Professional Travertine Fitter - What should I be looking for?

[spanky]

Hello,

I am new, as you can see, and certainly not a professional tiler. I have been reading lots of posts regarding travertine on here though.

My bathroom is being "renovated", using Travertine tiles on the Walls and Floor. The total area is 40 sqm or so, including a full bath surround.

I can post pictures if you like.

The walls are Brick with mostly old plaster finish, a fair number of places have been repaired by the plasterer. 3 places are plasterboard fitted to battons, the airing cupboard the old chimney breast and the bath surround.

The plaster says he is going to skim the new plasterboard and repair any holes in the current, old plasterwork. He does not intend skimming the old plaster.

The floor is std 22mm Floorboards (Older type) covered with Marine Ply.

The questions I have are:

1. Does the area with the shower need tanking first?

2. Will the walls, airing cupboard, chimney Breast and Bath Surround, bearing in mind the different types, be suitable for the weight of the Travertine, 600mm x 400mm x 12mm, I work it out at 30kg sq/m.

3. When the tiler comes on Wednesday what should he be doing from the point of tiling with Travertine, i.e. Any special procedures - I have the correct sealant which I purchased from the company that supplied the Travertine?

4. What materials should I expect him to use?

I guess it's better to be prepared before hand so I can tell I will get a good job, the bathroom renovation is not cheap.

Thanks for the help,

Tony

[LM Ceramics]

hi tony

make sure the tiler primes the walls with a suitable primer before starting. make sure he has a good flexible adhesive bagged stuff not tubbed adhesive and a flexi grout and he seals tiles before and after grouting

[LM Ceramics]

as for tanking it is adviseable to tank shower areas if the tiler is not supplying the materials i would purchase a tanking shower kit if it is a wet room area

[whitebeam]

Why skim the plasterboard if your going to tile it, The skimmed board can only take 20kg while unskimmed would be max 32kg. Some pictures of the room would be helpful

[grumpygrouter]

Also and really important DO NOT SKIM THE PLASTERBOARD if it is skimmed the safe maximum weight drops to 20kg/m2. Bare plasterboard will take 32kg/m2 so even then you are riding a bit close to the wind if you add on the weight of adhesive and grout!

[spanky]

What about the brickwalls with old Browning / plaster, I have been checking myself, knocking the wall and some of it is definately blown, not loads, but some.?

What is the lateral weight limit for them?

I will take some photo's now.

Thanks

[spanky]

Pictures:

[whitebeam]

You dont want to be tiling over browning, Your still looking at 20kg max on plastered walls

[spanky]

So you're saying when the Plaster returns on Monday I should tell him to plasterboard the walls too, but don't skim them? What method should he be using to fix the plasterboards & should I get him to remove the old plasterwork first?

[whitebeam]

I know what I would be doing, Ripping the old plaster off and dry linning IMO Dot and dab with 12.5mm square edge plasterboard

[Dave]

I would do as whitbeam say's.......remove old paster and dry line ( dot & dab) the whole room out.....much better job and stronger walls to tile to.......

As for the floor then it needs over boarding ...those boards are not in a good enough condition to tile too......

[spanky]

In walking round the room as it is I cannot see any big deal in doing that, I am pretty sure the plasterer ain't gonna be happy? Would he expect it too be off for him?

The job is being done by a local firm, they've been around for years and were recommended to me, funniliy enough their quote was in the middle of 3 we had done.

We did say it was Travertine, 30kg sq/m etc, I assumed they would know, but perhaps they do not.

It is a fixed price job, I am going to get my wife to ring them now if she can.

[spanky]

The floor has a big pile of Marine ply waiting to be put down, it's in my garage, 10mm I would guess I have not measured it. The follr is pretty solid though, no movement of any note, some of the floorboards also require screwing down too.

[Dave]

I use an isolation membrane on timber floors with travertine , this stops any lateral stress causing cracks in the stone and it is cheap enough to buy and will make sure you have a long lasting floor......

I use Ditra but you can also get an alternative called durabase.......this goes on top of the marine ply and is only 3mm thick...

[Droopy]

In walking round the room as it is I cannot see any big deal in doing that, I am pretty sure the plasterer ain't gonna be happy? Would he expect it too be off for him?

The job is being done by a local firm, they've been around for years and were recommended to me, funniliy enough their quote was in the middle of 3 we had done.

We did say it was Travertine, 30kg sq/m etc, I assumed they would know, but perhaps they do not.

It is a fixed price job, I am going to get my wife to ring them now if she can.

