Concrete panels on bathroom walls?

[Jonathanb]

Hi, my first post on here. I am looking at fitting thin concrete panels on my bathroom and shower wall. Has any one used them before?
The ones I was looking at are either Concreate or https://livingconcrete.co.uk/concrete-panels
The livingconcrete type say you can use them on a wall by fixing with tile adhesive but not much more imformation.
The Concreate say they need to be glued to the wall, but does not mention if they can be fitted with tile adhesive, spacers and grout.
P.s I’m not a tiler, I’m a carpenter
Cheers
John.

 

[Jonathanb]

I do a lot of research for everything I do in the the house You should of seen the amount of samples I had for the dining room floor (not tiles)
Saying that the research sometimes saves me a fortune. All the bathroom ceramics etc I got for half the price of U.K. suppliers. Ordered it all from Germany.

John,..

 

[Jonathanb]

Another question, can you cut the Porcel-thin or other porcelain tiles with a plunge saw? I know you can buy a ATS blade that fits them, but it says it’s for quartz.

Cheers
John..

 

[Old Mod]

You mean like a wet gantry saw or do you mean a ts55?

 

[Jonathanb]

Sorry, it’s a Mafell MT55, a better version of the Festool ts55

Cheers
John..

 

[Old Mod]

Sorry, it’s a Mafell MT55, a better version of the Festool ts55

Cheers
John..

Yes I know it 🙂 nice!

No! 😛
Well in my experience they’re just not up to it, and in truth if you want a pristine cut, which I’m guessing you probably would, then it has to be a wet cut.
Sounds dangerous but nearly everyone I know in the large format game uses an angle grinder and a wet sponge held at the back of the blade.
Confirms to HSE, probably not! 😀
But it does work and helps a great deal with dust suppression.
I spend a huge amount of time mitring thin tile, and cuts have to be perfect, as I’m sure you’ll understand.
Yes there is machinery available that can do it for you, but it comes at a price and is very specialised.
Thin tile work is different from regular Tiling, at a risk of getting this comparison wrong, a bit like carpentry against cabinet making.
The same, but different.
If you are that intent on perfect cuts I’d suggest buying a 1200mm mechanical cutter, using it and selling it on.
If you consider something like a sigma 3e4m, yes a big outlay, but you won’t loose more than £100 if you keep it in good condition. You’ll sell it in an instant at that price. Highly sort after second hand.
Then if you have L cuts, you could consider waterjet cutting them all at once.
Hassle yes, perfect? absolutely.
It depends on the level of finish you want to achieve.
Even we get certain pieces waterjet cut.
This is what I do on a day to day basis.

 

[Jonathanb]

Cheers for that, I will look into a 1200mm tile cutter. I think my local CTD hire them out.
The angle grinder I can borrow of one of the lads I work with. Luckily my bathroom will be nearly all straight cuts, nothing complicated.
It might work out easier for me if I do get the Porcel-thin tiles as I can hopefully use a glass cutter, straight edge and a angle grinder.

Thanks
John..

 

[Tilergal]

Call me old fashioned but seems like a lot of faff for something you can't even use in a high water zone, you could have tiled it by now 😉

 

[Jonathanb]

Call me old fashioned but seems like a lot of faff for something you can't even use in a high water zone, you could have tiled it by now 😉

There was only 2 company’s I could find that supplied the concrete panels. One sent samples but said they can’t be used in wet areas. The other company said there’s can, but didn’t bother sending samples🙁
I can’t start tiling yet as I’m still waiting for the vanity unit to arrive, then hopefully I will have samples for the Porcel-thin tiles.

John..

 

[Jonathanb]

Well got a price for some tiles from CTD. I can buy them from Europe and get them shipped over cheaper 🙁
CTD £69m2. Europe £40.33 m2


John..

 

[Old Mod]

Well got a price for some tiles from CTD. I can buy them from Europe and get them shipped over cheaper 🙁
CTD £69m2. Europe £40.33 m2


John..

What was that for John?
If you don’t mind me asking.

 

[Jonathanb]

The 1200x600 of these

John.

 

[Jonathanb]

Hopefully I will be getting the samples of the Porcel-thin tiles Tomorrow or Wednesday.

John..

 

[Old Mod]

The 1200x600 of these

John.

View attachment 98999

Thanks.

 

[Old Mod]

£40m2 for 120 x 60’s is good.
10mm tho 🙁
Better get down gym 😀😛

 

[Jonathanb]

£40m2 for 120 x 60’s is good.
10mm tho 🙁
Better get down gym 😀😛

Still be a bit lighter than humping around 3m kitchen worktops all day, or climbing around scaffold with a 4.8m length of 200x50 timber on my shoulder 😀

John...

