Tiling walls and floor, which adhesive and grout? - Tile Advice

[Jacb]

We've got as far as stripping out the bathroom in our new (to us) bungalow dug up floor, laid new pipework and electrics etc. now about to start the job of putting it back together!

I'd really appreciate some recommendation for adhesive and grout and any other suggestions.

Floor is concrete but had a carpet on it (hooray, its gone!) so there is an area with what we assume is bitchumen? Can we tile over this and what adhesive would you recommend? Were using wood effect porcelain tiles 600 x 150 on floor.

Shower area is 900 x 1700 (with a shower tray on floor) and we'll be tiling with 600 x 300 gloss brown ceramic tiles.

Remainder of walls are to be tiled in 600 x 300 porcelain cream gloss.

Most of the walls are plaster (we will obviously fill areas we channelled out for new pipework etc.). In places there's a small amount of old tile adhesive left on, I've got rid of most of it and it is smooth now. . I assume walls will need primer? Top of walls were painted then wallpaper which has been stripped and cleaned - is there any other prep needed?

What adhesive can we use on walls? Can we use same as floor?

We'll be doing it ourselves, did kitchen from scratch last year so we are reasonably adept and done quite bit of tiling years ago but products have changed it seems!

All advice much appreciated.
Thanks very much

 

[Old Mod]

You mentioned 600 x 300 ceramic tiles, are they ceramic or are they actually porcelain, it can make a big difference?
Green area at top of wall, what is that?

 

[Jacb]

They are ceramic tiles in the shower area but porcelain rest of bathroom.

The green is paint which was under the wallpaper. i assume i need to remove that or score it well?

Thank you!

 

[Old Mod]

Yes, the paint should be removed, you’re relying on the bond of the paint to the plaster to hold the tiles to the wall. You’re not actually fixing anything to the wall as there is a barrier.
the entire wet area should be tanked to guard against moisture ingress, in accordance with new BS 5385 guidelines from last year, all new wet areas should be tanked.
Any porcelain tiles over 7mm in thickness are too heavy for plastered walls, they should be fixed to either bare plasterboard or specific tile board to cope with the weight of the tile.
Porcelain weighs 2.4kgs mm2
ie, 10mm = 24kgs m2
Adhesive and grout approx 4-5kgs m2
Plaster can sustain 20kgs m2
Bare plaster board 32kgs m2
Render approx 50kgs m2
Specific tile boards 50-200kgs m2

 

[Old Mod]

I would imagine the most cost effective way to complete your project would be to make good all the holes and channels in your walls and cover the entire room with 6mm wedi style backer board and tile and tank that instead.
Basically using tile adhesive stick the boards to the walls and the following day using screws and wedi style washers mechanically fix the boards thro to the brickwork.
In the wet areas you would only need to tank the board joints and mechanical fixings as wedi style board are actually waterproof.
You wouldn’t need to tank dry areas.
you could then tile with any material you wish.
This is how you tank wedi style boards.

I say wedi style because they are the easiest to find on line to compare to, there are many alternatives.
Delta board.
Jacko board.
Dukka board
Marmox board

and so on ....

you can use any S1 type adhesive, for the entire project.
Avoid rapid setting adhesive, you will throw away more than you use.
Prime all surfaces with an acrylic tile primer, incl boards once fitted.
Try and use the same manufacturer for primer, adhesive and grout for warranty purposes.