Found myself back at the tiling! - Tile Advice

[Gavin Robinson]

Hi
Thankfully I have not been asked to do a lot of major tiling! Now have a job in a bathroom using 120cm by 60cm by 1cm thick porcelain tiles.The size and the adherence does not put me off but I will have to cut some of the tiles lengthways - I could do with angle grinder but wondered if there was a tile cutter able to do the job which came with positive recommendation? Many thanks.
Gavin

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Cutting the tiles could be the last of your concerns. What's the substrate?

 

[One Day]

Sigma 3E3M max cutter is what you need.
Forget anything else when you are over 75cm.

 

[Gavin Robinson]

Cutting the tiles could be the last of your concerns. What's the substrate?

The substrata is 18 mm marine ply well secured to partition wall by screwnails at regular intervals coated with Bal sealer and two coats of "tanking" / WP1.

 

[Gavin Robinson]

Sigma 3E3M max cutter is what you need.
Forget anything else when you are over 75cm.

Many thanks for this - I am assuming this device can be hired - will seek out local hire company stocks as it would not be cost effective for me to purchase considering the ratio of tiling jobs to other jobs I do.

 

[Perry]

Hi Gavin are you a chippy? Or is it for yourself?

 

[Flintstone]

I don’t think a hire shop will have that cutter unfortunately. Maybe a local Tiler contact might lend One? Ply isn’t the best choice for the walls !

 

[Gavin Robinson]

Hi Gavin are you a chippy? Or is it for yourself?

Correct guess - I am a chippy -but I get asked to do jobs on the basis of my wood skills but choose carefully and only accept to do if I can make a good job of it.

 

[Gavin Robinson]

I don’t think a hire shop will have that cutter unfortunately. Maybe a local Tiler contact might lend One? Ply isn’t the best choice for the walls !

Usually don't have much contact with guys in the tiling trade but will ask friends who might know friends who are tilers. As a chippy I like wood but realise that ply is not the preferred base to tile onto - it is already there and I have examined the stud walls the sheets are attached to - well studded, well secured and well prepared.

 

[Andy Allen]

I get why you like ply.... Your a chippy.
But from my experience I can't help but notice every builder seems to have a love affair with ply.....
I've lost count of the shower areas I've looked at that have been prepped using ply, instead of a more suitable water resistant board.
Why on earth would you use wood in a wet area, even if it is already there I would be replacing it...

 

[Perry]

This is why I stick to tiling and not orthopedic surgery.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

The substrata is 18 mm marine ply well secured to partition wall by screwnails at regular intervals coated with Bal sealer and two coats of "tanking" / WP1.

There are issues with the movement of wood no matter how well fixed - even 18mm plywood.
Then you've got a paint on tanking layer which is required to hold the weight of 1200x600x10mm tiles!
Ring BAL technical and see if they would guarantee this installation.

 

[Perry]

Gavin did you sbr the back and edges of the ply?

 

[Flintstone]

Overboard all the ply with 6mm wedi board of equivalent, and seal / tape all joints.

 

[LM]

The substrata is 18 mm marine ply well secured to partition wall by screwnails at regular intervals coated with Bal sealer and two coats of "tanking" / WP1.

Hi Gavin, it’s bad enough that the substrate is ply but to have it secured with screw nails instead of screws is a big risk also.