So much prep was a pain on this bathroom - Tile Advice

[macten]

My favourite customers of over 8 years have moved house and this is the first of 5 bathrooms/ensuites ending with 130m2 floor.
Original bathroom looked great at first look but on closer inspection there were a few red flags.
Tiles came off the walls in seconds with no damage to substrate as they'd been dot and dabbed onto skimmed plaster board, white wash paint and neat PVA.

Thought I'd do a little job diary as the prep was a pain and might help others in future.
Normally removing white wash is quick and easy with a damp sponge but because of the neat PVA that didn't work.
Tried lots of things and discovered the easiest way of dealing with it was steel wool, lots of clean water and a sponge.

Got the tiles up off the wooden floor to find a Durabase mat 🤬!
I know a decoupling mat is quicker and easier to fit than cement board but it's the wrong product for this situation and means I've got to strip it out and grind all the adhesive off - picked the hottest day of the year as well!
Next day I got the new tray in and boarded the floor.

 

[macten]

First fix complete, wet area tanked and floor tiles down.

 

[macten]

Marble effect porcs on the walls.
Skirts fitted.

Paint, grout and silicone

 

[macten]

Final fix (still got glass to fit as it's been delayed) and sparky needs to come back.

 

[J K Tiling Cornwall]

Looks absolutely flawless 👍 Quite like the marble and wood combination together. Always worth taking the time to get the preparation work done right. Those bathrooms will last a lifetime.

 

[Dave]

Cracking job that. Excellent prep and quality finish. Thanks for sharing.