Help Me Tiling the ceiling in a shower - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

crippo2 · 06-07-2008

I want to fully tile my new shower, including the ceiling. I have Marble tiles, 406mm square and 15mm thick. The shower structure is timber frame, covered with Aquapanel, screwed at recommended distances. the roof to the shower is similarly covered and is fully capable of supporting the weight of all the 12 tiles I would need to install.

I have spoken to both the BAL technical help line and to the tile supplier. For obvious reasons (legal) neither is willing to recommend tiling a shower ceiling, unless the tiles are mechanically locked (presumably by screwing?) to the structure above them.

However I have seen tiled shower ceilings as well as large slabs of ornamental Marble apparantly suspended from structure without mechanical support.

any thoughts/hints/tips? on methods and materials - presumably an industrial strength adhesive is a good starting point?

thanks in advance

deanotile · 06-07-2008

If you do what you are thinking of doing you are taking you life and the lives of your family in your own hands. There is a good reason why the people you have spoken to will not recommend tiling a shower ceiling and that is because it is unsafe.

**whitebeam** · 06-07-2008

Got agree with deanotile, Would not take the chance, I have seen heavy finishes on ceilings and all have heavy duty metal framework and are well fixed

**grumpygrouter** · 06-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by crippo2

I want to fully tile my new shower, including the ceiling. I have Marble tiles, 406mm square and 15mm thick. The shower structure is timber frame, covered with Aquapanel, screwed at recommended distances. the roof to the shower is similarly covered and is fully capable of supporting the weight of all the 12 tiles I would need to install.

I have spoken to both the BAL technical help line and to the tile supplier. For obvious reasons (legal) neither is willing to recommend tiling a shower ceiling, unless the tiles are mechanically locked (presumably by screwing?) to the structure above them.

However I have seen tiled shower ceilings as well as large slabs of ornamental Marble apparantly suspended from structure without mechanical support.

any thoughts/hints/tips? on methods and materials - presumably an industrial strength adhesive is a good starting point?

thanks in advance

APPARANTLY may well be the operative word. You may well find they were mechanically fixed but you couldn't see the fixing.

**365drills** · 06-07-2008

Whats wrong with a bit of plaster-board and white paint?

I stuck an extract fan in mine.

faithhealer · 06-07-2008

Sorry Crippo but even my wife laughed a that one. Not a laughing matter though!
If you don't want a plasterdoard ceiling there are hundreds of marble effect PVC cladding out there. Don't put your family at risk mate.

**Varley** · 06-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithhealer

Sorry Crippo but even my wife laughed a that one. Not a laughing matter though!
If you don't want a plasterdoard ceiling there are hundreds of marble effect PVC cladding out there. Don't put your family at risk mate.

That would be my best solution to the problem.

**365drills** · 07-07-2008

This is my ceiling.... With a spotlight and extract fan. I believe the ceiling should not be the focus of any attention.

Also plasterboard is a doddle to fit and skim, plus its easy to cut holes in for putting in the lighting and fans.

If I were ever to do anything fancy with the ceiling it would be to have them strobe lights that make it look like stars at night.

But not tiles on a celing... Mind you if you fancy a chuckle there is a post about putting a mirror on a ceiling after someone saw it on film Basic Instinct. Thread has a lot of the same fixing advice as for tiles but with some obvious inuendo.

**Fekin** · 07-07-2008

If I had fitted the 15mm Marble tiles to my bathroom ceiling just by adhesive, I would be wondering wether this was going to be my final visit everytime because if one of those fell away and hit you on the head, odds on I'd be dead, or in a very serious way

**wetdec** · 07-07-2008

No amount of adhesive is going to hold that weight 100% the down force is too great. If you have seen marble etc then it will be a cladding and mechanicaly fixed from behind.

How big is the ceiling area in this shower ??

tiler

..

**365drills** · 07-07-2008

I have seen tiled ceiling but to be honest.

Not great! Its too clinical.

Reminds me of a hospital morgue (thats my opinion ! )

**MICK the Tiler** · 07-07-2008

Putting thick marble tiles onto a ceiling can be done, but require you to screw plywood onto the ceiling at 100mm centres then this is covered in hardie backer glued and screwed NOT PLASTERBOARD. The heavier the tile then they will need some sort of fail safe safety wire epoxied to the back of the marble this wire in turn needs to be drilled up through the ceiling sheets then fixed with screws from the top or inside the ceiling. This type of work is very specialized and SHOULD NOT be attempted by someone who has little or no experience in this type of work.

If you feel you would like a tiled ceiling why not do it in mosaics tiled onto hardie backer NOT PLASTERBOARD? Less weight equals less risk.