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My DIY bathroom refit - Lots of advice needed

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dazzler9000

I’m embarking on my DIY tiling project. I’ve got lots of questions so I’m hoping you can help me out!!

I’m going to be gutting my bathroom and having a new bathroom suite including a freestanding bath. I’ll be fitting new tiles on the walls and floor. I’ll be using a Norton clipper TT200EM to make the cuts.

The bath will have a mixer tap and shower attachment so the room shouldn't get that wet.

I’ll be using quartz on the floor (300x600), gloss white ceramics for the walls (300x600)and mosaics for a feature wall and window ledge.

Questions!!

1 – The walls are plasterboard and plastered. They have been painted and they have a slight ripple effect on them? Not sure what this is as it was there before we moved in. Will I need to flatten this out or can I tile straight on to it? Will I need to board the walls with a "no more ply" type product?

2 – Will I need to primer everything with an SBR primer?

3 – I currently have ply on the floor over the floor boards. Does this ply need to come up and be replaced with “no more ply” or equivalent

4 – Is it advised to use edging strips or try and join the tiles at the edges? If I go with edging strips, what’s the best finish to go for with gloss white tiles – White or silver? You chaps see this stuff all the time, what’s the best finish, flat or round?

5 – I’ve noticed that the tiles on a lot of websites I’ve seen are are arranged in a grid like fashion and not staggered. Is this the right way to do it or is it simply down to personal preference? Also I’ve noticed that 300x600 tiles can go in portrait or landscape orientation. Is there a right or wrong way to do them and what looks best in your opinion?

6 – Which spacers would I use between tiles (2mm?)

7 - Cutting the edge tile in half on mosaics – (I’ve asked this question on another thread but I may as well ask it here for addition comments). I’m going to be laying two rows of mosaics and I’m a little nervous about the amount of cutting I’m going to have to do, any advice on cutting those nuisance edge tiles.

Mosaic_300_x_300.jpeg


Adhesives

8 – Walls - Do I need a flexible adhesive for the Walls? Would something like this be OK?
Slow Set Wall/Floor Tile Adhesive Grey 20kg (Adesilex P9)

Do I need something different for the glass/stone mosaics?

9 - Floor - Guessing this would be OK for the floors - Fast Setting Flexible Quartz Tile Adhesive Grey 2 Part

Grouts

10 – I’ve used the Kerapoxy epoxy grout before in my kitchen floor and quite liked it. Should I use this again on the bathroom floor as it will get a little wet?

11 – As the kerapoxy is expensive, would the “Keracolour FF White 5kg” be OK for the walls considering I’m not planning on having water splashing on them all day long?


Sorry for the overload of questions but I’d rather get it right first time :hurray:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
For a mosaic that colour I would use Mapei 110 (Manhattan) or 111 (Silver Grey)
It will end up looking slightly lighter as it's a dark mosaic, you could probably also get away with using 112 (medium grey)
I wouldn't use white tbh,
 
looks like you should of bedded out the mosaics a bit mate that lip is gonna stick out like a soar thumb once its all finished 😉


Hi Mr T, that photo was taken before I'd stuck them down. I bedded them out and stuck them down last night. Not looking too bad. Tile trim looks good as well once I'd figured out which way to apply it. Managed to make the mitres look good also :thumbsup:

I think we've decided that the white is no good. I tried an off cut with the medium grey and it looks OK. I think we'll decide in the morning.

On things for certain though, tiling takes forever and I think you lads really earn your money.....

I'll post back with some photos once I get the bath sorted out over the weekend.


Cheers guys.
 
it takes forever when you don't work in the trade mate... im still slow and Ive been doing it a while now. the chap I laboured for today got a 33m2 floor down in 4 hours! now that's fast.
 
this tiler in particular is still young and been tiling for 16 years so I think he knows what he is doing, all I talk about is tiling and one of the things that attracted me to this position is the fact that he cares so much about the trade. we even debated tanking a cardboard box to see if it really works. it didn't but that is up for debate on how the box was done. but still they care about there work and that's what makes a good tiler. a good trqadesman watches and learns I am already tiling for this company so my 14 months sitting at home on this site wasn't wasted. that and the fact I am still to pay stef for the cutters. I honestly don't care what people think of me now as I have a job for life or at least until the next recession and if that's the case at least I will know how to tile by then I can do walls but floors are my monster!... good day guys il see you tue night for the pics that ali is personally gonna count!... and ali, I still want to come tiling with you one of the weekends mate see what are made of lol
 
and guess what, he actually has colleage qualifications which mean jack spot! I was better off to read the info on this site rather than go to colleage!... I wouldn't say a 2 week course will make you a tiler but a good amount of willpower and determination will get you to where you want to be.... to anyone who reads this and wants to be a tiler just prepair for aching.... and a lot of it because it hurts a lot more that most trades!!!!!! but on the other hand. I recall girl racer red calling me a bum of sorts for apparently sitting on my backside and not getting a crappy agency job, its because I knew my worth not because I am a waste of space. I love my job and work bluddy hard at it already feel like my limbs am falling off but that's what you get back from all the graft!!!!!
 
I think I appreciate it more than anyone else on this site. yes you have been doing it for years and you have all had troubles but at this moment in time none who read this apprecieate what you have more than me.
 
After a week of ridiculously hard work I've finally finished (well, after a little touch up with grout)

It certainly wasn't an experience I'd want to repeat anytime soon as it took me so long to finish and was bloody hard work. I'm happy with the results and very proud to be honest as I know that I cut and placed every single tile :thumbsup:.

The worst part for me was grouting the mosaics. It was horrific.... We went for the mapei anthracite in the end and my other half was going nuts as it looked like we'd just ruined our mosaics, but after lots of washing off it all looked great.

The blue LEDs aren't as bright as they look in the photos and provide a nice soothing mood when having a soak.

Thanks for all you advice chaps!

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Certainly looks the part!

My only critic is you can see the cut out behind the toilet.

Other than that looks lovely!


Do you mean the boxing? Yes, it was a bit fiddly because of the curved shape of the toilet. I could have made that box lower so it would fit tighter but I wanted them all the same height.
 
That's looking good, be proud what you have achieved, I've saw so called professional Tilers that can't tile to an acceptable standard like that.
Big weeel done..
 

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My DIY bathroom refit - Lots of advice needed
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