Re-tiling bathroom

[deckertim]

I've just taken off the old tiles in my bathroom. Unfortunately behind the upper tiles is orginial plaster (horse hair etc.) This has crumbled and most of it has come off the wall. It appears that lower down a similar problem occured in the past, as this has been replastered.

There are no damp patches

As I am going to re-tile I want some advice on what to patch up this wall with. I have considered using thistle hardwall. But wasn't sure whether to then put a smoother top coat on as well.

Any advice and tips gratefully received.

Tim

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Plasterboard it,then skim,not worth taking the chance if its crumbly.

[deckertim]

Thanks, but most of the advice I have seen on this group suggests steering clear of having plasterboard anyway near a bath/shower as it doesn't respond well to damp. This was why I had thought of using an undercoat

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Suit yourself,but I'm telling you now if the wall your plastering over is crumbly and actually not adhering to the wall any more?the new plaster will not make one iota of a difference regards to keeping the tiles in place. As you have already found they're coming away from that area of wall.

[The Natural Philosopher]

thats because there are a bunch of old women here who can't tile a wall and seal a bath to stop water getting behind them.

Its actually fine.

However if the wall is mainly sound, I's simply rip off the really loose stuff, PVA the slightly OK stuff and reskim with a bonding plaster.

No need for a finish style plaster if you are tiling anyway.

If you are as crap at plastering as I am, get some batten and nail carefully up so that there is a facing of batten that is true, and less than a floats width apart, and then use that as a guide to get a true level surface.

You can leave the battens in afterwards. The tiles won't care.

[anony]

The board will only get damp if the water is able to get through the tile joints or via the edges .If you are troubled by that possibilty use a board like Aquapanel by Knauf fitted on battens .There is loads of info on their website .There are other alternatives like Hardibacker Board .

Stuart

[simonsmith.uk]

bit after the fact, but cant you just put new tiles over old ones ? (providing the old tiles are OK etc etc etc)

[The Natural Philosopher]

You can. cement takes ages to grab though.

I prefer to rip/skim/re-tile.

[anony]

You can certainly tile on tile if the old tiles are secure but it seems that the OP has other issues that neeed to be addressed.

Stuart

[deckertim]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I will be doing bonding plaster. The size and shape of the unsound areas would not work with plasterboard.

Just to clarify 2/3rds of the wall has already been replastered, and is still sound. So I am plastering an irregular area of about 2ft by 6ft.

Another question now arises. Should I use pva with bonding plaster? I thought this was supposed to stick itself. If it do use it, should it dry first or do it plaster while still tacky.

[Housemartin]

I do a lot of tiling in my work and come up against this problem occasionaly, I would not recomend plasterboard as even waterproof adhesive and grout ( apart from epoxy) will let water in over time unless you tanked it all with a rubber solution which then might be ok. I f you want to get it done quickly, I would recommend BAL Quick Set cement a specialist product with no shrinkage problems which can be tiled on after 24 hrs as opposed to ordinary cement or ordinary quick drying cement. Otherwise go for plastering but if it is a large area you should wait for a couple of weeks before plastering and don't forget to use a primer. PS. I am allways coming across dodgy tiling jobs where tilers have tiled on plasterboard and after a few years they start leaking.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

I'm a bit puzzled here? you say its wrong to tile over plasterboard (Bearing in mind the PB has been skimmed) so if a client (you being a tiler like) asked you to tile their bathroom how would you know the bathroom walls havn't been PBoarded and skimmed?

Your talking crap.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have tiled all three of my bathrooms onto bare plasterboard. All are fine and have no leaks at all after 4 years.

The last one - he 4th - I had to replaster after I installed a hidden shower mixer. I tiled after 24 hours. Strengely, the tiles haven't fallen off, and despite the fact its a shower whose wall gets drenched, the plasterboard is till intact.

If the grout is as permeable as you make out, the plaster will dry out that way won't it?

Dickhead.

I guess thats what happens to 'professional plumbers' - the last one nailed through a hot water pipe. Since then I haven't employed one.

I am perfectly capable of nailing through my own water pipes without 'professional' assistance.....

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its the line he uses to persuade suckers they need to spend a fortune on aquapanel.

Its like the last plumber I had who assured me that the flow rate I wold get on my showers was totally dependent on where the hot water tank was, in a fully mains pressure system...

[Stuart Noble]

IME it doesn't really matter what you use, with or without pva. Nothing will bond reliably to crumbly plaster. I'd use plasterboard, however irregular the shapes. It cuts easily enough. Screw it to the brickwork to be sure, and skim (or not if you get it reasonably flush).

[deckertim]

Thanks for a useful tip. Tried the battens and it was really easy

Before.

This needed exactly one bag of Wickes one coat plaster.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Weird,never seen plaster that colour before?

Now take the battens out and remedy the slots.

[John]

Presumably you mean the dark stuff and not the pink ;-)

Why?? The tiles will quite happily stay there by the adhesive gripping to the surface of the wood and plaster either side of the battens. Why create work for the sake of it? Also if the OP 'remembers' where they are he will get a better fixing for bathroom accesories etc. I would leave them in.

HTH

John

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Your coloured blind mate,looks a shade of khaki to me.

Tiling adhesive does not bond well to wood and it'll expand slightly in time,probably give loosening to the adhesive.

[The Natural Philosopher]

ALL my plaster is that colour..

Well if you are painting, yes..if tiling...who gives a XXXXX

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