Preperation before tiling..

[iamlee2002]

Hi all, ill be fitting my new bathroom next month complete make over as it is ancient. however there are currently tiles on the walls which are pretty solid. I plan to batten the walls and insulate it then plasterboard then tile. my question is, should i leave existing tiles or remove them before carrying on with my work? my plan is to use battens and 50mm celotex boards then finally used foil backed plasterboards before tiling. ( but use aquapanels where bath is)

can anyone please give any advice before i start this?

many thanks

 

[Richard C]

Normally I would say remove the tiles but if you’re battening anyway, you could leave them there I suppose. What’s the wall construction & what is your reason for battening & using a Duplex PB over Celotex? It’s going to take large chunk of your room size even without the tiles! Moisture Resistant PB is really the best for use in a bathroom but if you need insulation & a vapour barrier you might be better to use something like Thermaline Plus which incorporates both insulation & a vapour barrier. Waterproof backer board is a good choice for around the bath.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

There is no reason that you should remove the tiles, just a shame that you are lessening the space in the room.

 

[iamlee2002]

hi thanks for the replies, reason why im going to batten is so its easier to hide plumbwork etc. have to insulate it because the room is freezing lol, underneath the tiles is cement, there must be about 300 tiles cos they are small ones so be alot easier leaving them on. it wont create any problems will it? is there any particular adhesive to use on plasterboard? must i pva it first before tiling thanks in advance

 

[Richard C]

As long as the battening/wallboards are securely fixed, the tiles should be OK. Why is the room freezing, is it solid external walls? What do you plan to insulate with? It may not be just a case of sticking insulation on it & covering with plasterboard as this may lead to problems with damp between the insulation & the wall. I would advise you do some more research before you “crack on”.

is there any particular adhesive to use on plasterboard?

If your referring to tile adhesive, the type you use will depend on the type of tiles you chose & the size/weight of the tiles; use a quality trade adhesive not cheap DIY crap; flexible adhesive/grout only on plaster/backer boards.

must i pva it first before tiling thanks in advance

In spite of what the numpty on "Cowboy Builders" said today NO; its ill advised to use standard PVA on a tile base, it will delay adhesive setting time (which he seemed to think was a good idea ) & could cause problems with tile adhesion especially in wet areas. You should only prime a tile base where it’s recommended by the tile adhesive manufacturer & then use the recommended primer. Have a read of the Tiling Forum archive posts before you start buying tiles & tiling products.