Advice Needed for Amateur

**Zukiman** · 03-02-2012

Hi

I was after some advice. I'm planning to tile my bathroom. This will be the 4th time I've tiled a room but I've always tiled on walls that have been skimmed with multifinish.

The walls are in a bit of a state but largely plastered and finished, some are 1980's cement block and others with the original blocks used in 1910. One wall is brick.

The plasterer said he can either make good and finish with a bonding coat or hack off existing bond and give a couple of coats of multi finish if we were thinking of having some wall exposed. We've decided to tile to the ceiling.

I hoped someone might suggest wheter it is a good idea to tile on a bonding coat or should I go for the multi finish. Difference is £190 versus £320 but I don't mind if it is needed. Also should I use and additive to the adhesive (not decided what to use but usually use pre-mixed Bal Blue Star) as the bonding is more porus. I'd coat the wall with Bal Bond SBR Primer first

The tiles are 25/40 ceramic

Thanks for your comments.

**Sir Ramic** · 03-02-2012

Could you not hack off and board walls with plasterboard or tilebacker boards ?

**ROBSON MCGREGOR** · 03-02-2012

Hi, You cant tile direct onto a bonding coat sorry.

Why not dry line your walls with either plasterboard or tile backer board? if you have the space.

Tubbed adhesive can only go to a max tile size of 300x300mm.

Try an SPF, single part flexi (Bal Purple Bag) or another make, Mapei, Weber, Ardex etc,

Tank the walls that are going to get the most moisture, round bath, in shower.

Go into the search bar at the top right of page & skim through a few relevant threads, you will get loads more advice on here once more members go online.

Good luck,

Beat me to it Neale.

**swanman** · 03-02-2012

Hi

And welcome to the forum

When i go and look at a bathroom and the walls are dodgy i look at 2 things 1 is there any coving and how much depth have a got around door architrave

If there is no coving why dont you consider dot and dab 9/12 mm plasterboard onto the walls .That way the tiling surfaces will be good and very flat

**kilty55** · 03-02-2012

as robsos advice,you cannot tile onto bond coat

sort the walls 1st and use a good cement based addy

**Zukiman** · 03-02-2012

Thanks for the quick resonses. I was worried about tiling on to bonding.

I'm going to hack off and use the back board. My concern was the bath as it was 5'6'' and a few cms in the wall plaster. I've ordered a 1650 bath and think there will be enough room to hack off and board.

Many thanks guys!

**AliGage** · 03-02-2012

Originally Posted by Zukiman

Thanks for the quick resonses. I was worried about tiling on to bonding.

I'm going to hack off and use the back board. My concern was the bath as it was 5'6'' and a few cms in the wall plaster. I've ordered a 1650 bath and think there will be enough room to hack off and board.

Many thanks guys!

Could always fit the bath before you board the walls and take the board down to the bath. Bare in mind the lip of the baths thickness and consider you have to take your board thickness, dab, adhesive and tiles all into account. Make sure you have good clearance behind the tap aswell.