Beginner's tips/errors and how to fix them...

[KateJ]

Hello
I'm making some beginner's mistakes and also need advice please....

I've tiled the shower but the tiles fitted perfectly at the bottom of the corner - and didn't at the top so I have a 1cm gap. Shoud I try to cut a thin strip of tile and wedge it in with lots of adhesive or keep grouting until the grout fills it? I have limited tiles so didn't want to cut them as you should do.

The purple wall - really hard to get paint off - can I tile over it?

The floor with drainage pipe - I amitco'd the floor and tiled down to the pipe - is there a nifty way of boxing it in and sealing it?

The front of the shower - the shower is raised to allow drainage. Problem is - the support is flush ot the front. How do I cover it? I thought a steel door kickplate might work....

Really appreciate any advice. xx

 

[One Day]

Well gentlemen??? 😉

 

[WetSaw]

Unfortunately you haven't checked levels before starting tiling. You should also have run a datum line around the room to work off of.
Having "limited tiles" and not wanting to cut them will always end badly I'm afraid.
For the pipe you can just box it in and tile it.
The front of the shower tray could be boarded and tiled or possibly a piece of plastic facia board might be deep enough. Measure it and ask your local friendly guttering man if he has any offcuts to save buying a whole length.
The gap in the tiles at the top... It's too small for a slither of tile and too big for grout really.

 

[KateJ]

I know the gap is too big for one application of grout but what if I grout every day for a week??
I don't know how to box - I'll trawl youtube..
Plastic facia excellent idea!

 

[Sean Kelly]

You see...............tiling is easy isn't it ? !!!!!

I hope you didn't do the plumbing!

Luckily the 1cm gap is at the top.....there is less chance of water penetration from the shower. Just grout it.

Purple wall.......if you can't get the paint off then that's a good thing. Try the duct tape trick. Put some pieces of duct tape (really sticky tape) on various parts of the wall and leave it there for half an hour. Try pulling the tape off. If the paint comes off with the tape then you will have to scrape the rest of the paint off before you can tile. If the paint stays on the wall then score the wall with a stanley blade and tile. Also try wetting the wall with a sponge. If the paint is emulsion it will turn back into wet paint.

Pipe....there is no easy way to box it in because if you box it in you will have to tile it. If you tile it then you will have to use some tile trim on the edge of the box. You could try using a tile and some Silicon and stick the tile to the wall and floor (making a little triangle house for your pipe). You might have to cut a few tiles though. However, if you run out of tiles they look like they only cost 40p a tile.

Front of shower: As PDC says, a piece of white plastic like what double glazing firms use.

Good luck.

 

[AndY mac]

^^^what the what.

 

[Flintstone]

All this time coming on here, on YouTube, buying tools, spending what I imagine to be a long time having a go at tiling it, to achieve what is turning out to be a bad job that will leak Water into the shower wall within weeks. For what it would have cost you to have a tiler in to tile it properly for you, doesn't make sense to me!
Your up against it I'm afraid due to bad set out mainly and poor cutting.

You can box in the pipe with some wooden batons and either wood/ plasterboard or whatever else if your not tiling it.

 

[KateJ]

Oh dear Localtiler doesn't sound very positive!
A tiler quoted £500 to do the bathroom. The tiles cost 99p on Ebay - the adhesive Freecycle and I paid normal price for the grout. The shower has been tanked thoroughly over green plasterboard. I can't tile up to the ceiling until that gap has been filled.
If I use wooden batons will a coat of oil based paint be enough to keep water out?

Thank you Sean Kelly - great advice!

 

[WetSaw]

I'm a bit confused by what you mean by "gap to the ceiling"?

 

[KateJ]

I was referring to the hole in the ceiling (and changing the subject slightly sorry)!

 

[Flintstone]

You have used those tubs of ready mixed adhesive that I told you not to use in your last thread haven't you?

 

[WetSaw]

If it's that little hole in the corner by the coving if you had cut the tile to the ceiling it probably would have covered it, if not you could use a bit of caulking after tiling if needed.

 

[One Day]

^^^what the what.

😀😀😀

 

[KateJ]

Thank you pdc! Mr Fish - yes I did. I couldn't see why not.

 

[Flintstone]

It's ok, you obviously know better than me!

 

[KateJ]

I thought this was clever - something a bit like this for boxing. I also like the idea of a slope so water drains off it (until someone steps on it)!!!!

 

[KateJ]

I don't know better than you but I wasn't convinced.

 

[Flintstone]

You might be when the tiles fall off

 

[WetSaw]

I assume you're having a shower cubicle? You don't need to worry about the pipe boxing being waterproof, it's only aesthetic.

 

[KateJ]

Yes its the cubicle I'm tiling. The boxed pipe is close to it and water could spray that way. Tiling is just so much fun - can't tell you how much I'm enjoying it!
Mr Fish - I"ll let you know when they fall off.

 

[One Day]

We certainly can't knock your enthusiasm!

 

[WetSaw]

What I mean is that there is a door going on the shower, isn't there?

 

[Andy Allen]

Did you get just one quote ?

 

[widler]

This would be a good thread on
'why you should employ a tradesman'
Good on you for giving it a go , could cost you in the long run though 🙁

 

[KateJ]

Hello - just found page two of this thread!
No shower door - sturdy rail for shower curtain. It's to let to a tenant and doors break - curtains cheap to replace.
Purple wall survived gaffer tape test (great)!
Yes only one quote because I had every intention of doing it myself.
..and as for Mr Fish telling me I'm wasting time and money and that my tiles will fall off... some people spend days with their expensive tackle maybe catching a fish they throw back when you can get one gutted and ready to cook in Sainsburys!

 

[Flintstone]

Kate, if you come on here for advice from professional tilers, then throw it back in there face with a you know better, disrespectful attitude, It will serve you right if the tiles fall off or worse

 

[KateJ]

My gap will be grouted several times until its solid and full and the packet says 'up to 2cm' which seems like the Grand Canyon to me!
I had a pro joiner who left me with uneven walls for the plasterer to clear up - wish I'd done that myself as well!

 

[WetSaw]

Shower curtain, IMHO, is a very bad idea. You will end up with water where you don't want it especially considering you haven't tanked the whole room and, to be quite frank, the tiling isn't likely to hold water for any length of time. The cost of a shower screen compared to the cost of repairs from water damage is negligible.

 

[KateJ]

I'll explore the cost but they break.. I tanked another couple of feet into the room where water might go..and the Amico man promises the floor will be OK.
Incidentally - do you think my tiles are going to fall of as well? It looks to me like really good adhesive and if I tried to even move a tile after a few minutes I couldn't shift it. My Baratt Box tiles are still stuck on after 40 years and they didn't spend any money!

 

[WetSaw]

You've used a dispersion adhesive on tanking so you have vastly reduced its ability to disperse, ie dry.
If you don't grout it for a while you may be OK but it's not the product a professional would use in that situation that why you were advised against it.
I've never known a shower screen to break and I look after holiday lets that have a much harder time!!

 

[Flintstone]

Pdc, i would spend your time doing something more worthwhile than trying to advice our friend, like banging your head against a brick wall!