I'm thinking of starting my first ever wall tiling project, by renovating my half-tiled kitchen. Tips, please, for a tile newbie.
Existing tiles are faded with the odd chip, but they are sound and fixed on OK. Some newbie FAQs say that its OK to tile again on top of this layer. But this seems like a cop out and anyway, won't it build up a thick layer on the wall?!
Removing existing tiles. Wall is breezeblock/plaster (1970s construction). FAQs advise using a bolster chisel. Any likelihood of damaging the plaster when the tiles come off? And does the surface underneath (presumably chunks of tile adhesive) take a lot of levelling off before retiling?
Is tiling suitable for a newbie project? I can do wallpapering, painting and basic electrics OK. My idea is to remove the existing tiles down to a single row, then use this as a level base to plonk the new tiles on. Sounds easy enough, in theory!
I have done this a few times and have never gone for the tile over option...If you have any areas where the sides of the tiles join back on to normal wall then the extra thickness is very apparent and can be different to hide. I have always used a bolster or 2 and have never had any really major damage to the plaster. I think it comes down to how well the adhesive has held up and how good the original plastering is. The most time consuming part for me has been removing the left over ridge pattern from the previous adhesive comb.
My tips
*Keep the force (I always hit the bolster with a club hammer) as close to parallel to the wall as possible then you shouldn't pull out the plaster.
*Take anything out of the room that could possibly get damaged - sharp hard bits of tile going at speed can trach virtually anything
*Do wear gloves / goggles - it is one of the times it realls *is* necessary IMO
*Once you get the hang of it try and get the bolster flat under the tile and prise the tile off without breaking - cleanest way of doing it
*Be realistic about how level the wall needs to be - the wall does not need to be flat but you do need to avoid big peaks of old dry adhesive as the new tiles will pivot on these and not grab properly to the wall.
I'm no expert myself, but have done tiling - so here's my 2ps worth:- Tiling on tiles works fine, and if the previous job was a good one, makes the jobs quite easy. You could consider it a cop out, and I would certainly want to remove both layers the next time, but then again how often do you tile?
As for removing the tiles, I wouldn't worry too much about the plaster unless deep chunks start coming off - tile adhesive can be put on quite thick if required, not all over obviously, but in necessary places 1/2 inch is ok. More than this and you can level with mortar prior to tiling.
I have only done this once, so I was a newbie last time, and found it quite easy, with very pleasing results - so go for it! Personally, I would remove all the tiles, then use a level batten to tile onto, as removing the last row of old tiles might cause problems with the newly laid first row.
Use an SDS drill with a cold chisel attachment. I've never had much success with a hammer and chisel. It tends to disintegrate the tiles into shards and leave chunks on the wall. The SDS chisel, on the other hand, causes the tiles to leap off the wall whole with excitement and stack themselves neatly, ready for disposal.
After removing large chunks, I go over with a belt sander.
Thanks, Tim. Aah..I see. Slapping on the tile adhesive evens out wall/plaster imperfections.
Anyway, I'm going to have a go at this. I can esae into it by popping out a few old tiles and slotting in new ones as direct replacements.
Question: Are wall tiles made in standard sizes? I can't recall the size of my kitchen tiles right now, but they are fairly small, 1970s vintage AFAIK. I'm hoping I can buy exact sized replacements to make my job as easy as possible...
STOP keeping me from swotting up before a job interview tomoz!!!
just kidding
Exactly, the adhesiv is pretty forgiving of all but irregular highs.
The tip to use an SDS drill is also a good one - will prb save time and I think you can get them for < £50 from the usual places
Tiles unfortunately fall ito the category of almost standard sizes... For example there are lots that approximate 150mm or 6 inches. For that reason I really would not reccomend doing it a bit at a time - sorry. Apart from anything else you will be constantly cleaning up after yourself AND risking damaging the new tiles. and it is very difficult to apply adhesive at a constant thickness if you work bit by bit like this - imagine trying to plaster a wall patch at a time :(
General tile tips
*Clear the whole wall(s) :)
*screw on a batten and check with a level at the right height ***put on the adhesive as per instructions in sufficient area that you get consistent thickness but it doesnt go dry before you have time to put tiles up
*Consider using the small plastic tile spacers IMO worth their weight
*Once the first row is set then carry on
*Clean out any excess adhesive in grout space if necessary while let - otherwise it will be harder to grout later
** Spend a few minutes before you start laying working out how many tiles you need height and width wise for the wall (allow for spacers if applicable). THis should let you determine where to put the batten. There is nothing worse than making twice as much cutting for yourself or having to cut teeny slivers of tile because you didnt plan ahead :(. Ideally you would start with a whole tile butted to one edge (wall worktop etc. - but only if these are level and square with eachother, take nothing for granted in houses) and only cut on the opposite edge but it can sometimes look better/make cutting easier depending on the situation - just think it through!
Another tip - get a baton about 3 foot long. Lay a row of tiles on hard floor (including spacers) and then cut baton length to an integral number of tiles - marking the tile "joins" on the baton.
You can then do "what ifs" - re where the cut tiles go - particularly useful in say bathroom where you've got window, sink, bog etc all potentially half an inch away from the last whole tile edge!!
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