Wetroom dilemma's - want to pick on your professional opinon on this - TilersForums.com

[bally]

Both. Said he was shocked I questioned him. You ain't heard the best though he calculated the tiles needed and then was short not once but twice. Blamed the tile company for short tiling us.

Can you explain the process of the refit from the beginning? Any photos before the "tiling" stage?
By the way, that's utter BS you're being told.

 

[GoneGuy]

Rip out and start again properly

 

[bally]

We had a bathroom with just a sink we had it all ripped out and turn into a wetroom unfortunately I did'nt take photos but I have had a tiler who took pity and tiled the rest but he did say he would feel more comfortable in ripping and starting again here is some of the

 

[One Day]

Well at least the way he makes them, they'll definitely be wet rooms.
Probably the rooms adjoining and below too though!

 

[Steve6690]

I'll just add that I'm currently on a tiling course in Hartlepool and even I can see that the "tiler" has no clue how to tile. Basic errors, really basic.

 

[LM]

How is this still happening in this day and age, wild!

 

[bally]

People like him give others a bad name

 

[Tile Shop]

Me: "So, how did you fix the tiles?"
Fxr: "Each one with 6 of my partners homemade dumplin's! 30 years of them never did me no 'arm! Proper sticky they are! Stuck my guts together many'a'time"
Me: "yeah, obviously they're just like you, only half-baked!"

Me: "Primer?"
Fxr: "Whats that?... Ahh, you mean PVA, maybe I did, maybe I didn't. One of lifes little mysteries that."

Me: "Tanking?"
Fxr: "In me day, 30 years ago, never had tanking! Why should I start now?"

Me: "Heavy porcelain tiles on plaster?"
Fxr: "Yes lad, whats your point?"

Quite simply, take 'em down before they fall down, possibly with you standing under them!

 

[bally]

So Even with the grouting and tile sealant they will fall off. This has to be the most expensive wetroom.

 

[Tile Shop]

Grout only fills the gaps, as does the silicone. They're not designed to fix anything to anything.

Looks like he may possibly have used a cement based adhesive, judging by how grainy it is and how cleanly it has come away from the plaster. But this also implies that a primer wasn't used. Cement adhesives are not directly compatible with plaster and require an SBR or acrylic primer to adhere to the surface. If it was a ready mixed adhesive, it might stick to plaster, but being applied that thick and being used to fix porcelain, will never dry correctly and could still easily peel cleanly from the plaster.

Porcelain tiles and fixing materials weigh probably in the region of 25+kgs per sqm. The weight limit of plaster is only 20 so there is potential that if the adhesive did indeed stick to plaster, the tiles would possibly fall off and take a good chunk of the skim with it.

Tanking. Part of British Standards now that all wet areas should be tanked. Its always been good practice but now it is official. Water sensitive substrates (such as plaster), if they are not tanked and get wet (which they will do even after they are tiled, from condensation or water passing through the grout (which is water resistant, not waterproof)), will turn to mush and become unstable.

Sorry, but it is a complete rip-out and re-done by someone who knows how to tackle a wetroom, but someone who knows how to tile would be a good start.

 

[Waluigi]

Is it actually British Standard now? I didn’t know that. Been Tanking myself since the early Noughties and am still amazed that there are professionals out there that ‘don’t see the point’

@bally good luck with your Wetroom. Hopefully you find someone who is able to do the job professionally.

 

[Tile Shop]

Is it actually British Standard now?

It is indeed. Was added to BS5385 Part 1 in the 2018 update. The remaining standards as far as I understand will also have it added when they are next updated, but god knows when that will be.

 

[Waluigi]

Thank you.

Edit: does anyone have a screen shot of the text in the BS relating to tanking? TIA

 

[Andy Rhodes]

looks to have a bit of a shine to the wall in the first picture which may indicate PVA was used to prime the walls.They could have used ready mixed as Mapei stik is grainy but my understanding was it's a big no no using ready mixed on porcelain or even ceramics over 400 x 250.
,I would defo take the advice of the tiler you had finish it & start it from scratch again cos the last thing you want is it raining tiles whilst your in the shower

 

[Dumbo]

Thank you.

Edit: does anyone have a screen shot of the text in the BS relating to tanking? TIA

Will this do