Cant stop back buttering......

[Bathfix Bob]

Hi all

I've been a plumber/bathroom fitter for nearly 3 years now and I do a lot of bathrooms all with lots and lots of tilling. I make an exceptional job of everything and get loads more bathrooms from recommendations.

I need to speed up on the tiling though, and I probably need to get out of the habit of back buttering each individual tile and start spreading addy onto the wall like I do with the small tiles.

I think its beacause the first few bathrooms I did, the walls were quite unflat and I had to control the amount of adhesive on each tile.

I just can't help thinking I get better coverage when I back butter with the bigger tiles.

Does anyone else do it my way?

[doug boardley]

I always trowel the walls Bob, I backskim porc and studded (on the biscuit) tiles and most natural stone. But I never solely back butter a tile.

[Daz]

Same as Doug for me, too.

[365drills]

If you laid down a bed of addy you may end up using less material...







Just a thought.

[hillhead]

I paste the wall most of the time but if the walls are poor and no prep money coming then back buttering makes good sense and it works well if done proper.I have a tiling buddy who is simply brilliant and he never pastes the walls! I keep telling him to hurry up a bit.lol.

[faithhealer]

same as Doug and daz

[doug boardley]

If you laid down a bed of addy you may end up using less material...







Just a thought.

yes but a solid bed trowel for floors Richard!!

[david campbell]

most of the larger tiles do need back b uttered nowadays but is less hassle if you spread the walls first!,as above with the other posts and it will also save you time cleaning tiles if anything seeps through

[Bathfix Bob]

Thanks for replys, on floors its different I aways spread addy on floor first.

I do class myself as a perfectionist and I'm certainly getting quicker there's no doubt about it, last year I met a tiler and was thinking of getting him in to tile a bathroom for me.

I'm glad I didn't because I saw one of his previous jobs that he did for a friend. The WORST tiling I've seen in such a posh bathroom, it ruined the whole room.

Chrome tile trim not even mitred just cut straight and butted up.
The odd cracked tile in places.
Serious lipping on floor and walls.
very badly cut tiles.
Poor grouting job.

Its very easy to critisise someone elses work I know but if I had emplyed him and he did that kind of job I would have to rip it all off and start again.

There are so many good tilers out there but some terrible ones, I just can't see how this guy is in business with shocking rushed work like that.

[Paul]

I paste the wall most of the time but if the walls are poor and no prep money coming then back buttering makes good sense and it works well if done proper.I have a tiling buddy who is simply brilliant and he never pastes the walls! I keep telling him to hurry up a bit.lol.

Hi guys just reading through and learning a bit here and there just a question on this ?

if walls are that bad how do you control the amount of addy your putting on the walls when your back buttering the tiles ? that must be the hardest thing to do without making the tiles kick out when there are deviations in the wall ?

[Dave]

Use a level and look for the hollows, then you know where to build up.. and keep checking as you tile to keep it flat... most of all use an adhesive suitable for the job if you know you have to bed out a bit..

Keraflex maxi is perfect for slightly uneven walls.. most adhesives( bagged ) only bed to 6mm and keraflex maxi will bed to 15mm if required... it is all in the prep aswell but sometimes prep isn't always possible and a good tiler will get over it.. so i am told anyway..