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Just to preface by saying I am no tile expert so no idea what is best or acceptable practice.Reading around though I think I probably already know the answer but wanted to get a real view from some experts.

We have employed the builder to tile the utility room floor, 3 bathroom floors and 3 shower areas with a mix of large and medium size tiles.

I have attached some pictures, and wanted to ask whether tile walls and floors with reasonably large tiles is OK using "blobs" of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ rather than some kind of raked bed as I was taught by my dad !

Utility room - pic attached with the washing machine. In here there is a definite hollow sound when tapping on some areas of the tile, and also I managed to put a hole in one of the tiles when I dropped a piece of wood on it.

Ensuite - pics attached of the 2 tiles off the wall and also where they will be going on the wall.

What do you think ? Is it all going to go terribly wrong and not last ? Do I need to get him to fix it ?

Pics here:
imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/801/qtic.jpg
imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/ 800x600q90/46/gmei.jpg
imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/ 800x600q90/703/95b3.jpg
imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/ 800x600q90/268/rmy0.jpg

Thanks for your help
 
OP
T

tinners

Oh dear..... What's the best way to approach that with him ?
We have spent a lot of money with him on renovations, and are overall happy with the end result but he wants to get gone now given the job is pretty much complete.
I am thinking that the 43m2 of tiles are not going to be reusable....
 
OP
T

The D

BSI 5385
Some thin-bed cement-based adhesives have been specially formulated for use on suitably primed gypsum plaster. As with all plaster backgrounds success is very dependent on the plaster being sufficiently strong and dry throughout.

4.2.1.5 Application of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ and tiles: thin-bed
4.2.1.5.1 Notched trowelling method
For situations where dry conditions will prevail after tile is completed, the notched trowelling method should be used. The final bed thickness of the thin-bed cement-based https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ should not exceed 3 mm. If it is used at a thickness greater than this, excessive stresses may develop possibly resulting in cracking of the tiles and/or adhesion failure.





The https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ should be applied to the surface as a floated coat with a trowel, pressing the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ into the surface, to give a bed thickness of about 3 mm, which should then be combed through with a notched trowel of the type recommended by the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ manufacturer. This will give a series of ribs into which the dry tiles should be pressed with a twisting or sliding action. This operation has to be carried out correctly to ensure that the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ wets the back of the tile and achieves an area of contact of at least 50 %, spread evenly over the back of the tile.

It is essential that the tiles should be fixed before surface drying of the ribbed https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ bed prevents the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ wetting the back of the tiles. The period of time during which tiles can be adequately bedded after spreading the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ is the open time, this will vary according to the prevailing atmospheric conditions and is usually about 20 min. It is important not to spread more https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ on the wall than can be covered with tiles within the open time of the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/.

A suitably designed notched trowel should be used for combing the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/. The important point is that whichever type of trowel is used, it should be such that adequate contact between tile and https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ is assured. The amount of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ used and the height of the ribs obtained are governed by the angle at which the trowel is held against the surface. The amount of contact is also dependent on the twisting or sliding of the tiles as they are pressed onto the ribs of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/.

It is good practice to remove a tile occasionally as fixing proceeds to check that adequate contact and wetting is being maintained with the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/.

4.2.1.5.2 Buttering method
This method may be necessary for occasional awkward tile positions, e.g. around openings and restricted areas where a notched trowel cannot be used. Where this technique has to be adopted the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ should be spread evenly over the whole of the back of each dry tile with a trowel. The bed thickness should be slightly greater than the final thickness required so that when each tile is pressed or tapped firmly into position the correct thickness is achieved. The thickness should not be greater than the maximum recommended by the manufacturer of the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/. Care should be taken to ensure that as far as possible no voids are left behind the tiles.

4.2.1.5.3 Notched trowelling and buttering method
This method combines 4.2.1.5.1 and 4.2.1.5.2 and should be used for fixing large tiles (e.g. 700 cm2 and above) and tiles with ribbed, deep keyed or heavy buttoned back profiles. A thin coating of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ buttered over the backs should fill the deep keys before placing the tiles in position on the combed https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ bed. There should be no significant increase in the bed thickness.

NOTE This bedding method aims to achieve a solid bed but, in practice, it is inevitable that there will be a number of small voids.

4.2.1.6 Application of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ and tiles (thick-bed)
Where surfaces are not sufficiently flat and true to permit thin-bed fixing, some irregularity in the background may be accommodated by applying some cement-based adhesives as a thick-bed.

NOTE Thick-beds should not be used to make good deficiencies in the surfaces of backgrounds left by preceding trades.

In practice the amount of irregularity that can be taken up will be limited by several factors. Thus, for each https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ suitable for thick-bed application, the manufacturer will stipulate the maximum thickness at which it should be used and the final bed thickness should not be greater than the maximum thickness. A limit to the thickness of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ used may also be imposed by the nature of the background and the circumstances of use. For example a thick bed of https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ will tend to dry out slowly on a dense or impervious surface, and the bed thickness may have to be limited to prevent possible slumping as tiles are being fixed.

Usually thick-bed adhesives are used at an average bed thickness of about 6 mm, applying a thicker coating by the notched trowelling and buttering method (4.2.1.5.3). Some adhesives may be applied using the notched trowelling method described in 4.2.1.5.1. With other thick-bed adhesives, however, a notched trowel should not be used except perhaps to provide light ribbing only of the surface of the https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ to facilitate subsequent application of tiles. The manufacturer’s instructions should be observed in every instance.
 

area tiling

TF
Arms
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Your builders not thinking about you by the standard of the work you've shown, and god knows what other shortcuts he's taken , no be scared of approaching him about it, he needs to take the hit on the tiles, https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ , and labour costs ! No excuses
 

John Benton

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Been to too many builders bathrooms failings where they've used the methods you are describing to fix the tiles. You will regret not taking him to task now because once the cheque has cleared that'll be when your tiles start to fail and you won't see him for dust, or tile adhesive for that matter.

Just my 2Ps worth.
 

Andy Allen

TF
Esteemed
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might be worth showing your builder the forum or even this thread, to show him the errors of his ways, he may hold his hands, rip it all up, at his expense and employ a tiler to do the job right..:thumbsup:..






however a tenner says, he will say...'I've done it this way for years and never had a problem, they don't no what there on about'.....lol
 
OP
R

Rossymcg

Have you got any retention on him?
Two types of bad payer out there,
1) that doesn't pay
2) that pay to early
Either way someone gets ripped off,
Did you have work done that requires a building inspector? If so talk to him about your concerns,
Good luck (not all builders tile in this manner some are very skilled, you chose the wrong man for the job)
 

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