You're right to ring them first and ask about the removal and tell them about the dry lining.
You don't want them disappearing on Monday for more materials, and forgetting to show up again


Is that just wooden surrounds at your window?
If so I would take them and the sill off too. You'll get a much nicer finish with them away.

[Dave]

this is ditra ...

[whitebeam]

In walking round the room as it is I cannot see any big deal in doing that, I am pretty sure the plasterer ain't gonna be happy? Would he expect it too be off for him?

The job is being done by a local firm, they've been around for years and were recommended to me, funniliy enough their quote was in the middle of 3 we had done.

We did say it was Travertine, 30kg sq/m etc, I assumed they would know, but perhaps they do not.

It is a fixed price job, I am going to get my wife to ring them now if she can.

If I had seen the walls I would advised you the same for that weight of tile, But it's your choice at the end of the day. Oh, just one other thing I have been plastering for 27 years and thats where my advise comes from

[grumpygrouter]

You dont want to be tiling over browning, Your still looking at 20kg max on plastered walls

I may be wrong here but I thought the max weight for a fully plastered wall with a brick base was 40kg/m2?

[spanky]

All of your advice is much appreciated. No worries there.

I'm paying what I would consider to be the right money to have the job done, so I expect it too be done correctly.

If it requires The membrane and the plasterboard than that's what it's gonna get.

The tiler has not seen it yet, or at least I don't think he has, I wonder when he turns up if he would say the tiles were too heavy for the walls as they are or not?

I have 2 young children, and an 8kg tile falling from the wall 8ft up could easily kill I am sure.

[Dave]

It is grumps..........but the finish on the walls looks suss( weak) and i would recommend dry lining...

[spanky]

I bet they haven't quote for plasterboarding the walls, how much work is it too get the plaster off? A fair bit I bet?

[grumpygrouter]

It is grumps..........but the finish on the walls looks suss( weak) and i would recommend dry lining...

Thanks Dave, I wasn't questioning your answer, just checking what I thought might have been a slight error from Whitebeam. As it is I would have taken it back to brick and used plasterboard as well! They don't want to be waiting a month!

[pjtiler]

the plaster looks buggered to me
get it drylined

[Dave]

I bet they haven't quote for plasterboarding the walls, how much work is it too get the plaster off? A fair bit I bet?

It will be quicker and cheaper to remove the old and dot& dab new plaster board...and it makes the tiling process quicker as well...you won't have wait as long before tiling can commence.......
And as mentioned it will be a stronger substrate to tile to.....don't let the plasterers tell you any different.....

[spanky]

Any idea how much extra they might be asking to remove the plaster and dryline versus repairing the damaged areas? They will probably use the arguement that they consider the plasterwork to be in satisfactory condition after the missing and damaged areas are fixed.

I don't want to take any risks with 8 kilo tiles however.

I could have a guy in here tomorrow who would get the plaster off I'm sure. The Plasterer isn't back till Monday morning.

[CJ]

It will be quicker and cheaper to remove the old and dot& dab new plaster board...and it makes the tiling process quicker as well...you won't have wait as long before tiling can commence.......
And as mentioned it will be a stronger substrate to tile to.....don't let the plasterers tell you any different.....

Believe me...........They WILL try

[Droopy]

I bet they haven't quote for plasterboarding the walls, how much work is it too get the plaster off? A fair bit I bet?

Another reason, and a very important one, for choosing dry lining oer plastering, is the time it takes plaster to dry.
You'd be looking at up to 4 weeks before you can tile onto fresh plaster, whereas dry lining can be tiled the next day.

[whitebeam]

I may be wrong here but I thought the max weight for a fully plastered wall with a brick base was 40kg/m2?

Hi Grumpy, As it states in the british Gypsum site book; The total weight of tiles and plaster applied over a bonding agent (pva again) is limited to 20 kg, Therefore consideration should be given to tiling directly to the background. I would'nt want to be putting that weight of tiles on float and set as the finish is what the tiles are holding onto.

[Droopy]

Any idea how much extra they might be asking to remove the plaster and dryline versus repairing the damaged areas? They will probably use the arguement that they consider the plasterwork to be in satisfactory condition after the missing and damaged areas are fixed.

I don't want to take any risks with 8 kilo tiles however.

I could have a guy in here tomorrow who would get the plaster off I'm sure. The Plasterer isn't back till Monday morning.

It might not cost any more at all.
And if you can get someone to remove the old plaster firs, I would think it would be cheaper for them just to dry line it, than plaster it.

But that is a question for your builder, to be honest.

[Dave]

Believe me...........They WILL try

YES they will..tell me about it....