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.