Tiling onto Marine Ply

[John]

I have recently constructed 3 sides of a shower cubicle with 12mm marine ply fixed straight to newly constructed stud walls. I've also fitted the shower tray etc, and I'm ready to tile.

The problem is that I've been advised by the people selling me the tiles that I will need to tank the walls before tiling.

This is the first that I'd heard of it, and was previously advised (by a B&Q leaflet), that you could just tile straight on to the ply (after priming with 5:1 PVA).

Does anyone have any experience of this problem, and could anyone recommend a suitable tile adhesive?

Thanks,

John

[Brian G]

John,

I haven't done a large area, but I have tiled around ply soil pipe boxes and small ply panels using your stated method (applying the tile cement over the whole area to be tiled [not dabbed on the back of the tile] just before the PAV goes 'off') without any problems over the years.

This was using 'ordinary' tile adhesive (soaking the tiles before application) and standard grout a few days later.

Hope this helps?

Brian G

[Bob Hill]

I've had mixed results tiling onto plywood using the PVA method - the odd one fell off, though fortunately this was on a home-brewed bath panel. The first time it was done it was tiled by a professional tiler using standard tile adhesive and PVA. I had to take them all off and redo it with only partial success. Now it could have been a problem with the plywood - which was an offcut WBP ply sheet I had left over from another job, however, I have heard of other people having similar problems.

If I was going to do it again, I'd use this stuff

[John]

Thanks to Brain and Bill on this one. I would look at using a special tile backing board if I were to do this again, but I have been recommended adhesive called Howtex Flexigrip.

It is apparently a "high performance, ready-mixed ceramic wall tile adhesive for interior use, where movement or wetting is expected".

That'll do for me then. I'll post back if the tiles start peeling off!

John

[Ken]

That's the secret. Using the correct adhesive. You can get a flexible one specially for wood. The ordinary adhesive has no give and so when the ply expands or shrinks, which it does, the tiles pop off.

ken