Tiling Onto Brick

[toastmax]

Hi There

I am looking into completely stripping my bathroom back to brick and starting over.

I have heard that you can tile directly onto brick, is this possible and what do I need to ensure.

If this is not possible, can I just tile onto bare plasterboard, if so what do I need to ensure for this.

Also, I will be tiling near to a shower, I think I need to do some water proofing? What do i need to do for this.

Many thanks in advance

 

[Richard C]

You can tile straight onto brick but it will rarely provide a flat enough tile base to ensure the finished tiles look good. Additionally it will cause real problems when you or some other poor unfortunate soul who comes after you tries to remove them for redecoration. A much better solution would be to re-board & tile directly onto that but the main consideration here is the type & size/weight of the tiles you propose to use as this will dictate what you do next. Moisture Resistant plasterboard is suitable for dry areas (subject to tile weight) but this must be tanked in wet areas if you want it to last; a better solution is to use a waterproof tile backer board here. Boards should be mechanically fixed to the wall if your tiling them, don’t just rely on adhesive or it may all end up on the floor. Do not use plaster when tiling, it’s not a very good tile base; conventional render is far better but will mean waiting 4 weeks before you can tile.

Read the tiling Forum sticky & archive thread before you proceed; it may prevent you making disastrous & potentially expensive mistakes. Come back with specific questions if you need.