 

[Old Mod]

Still be a bit lighter than humping around 3m kitchen worktops all day, or climbing around scaffold with a 4.8m length of 200x50 timber on my shoulder 😀

John...

Let’s see if you say the same thing once you’ve troweled adhesive on the back and you’re lifting them above shoulder height! 😀

 

[Jonathanb]

Luckily the rooms not very big. I have worked it out that the top cut will be around 300mm high, so not to bad for lifting. 😀

John..

 

[Jonathanb]

Let’s see if you say the same thing once you’ve troweled adhesive on the back and you’re lifting them above shoulder height! 😀

Just looked at the weights, tile 18kg, 18mm ply 29.5 kg, worktop 45kg.. a tile in each hand should be fine 😀😀

John..

 

[Jonathanb]

The Porcel-thin tile samples came today.. I liked them so will be going with them. Any advise would be appreciated with fitting them would come in handy. Trowel type, spacer size etc.

Cheers
John..

 

[Old Mod]

The Porcel-thin tile samples came today.. I liked them so will be going with them. Any advise would be appreciated with fitting them would come in handy. Trowel type, spacer size etc.

Cheers
John..

What have you chosen John?

 

[Jonathanb]

Either the zement or Cinis in the Cemento range (1200X600)
The wife is making the decision this morning

John.

 

[Old Mod]

The wife is making the decision this morning

John.

Kool🙂
Is she going to fit them too? 😀

If you can manage a day off before you fit them and travel down to Rays for the day he’ll happily give you a day’s training on fitting them f.o.c.

And the best bit of advice I can give you is that do whatever it takes to make all your substrates as perfectly flat as you can.
Go above and beyond what you would class
as ‘good enough’
If you can achieve + or - 1mm on all surfaces to be tiled, your job will be simplified 10 fold.
And make sure you buy spare pieces, the likelihood is that you will need them.
If it’s a stock item, you can normally make an attangement to return unused pieces, but if you don’t ask, you won’t get. 🙂

 

[Jonathanb]

I would love to go on the training course, but it’s around 250 miles away from me.
Getting the walls flat shouldn’t be a problem. I’m pulling the bathroom to bits. New stud work and the external wall I’m taking back to brick.
The only walls I will leave are about 600mm wide paramount wall, so should be flat.
I’m going to order a few extra, hopefully I won’t need them.
One question, what size tile trim to use? 6mm

Cheers
John

 

[Old Mod]

I would love to go on the training course, but it’s around 250 miles away from me.
Getting the walls flat shouldn’t be a problem. I’m pulling the bathroom to bits. New stud work and the external wall I’m taking back to brick.
The only walls I will leave are about 600mm wide paramount wall, so should be flat.
I’m going to order a few extra, hopefully I won’t need them.
One question, what size tile trim to use? 6mm

Cheers
John

Trim 😱

How many concrete walls do you see with metal trim? 😛

Select my avatar (pic), top left of rhis post, and when pop up appears select albums page.
First two albums demonstrate thin tile mitring.

 

[Jonathanb]

Just looked at your pics, looks excellent but there’s no chance I’m trying that😀 . First attempt and trying to mitre around my window reveals.. 😱..
I wasn’t going to get chrome trims, I was looking at the Schluter trims in one of the grey colours.

John

 

[Old Mod]

I was looking at the Schluter trims in one of the grey colours.

John

Practise on some off cuts. Leave a 1-2mm gap at mitre with a small wedge and round off the grout when nearly dry 🙂
Not sure what colours Schluter do in 6mm trim.
Look at their ‘trend line’

 

[Jonathanb]

Practise on some off cuts. Leave a 1-2mm gap at mitre with a small wedge and round off the grout when nearly dry 🙂
Not sure what colours Schluter do in 6mm trim.
Look at their ‘trend line’

I will give it a try, when I start. A grinder is not something I use very often. I might try my block plane instead 😀

John..

 

[Old Mod]

I might try my block plane instead 😀

John..

 

[Jonathanb]

One more question. I am fitting a wall hung toilet and vanity unit. What thickness Kerdi board would be best to use under Porcel-thin tiles?

Cheers
John..

 

[WetSaw]

I wouldn't use a foam cored board behind a wall hung toilet with thin tiles.

 

[Jonathanb]

Cheers, I thought it may be a bit dodgy. Double 12mm plasterboard?

John