Failed ceramic tiles || kitchen || farm house

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Hello

The farmhouse kitchen walls are tiled with 6"x6" ceramic tiles. I would estimate this was done approx. 30 years ago.

The wall substrate is sand and cement.

One wall bounds the living area which has an aga - this is installed on the opposite side of the kitchen wall. This wall seems to have greater problems than the others.

The problems are that the tiles have started to lift and the substrate behind looks quite porous.

Some have been refixed using a two part instant adhesive.

What would be the likely remedy to fixing new tiles ?

 

[Bill]

Take them off to see if the substrate is causing any issues. Subsidence or movement on solid walls is a concern.

 

[Blunt Tool]

Could be the heat from the aga is taking all moisture out of wall and turning everything to dust. Is the wall excessively hot?

 

[White Room]

As callatiler Could have been fixed to lime mortar which drying out due to heat

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

The mortar is a sand cement mix.
Yes it's quite powder like (if that's a pair of words), almost looks like that oasis material for plants (but not green obviously).
I can rule out subsidence I think.

As for how hot - never tried to measure it but the tile surface is always warm to touch.

The render is throughout all of the ground floor and related to damp issues. The house is close to 450 years old.

I am just unsure what best to do to remedy.

 

[Blunt Tool]

Think the heat from aga on other side of wall is your problem, if it was me I would strip tiles off the affected area and the sand and cement screed. Then either use fire retardant (pink plasterboard) or Hardie tile backer boards and pack out till flush with the original sand and cement screed, check plumb then mechanical fix boards also. That will give you a fixed solid bed for new tiles.

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Thanks they sound good ideas. The hardibacker looks good from a moisture aspect and also thermal.
Anything needed for the joints?
Is fixing normally screws ?

 

[Blunt Tool]

Thanks they sound good ideas. The hardibacker looks good from a moisture aspect and also thermal.
Anything needed for the joints?
Is fixing normally screws ?

Web scrim tape for joints and adhesive, screws and plugs for fixing boards

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

Would my thinking be right that the hardibacker would not stop moisture penetrating to the tile adhesive from the wall ?

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

My concern is that the cement render was installed (as I understand it - long time ago) due to damp issues.
Will the hardibacker stop the moisture and all the chemicals that come with it reaching the adhesive?