uneven wall

[NW tiler]

I've just removed tiles for a customer, (hate working weekends!) bathroom being fitted tomorrow, I'm tiling Tuesday.

Problem is, when I've taken the tiles off the two walls around the bath, the plaster skim has come off revealing a dark grey, crumbling, grainy surface (cement render?). When touched, the surface just crumbles away. The walls are all uneven now, large patches where the plaster has come off. The customer has 330 x 330 tiles, just wondering what the best way of getting the walls flat and useable. Do I get a platerer to skim over it (tiles too big?) or seal it myself and attempt to flatten the surface with adhesive as I go?

Any advice would be welcome.
:huh2:

 

[Gazzer]

Personally i would get a plasterer in to sort it. Not knowing your abilities regarding plastering i cant comment if it is wise for you to attempt the plastering. I definately would not try and make up with adhesive from what you have said.
What adhesive will you be using? Bucket ready mix or powder and mix yourself?

 

[floydyboy]

its hard to advise without seeing the wall but i think you would get away with sealing it with a pva or sbr and go over the patches with Thisle universal one coat you won't need to polish it up just flatten it that will be ok to tile over, if you can get hold of weber universal one coat use that it is nicer to use [more creamy] but thistle is ok.

 

[NW tiler]

Sir Ramic - I was going to use a bucket adhesive but as the tiles are 330 x 330 I may have to use a ready mix. My plastering skills are zero - I'm only just trying to master tiling.

Floydboy - The thistle one coat, never used it. Is it like using plaster? Just trowel over the walls?

 

[floydyboy]

yes the 1 coat is a plaster but like i stated you dont need to polish it up. if you can level a wall out with adhesive you can use this stuff. if you can use a trowel to lay addy on you got no probs with this otherwise you got to get a plasterer in and us plasterers dont come cheap

 

[Gazzer]

You could be making hard work for yourself by not having the walls properly prepped. Especially as you have only just started. Are these tiles porcelain?

 

[Defy]

Is there efflorescence or not ?

 

[NickH]

How old is the property, do you think this is the original render ? If the render is so crumbly that its falling of the walls and revealing the brickwork, and in a lot of older places it will be, then you really do have to take it all of and then either dry line the walls or get it replastered.

 

[Fekin]

Sir Ramic - I was going to use a bucket adhesive but as the tiles are 330 x 330 I may have to use a ready mix. My plastering skills are zero - I'm only just trying to master tiling.

Floydboy - The thistle one coat, never used it. Is it like using plaster? Just trowel over the walls?

Once you start moving up past 300's you should be looking at using a cement based adhesive anyway.

I don't really get what you mean by the bucket and ready mixed, as I would class them as both the same thing as when you buy adhesive in a bucket, that is ready mixed, and if using 330's then I'd be using a cement based adhesive, powdered adhesive in a sack and you mix with water, and has far better grip and strength.

Depending on the size of the holes left in the plaster then I would buy some rapidset adhesive and fill in the holes with that to get some level back into the wall, and that dries quickly and can then be tiled over, but it all depends on the depth of the walls.

I wouldn't use PVA if it was given to me for tiling, and remember if you do use cement based adhesive on a plastered wall then you need to prime the wall with a good acrylic primer first.

Also if you do need to use plaster then it's going to take a while for it to dry out before you can start tiling as well.

 

[tysfoot]

thats why im going to do a plastering course so i can sort the wall out myself or at least have the knowledge of knowing what to do in a situation like that

 

[NW tiler]

Sir Ramic - The customer believes they are ceramic.

Fekin - Confused myself, sorry. What I meant to say was I'll have to use a powdered adhesive as the tiles are over 300 x 300. I can use a rapid set adhesive as you suggest, but I'm just concerned about getting the walls fairly flat, they are in such a bad state I thought plastering would sort it out. The customer also wants a mosaic mat border in the middle.

Thinking about the walls, the house is approx 20yrs old, the surface under the plaster skim looks like breeze block(but isn't) that is crumbling to dust. Don't know if that makes sense?

When I originally priced it up I didn't take into consideration the state of the walls after the tiles were off. Inexperience I suppose. If the walls are skimmed them I have to allow 1mm per day drying time, is that correct?

Looks like I will have to try to even the walls out with rapid set, prime with APD, and see how I get on.

 

[Gazzer]

Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhh mosaic border ??? Get it plastered chap or you will be in deep trouble.

 

[Defy]

If you are that concerned about it then its not your job is it get a plasterer to have a look at it m8.

If the tiles blow or fall off 6mths down the road then its your butt and there isnt a course on this planet will teach you what a plasterer knows.

 

[Fekin]

Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhh mosaic border ??? Get it plastered chap or you will be in deep trouble.

Yep, as soon as mosaics come into it then you need a good level wall or the mosaics are going to follow every bump and lump there is.

Looks like you either really need to get a plasterer in or rip the lot down and board the room out.

 

[NW tiler]

Cheers guys, I'll have to get a plasterer in then. As I didn't qoute for the walls to be re-plastered do you think I can persuade the customer to pay or will I have to take the hit?

I could be doing this job for next to nothing.:mad2:

 

[Gazzer]

I would ask them to pay, if they didnt agree then i wouldnt do anymore work. If they want a good job then they have to understand you want to be able to have a good surface to tile to.

 

[Fekin]

Cheers guys, I'll have to get a plasterer in then. As I didn't qoute for the walls to be re-plastered do you think I can persuade the customer to pay or will I have to take the hit?

I could be doing this job for next to nothing.:mad2:

I would say the wall isn't good enough for tiling onto, and say I can arrange a plasterer in to do the job, and he will need paying once he's done by yourself, then I'll come back when the wall has dried.

That way your just a middle man, you get the plasterer and they pay him, and if they don't pay him then you know not to bother tiling.

Best thing to ALWAYS say to a customer is x amount estimate to tile plus whatever prep work is required once the old tiles are off.

 

[gm renovations]

I agree with the above,

i am on my 4th job and the walls in this bathroom are bowed, i have pointed this out to the customer but they just say "do your best" because of this i have had to build out the wall by nearly an inch in places just so it does not look S&%T,


Another issue i am having of late is with cheap tiles, i am half way across a wall and the grout line are not sitting right at the cross point, i think it must be down to the sizes of the tiles,

Any one else having this? or is it just me?

Gm

 

[IvegotsTILE]

You'll have this very often if the tiles come from B&Q or Homebase etc.
Hope you were using powdered stuff cause it'll take forever for bucket addy to dry out at that thickness.

 

[floydyboy]

your a topman Defy there is no short way of becoming a plasterer:yes: thats why i have advised him on the easy solution and not the FULL BLOWN GUT as suggested by some 1,and elflorecence wat rubbish [salt seeping through] that will not make the plaster crumble:mad2: if it needs to come off then so be it but try the 1 coat:yes: .

 

[Fekin]

Nice avatar Defy