Who knows about tiling?

[WaterTight]

Doing my first bathroom, all going ok. Little bit of tiling to do. Removed old tiles. They came off easily, little adhesive had been used. Underneath there are patches of plaster covering the area that was tiled with frequent but smallish gaps here and there revealing bare concrete.

Don't know why it isn't a complete coat of plaster. Don't think plaster was used to make a level surface because it looks level enough anyway and it's very randomly patchy. Don't know. But the old plaster is solid as a mother. A nuclear bomb wouldn't take it off.

So I've researched and apparently I can spread adhesive straight onto the plaster and fill in the gaps with adhesive.

1) You agree is good?
2) I use primer or not?
3) Anythings else you recommending?

Very thanks.

 

[BenC]

just give the whole area being tilied a coat of watered down pva and allow to go tacky before tiling, thats what i would do. ye just fill in the gaps if not to deep with adhesive

 

[Bernie2]

Agree with BenC.

 

[ocentric]

If you're not an expert tiler you might struggle to get the tiles absolutely flat if the surface you're going on to isn't flat. It depends on what your customers' expectations might be? I tend to always quote for a plasterer to make good so I can always be sure that I have a perfect surface to tile on to - As it's your first bathroom it might be worth biting the bullet and getting a plasterer in, you want recommendations.

 

[bac]

You can use the adhesive to fill the gaps, if you have large hollow areas use fast setting cement to make the surface more level.

Don't use pva as it does not fully dry and may affect your adhesive, which could result in the tiles falling off in the future.

Good luck with yoru first bathroom

 

[double d]

as above says DONT USE PVA, use tile primer

 

[BenC]

never once had a problem with pva no drying properly, so you telling me all the rendering jobs ive done the cement might not stick, cause ive used pva to seal the surface first, i dont think so. have you actualy read the label on a pva tub it actualy says can be used to seal the wall prior to tileing/plastering etc

 

[bac]

never once had a problem with pva no drying properly, so you telling me all the rendering jobs ive done the cement might not stick, cause ive used pva to seal the surface first, i dont think so. have you actualy read the label on a pva tub it actualy says can be used to seal the wall prior to tileing/plastering etc

I was informed about it in Topps Tiles, check it out with BAL (suppliers of adhesive), the investigated bathrooms quite a while ago where the tiles had fallen off the wall due to pva being applied before hand.

 

[BenC]

I was informed about it in Topps Tiles, check it out with BAL (suppliers of adhesive), the investigated bathrooms quite a while ago where the tiles had fallen off the wall due to pva being applied before hand.

well ive been back to bathrooms we have done 6-7 years ago and tiles were still astrong as they day we fitted them, and all have had pva to seal the walls. prehaps its if you let the pva fully dry before hand, i always allow it to go tacky then tile

 

[Puddle]

Why not to use pva as borrowed from the tiling forum

[DLMURL="http://www.tilersforums.co.uk/tile-adhesive-grout-substrate-preparation/2511-p-v-versus-primers.html"]P.v.a. Versus Primers...... - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum[/DLMURL]

worth the read

Would add ,preparation is so,so important,get those walls in good condition before you start,this will make tiling easier to do and will look better

 

[BenC]

some good reading there, but as ive said not had a problem with it and at the end of that it does state about only using it if manafacture states to, prehaps we have just been lucky and using a adhesive that states to use pva

 

[jabba]

Hi, been a tiler for years and i ALWAYS use primer g by mapei on all walls unless it dry wall, if the walls are a bit "iffy" use a slow setting powder mix which you can put bigger dollops on individual tiles to straighten things up, i would recommend mapei P9 or something equivilent.If you fancy a try out at using your hawk and trowel, get some bonding coat and try to straighten up with that, then let it dry and of course, prime it