Advice needed - poor tiling job, dot and dab not to BS5385 - TilersForums.com

[Soso]

I got this from the FAQ on the tile association ( they have in the last week removed the FAQ answers though :-( But they seem to correspond to part 4 BSI - even though i didn't see word Essential in there ? )

"Choosing shower or wetroom tiles

British Standard BS5385 is the Code of Practice for fixing wall and floor tiles. Part 4 of the Standard offers advice on fixing tiles in particular situations including wet areas such as in showers.

First check with your tile supplier that the tile is suitable for use in a shower and/or bathroom. Part 4 of British Standard BS538S, the Code of Practice for fixing wall and floor tiles offers advice on fixing tiles in particular situations including wet areas such as in showers. BS5385 states It is essential to tile onto an already water resistant background. Sand/cement render, dense concrete or water resistant tile backer board are ideal backgrounds. Plaster, plasterboard, timber and timber-based products such as MDF or plywood are absorbent and should be made waterproof by the use of a waterproofing or tanking system.

Note the word "essential" in the above paragraph. Failure to do this is the most common cause of tiling failures in domestic bathrooms. Tiling onto non water- resistant backgrounds is therefore in breach of the British Standard BS5385

An alternative to plasterboard or timber based products is tile backerboard which is an inert water resistant product.

Waterproofing systems can be painted on to or applied to an absorbent background. Most tile adhesive producers have a range of waterproofing systems that coordinate with the tile adhesives and grouts in their product ranges.

The tile adhesive should be a water resistant polymer enhanced adhesive meeting the requirements of BS EN 12004 for a D2 dispersion adhesive or C1 or C2 for a cementitious adhesives and the tile grout should be water resistant, meeting the requirements of BS EN 13888.

Tiles should be fixed using the solid bed method, i.e. ensuring that there are no voids beneath the tiles. The joints between the tiles should be filled using a water resistant grout.

Special attention should be paid to sealing the gaps between the base of the tiling and where the tiling joins the base of shower units or bath and penetrations in the tiling (e.g. shower fittings), using a good quality antifungicidal silicon sealant or a proprietary manufactured sealing strip specially designed for the purpose.

The shower should not be put into use until it has cured and is adequately dry

 

[Andy Allen]

The Standards regarding Tanking in domestic situations was changed recently.

In what way ??
I tiled a new house on site last week that had zero tanking.....big house builder too...

 

[One Day]

Look, I think you're expecting too much from BS5385. It isn't going to solve your problem here.
You really need to refer to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which basically states that you are entitled to "reasonable care and skill".
That is a HUGE get out clause for idiot tilers.
BS5385 can be useful in court if you go that far, but it is only guidance.
Until the toothless and impotent Tile Association step up and press for regulation of our industry - specifically in the preparation and tiling of wet areas, this is going to happen more and more and more...

(and membership of the Tile Association counts for not a lot in my experience. It should - but it doesn't sadly)

 

[Soso]

Look, I think you're expecting too much from BS5385. It isn't going to solve your problem here.
You really need to refer to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which basically states that you are entitled to "reasonable care and skill".
That is a HUGE get out clause for idiot tilers.
BS5385 can be useful in court if you go that far, but it is only guidance.
Until the toothless and impotent Tile Association step up and press for regulation of our industry - specifically in the preparation and tiling of wet areas, this is going to happen more and more and more...

(and membership of the Tile Association counts for not a lot in my experience. It should - but it doesn't sadly)

Yeah, it's not a great situation. We issued a consumer protection act letter to them and they came back disputing most of what we said was wrong which is the bulk of what I wrote in my original post plus loads of other stuff.

It is slowly looking likely to go to court but want to get my facts straight before it gets that far.

He has lied considerably on a number of counts but as is always the case, I have to prove it :-(

 

[jimthetiler]

That has to be the worst tiling work by a tiler I have seen for a long time.

 

[Soso]

That has to be the worst tiling work by a tiler I have seen for a long time.

Thanks for that, good to have someone else state this too. It's quite astounding that in his latest correspondence he thinks there is nothing wrong with it

 

[jimthetiler]

actually he is not a tiler that is evident on the grout finnish alone.Does all the grout look like that or is it just in one place.

 

[Soso]

actually he is not a tiler that is evident on the grout finnish alone.Does all the grout look like that or is it just in one place.

There are some places where it seems to be ok but a lot of places throughout that look like those pictures - A mixture i guess. Where he removed one tile that he hadn't cut properly, he replaced it and used silicon instead of grout. I haven't even posted pictures of the window areas where there are chips in the tiles where he has had to cut the tiles. If we walked in quickly, you might not see the big issues but as soon as you stop a minute to look around you can see it all clearly.

 

[Soso]

actually he is not a tiler that is evident on the grout finnish alone.Does all the grout look like that or is it just in one place.

And of course he has dot and dabbed throughout but is now denying this and saying he "back buttered" instead which we know he didn't.

 

[Dumbo]

And of course he has dot and dabbed throughout but is now denying this and saying he "back buttered" instead which we know he didn't.

If you have any spare tiles remove one tile to prove it . I watched that rogue traders guy core drill a drive then get the contractor back . When the contractor arrived he said if you cut that drive in half you would this and this . Rogue trader guy said "funny you should say that " and it went from there .