help me please

[connors12345]

hello fellow tilers another problem been to customers house today about the condition of walls that the plumber has patched up and the majority has been levelled off and filled with a brown sandyish mortar??? is this browning????? can this be tiled onto if i prime it all first a couple of times.. i have asked previously and been told i can skim with rapid set first. but seeing that there is a very large area just want to check this still applies or would it be best telling them to get it skimmed and phone me back to tile it in 4 weeks. do you think i need the hassle for a first job cause the walls are by no means perfect supposed to be starting tomorrow yeah right

[Proper Job]

if the walls are not to good be prepared to put so long hours in if your going to pack them, which i wouldn't suggest. If it was me mate i would get some 9mm plaster board and fix to the wall at least then i know its going to be sound, flat and very easy to tile. Don't let the plumber or the customer tell u what can be tiled because u will soon find out.

Browning is not a recommend surface to tile on top of

[tiler tom]

1st job dont give yourself problems before you have started. Sounds like browning or bonding. You cannot risk tiling onto this even with priming. Tell the customer it requires a skim in order to guarentee the reliability of the tile fix and if they do not agree walk away and if another tiler takes it on then any resulting problems are their headache.

[tiler tom]

Also you look more proffesional if you tell them it cannot be tiled to the extreme of refusing the job.

[whitebeam]

Probably find he's made good with soft sand and cement which can be a bit powdery, just seal and tile

[tiler tom]

Just looked back at you thread you would not have to wait 4 weeks for the skim to dry out in order to tile a day per mm will suffice depending on the time of year.

[connors12345]

thanks everybody for your help have been to see customer and explained i am not happy to do the job or put my name to it . they seem really understanding and are getting the walls reskimmed and phoning me back once dry to tile to nice flat walls yippee

[Proper Job]

even if there skimmed mate doesn't mean to say there going to be sound, Unless they get a good plasterer to use guide pins and make flat as pancake. Plaster boarded would be a lot faster and a lot stronger also you would tile it quicker.

[connors12345]

customer doesnt want the extra depth and dont know how to do it myself is it easy enough???

[Proper Job]

alright its only 9mm or 6mm if a hybrid board is used it takes nothing of the room at all, yes its easy.

[connors12345]

how easy is it??? can i just dot and dab it to the wall or will it have to be screwed.... the walls are not plaster board

[Proper Job]

plaster board adhesive will be fine mate, yes dab and dot and use spirit level to level. Yo don't really need to put that much adhesive on to fix. Do not not use nails or normal screws they will rust and react with adhesive.
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no need for screws just pointed that out incase