Weight Issue : Who is right? - TilersForums.com

[Unregistered]

I've read many times to visit a proper tiling shop and to take their advice but I'm confused because the Bal website offers different advice.

I have a shower area that has two walls of 12.5mm plasterboard fixed to a timber studwork with a new plaster skim over. I was planning on tanking it with Bal, Weber or similar kit.

On asking, the shop states that the tiles that I like (30cmx60cm porcelain) would be just within the maximum weight allowance for this type of wall including adhesive and grout.

Bal state 20Kg/m2 for this type of wall incl. adhesive and grout.

Now I have acquired samples today and have weighed the tiles at 3.8Kg. I work that out to be 21.11Kg/m2 just for the tiles.

So who is right? Would fitting these tiles be a disaster?

 

[Olz]

Bal are right, 20kg / m2 for plaster skim on plasterboard, your tiles are 21 kg/m2 alone, plus approxiamtley 4kg/m2 for adhesive and grout takes you well over the advised limit, the shop are wrong.

 

[GarethK]

yep i'd second that, always be wary of advice from tiling shops, a lot of my local ones will offer advice in good faith or to secure a sale but i'd be interested to find out how much experience they have fixing tiles themself, usually very little

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks to both of you.
I've just got back from the shop because we wanted to have a look for another lighter tile. I pointed out to the manager (who hasn't in any way been pushy) that I did want to wait for independent advice on the wieght issue. Whilst there he stopped one of their regular tiler customers to ask them for their opinion.
I described the situation and the tiler did agree that the Bal 20Kg/m2 is correct with the recommended weight but that he had fitted similar tiles on many occasions without problem and that I would get away with it, and that these were guidelines. Interesting.
I suppose there always has to be a maximum recommended limit but has anyone else 'gotten away with it'?
What would happen if they did overlaod the wall? Does the plaster skim fail?
I did bring home a thinner tile that is slightly smaller but it turns out to be denser and so pretty much the same weight, in fact slightly heavier

 

[grumpygrouter]

Thanks to both of you.
I've just got back from the shop because we wanted to have a look for another lighter tile. I pointed out to the manager (who hasn't in any way been pushy) that I did want to wait for independent advice on the wieght issue. Whilst there he stopped one of their regular tiler customers to ask them for their opinion.
I described the situation and the tiler did agree that the Bal 20Kg/m2 is correct with the recommended weight but that he had fitted similar tiles on many occasions without problem and that I would get away with it, and that these were guidelines. Interesting.
I suppose there always has to be a maximum recommended limit but has anyone else 'gotten away with it'?
What would happen if they did overlaod the wall? Does the plaster skim fail?
I did bring home a thinner tile that is slightly smaller but it turns out to be denser and so pretty much the same weight, in fact slightly heavier

There is potential for the tiles to fall off, taking the skim with it. If you have children would you fancy 3kg of tile falling onto their head in the bath? This is the reason weight limits are calculated, to make sure stuff is SAFE. There are margins for error built in to every recommendation, but it would be, in my opinion, reckless to ignore them.

 

[faithhealer]

Quoted a bathroom the other night but the customer couldn't tell me what tiles he was using apart from using his hands to say, 'about this big'/ So with my quote I gave him a chart of weight allowances for tiles/wall types and stated that if the tiles exceeded the weight I would need a disclaimer signing! He hasn't been back!

 

[marc1106]

Quoted a bathroom the other night but the customer couldn't tell me what tiles he was using apart from using his hands to say, 'about this big'/ So with my quote I gave him a chart of weight allowances for tiles/wall types and stated that if the tiles exceeded the weight I would need a disclaimer signing! He hasn't been back!

I think youl find a disclaimer wouldnt be worth the paper it was writen on! As a proffesional you would be held accountable for going against an industry standard (Am not 100% sure) so be careful of doing anything your NOT SURE OF seeing as we a a nation are becoming more fond os suing the 4rse of anyone we can blame for our own mistakes or errors! :45:

 

[doug boardley]

my advice would be to look around. There's plenty of ceramic tiles about that fall within the 15kgm2 bracket,and a m2 is a m2, regardless of the individual tile size!

 

[graham31]

I think youl find a disclaimer wouldnt be worth the paper it was writen on! As a proffesional you would be held accountable for going against an industry standard (Am not 100% sure) so be careful of doing anything your NOT SURE OF seeing as we a a nation are becoming more fond os suing the 4rse of anyone we can blame for our own mistakes or errors! :45:

Yip i'd 2nd this

 

[dingo]

Yip i'd 2nd this

absolutey correct . . as profesional we know more than the customer, a customer can sign whatever he wants, but it's not worth the paper it's writen on . .all that matters in court is when the prosecution says "so in your profesional opinion it was not safe to tile, why did you tile it" answering " because the customer told me to and signed a disclaimer" wont wash