Laths, plaster, plasterboard then tiles!? What to do

[robodelfy]

Hi

I need to get all the tiles off one wall of my tiled bathroom. Behind the tiles is plasterboard, then old plaster, then laths. They just kept layering it up!

I'm struggling to just get the tiles and plasterboard off without the plaster coming too. I just need to do it as easily and quickly as possible. Would you...

a.Go back to the laths and then plaster? These laths are old!

Or

b. Just smash the whole wall including laths, and then plasterboard the whole thing. (This feels like it would be quicker and more fun!)

Or something else? Any advice would be great. Photo attached

 

[Alastairreid]

Go back to the brick, gain a few more inched on your bathroom.
Have fun.

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

you may have been able to tile over them . now it looks like you’ll have to get the lot off , laths too and plasterboard it.
dumb question , but why did you start pulling tiles off before removing the bog and sink etc?
or did you plan on tiling around everything?

 

[robodelfy]

you may have been able to tile over them . now it looks like you’ll have to get the lot off , laths too and plasterboard it.
dumb question , but why did you start pulling tiles off before removing the bog and sink etc?
or did you plan on tiling around everything?

Thanks, you mean tile over the tiles? I don't want tiles anymore, and I don't think any more layers is a great idea!

I had planned to leave these tiles as they aren't that bad, although I'm not keen on the whole bathroom being tiled as it is. But a plumber came today and reccomended changing this weird corner toilet I have as it's totally inaccessible and has had all kinds of problems. He suggested just taking tiles off on half the wall in the area I began in the photo. So I was just seeing how easily they came off. But I think a half tiled wall will look odd, and now I'd rather have the whole wall plastered.

So I will remove the toilet and sink soon to do it! I'm renovating the whole house, so every room has got little bits of destruct where I've tested things! But I just need a working toilet

 

[robodelfy]

Go back to the brick, gain a few more inched on your bathroom.
Have fun.

I'm not sure there is brick between that wall and the next room!

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

it’s not likely there’s a timber lathe and plaster wall and brick . it’ll be similar to a modern stud wall only with laths instead of plasterboard. theres no option here really. strip all the layers off and re-board. you may have to beef it up with some extra timbers.

 

[robodelfy]

it’s not likely there’s a timber lathe and plaster wall and brick . it’ll be similar to a modern stud wall only with laths instead of plasterboard. theres no option here really. strip all the layers off and re-board. you may have to beef it up with some extra timbers.

Do you think this is preferable, to get rid of the old laths and just put new plasterboard up? Rather than try and preserve the old laths

If so I can just take a hammer to the wall and get out some repressed anger

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

Do you think this is preferable, to get rid of the old laths and just put new plasterboard up? Rather than try and preserve the old laths

If so I can just take a hammer to the wall and get out some repressed anger

yes . dont go berserk . the dust in old mortar is horrendous. and you dont want to damage the wall in the next room (back to back).
it’s a lot easier in your own house if you peel the layers back. it’s cleaner and easier to recycle, presuming your not burying it in the garden.

 

[robodelfy]

yes . dont go berserk . the dust in old mortar is horrendous. and you dont want to damage the wall in the next room (back to back).
it’s a lot easier in your own house if you peel the layers back. it’s cleaner and easier to recycle, presuming your not burying it in the garden.

Ok I won't go beserk even if it would be therepeutic!

All the tips are closed and my garden is tiled, so I just have a huge pile of junk under a tarp! It will be a fun day removing that

Thanks, so I remove the laths too

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

yes.

 

[robodelfy]

yes.

Sorry to bother you again! It's going fine, apart from the external wall, which seems almost impossible to remove the plaster. Looking at the photo, do you think tis end wall could just be mastered over as it is? Its a mess, some going back to brick, and some impossible to get off.

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

yes ... looks solid enough. get it pva’d , scrimmed, and skimmed.
the exposed brick areas will need filling out with an undercoat plaster. ‘bonding coat’ or similar.

 

[robodelfy]

yes ... looks solid enough. get it pva’d , scrimmed, and skimmed.
the exposed brick areas will need filling out with an undercoat plaster. ‘bonding coat’ or similar.

Great that will save me a lot of pain, no idea why the plaster is so stuck in places

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

looks like cement . probably from the 60’s 70s or earlier. it’ll be like flint , leave well alone

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

when all the laths are removed is a good time to run any pipework in the wall before boarding. saves boxing in at the end if you can get your hot and colds in just the right places.