the board, erase the word from your mind as far as tiling is concerned, shame on the addy manufacturer for suggesting this should be done.

Very strange for a manufacturer to advocate the use of a PVA primer indeed a primer at all with a ready mixed adhesive. PVA is water sensitive and will reconstitute as the water contained within the adhesive hits it. This can also affect bond development at the adhesive/substrate interface leading to the formation of a much weaker bond than should be the case.

Normally when tiling with ready mixed adhesives its a good idea NOT to prime. Most decent ready mixed contain water retaining agents to control suction on porous surfaces so if you prime the drying time of the adhesive will be significantly extended because the polymer cannot start the cross linking process until water/moisture is lost from the adhesive. Where primimg is required i.e. particularly dusty plaster use a dilute acrylic or styrene butadiene rubber (sbr)

do you feel confident doing the tiling if not dont waste your tiles get a pro to do the job

yeah i was using unibond grout the other week(customer bought it not me) and thought i would give the instructions a once over since i've not used it in a while and stopped reading when i saw those dreaded 3 letters

Thanks for your advice - Dock, great thanks for detailing pros and cons, you have helped put my mind at rest - so I shall now proceed without primer or PVA.

good luck pics please when you done

Originally Posted by deno3

do you feel confident doing the tiling if not dont waste your tiles get a pro to do the job

Or just ask on the forum if you're unsure.

did my bathroom about a year n a half ago, all green plasterboard and its been fine, no priming, just straight onto the board. that was a tub adhesive.

rodgerq

Originally Posted by RodgerQ

did my bathroom about a year n a half ago, all green plasterboard and its been fine, no priming, just straight onto the board. that was a tub adhesive.

rodgerq

Tubbed adhesive is fine without priming on plasterboard as long as the tiles are not too big. Green plasterboard is water resistant and whilst it may be fine it is like untanked PB not a long term solution it will get wet it will degrade and it should in an ideal world still be tanked round showers baths etc.