Too keen to start tiling?

andywatson · 21 Oct 2006

As many of the regular tiling contributers will know, I am about to embark on my first tiling project- a bath room.

I have installed a new shower (well the plumbing and cabling, and had to do a lot of remedial work filling etc. This means that the plaster had to be applied quite thickly in some areas- for example filling behind where skirting boards were, and where I had to cut out channels for pipework and cable.

This plaster is not 100% dry yet. It is dry to touch, and appears to be set firm, but it has not yet reached it's final dry colour (I think it was done about 4-5 days ago).

Can I start waterproofing and tiling (I am holiday this week, so getting started would be a major help), or do I have to be more patient?

Softus · 21 Oct 2006

You have to be more patient - if the plaster isn't dry yet then it's not up to full strength. BTW, why did you plaster if you're going to be tiling onto it?

andywatson · 21 Oct 2006

Just to fill in the huge holes my angle grinding had caused- had to cut big channels to submerge the cables and plumbing. Also I ripped out the skirting boards, and there was no plaster behind- so no suitable surface to tile onto.

I was hoping to get away with tiling as the channels are only about an inch wide, and the plaster is sound either side- so the weakened area of plaster will be pretty small on each tile- a 1 inch vertial line. (the tiles are 13" horizontally by 9" vertically).

I could start on one of the other walls, but it seems to make sense to start on the back wall so I get a better idea of how it will look.

gcol · 21 Oct 2006

I wouldn't be too bothered about tiling over an inch wide channel with the size of tiles you're using. I think I'd leave it a while longer on the larger areas like behind the skirting though.

andywatson · 21 Oct 2006

Thats what I was hoping you would say- the skirting board bit will be done last as it's the bottom row of tiles!

I will start tomorrow!

Tozzy · 21 Oct 2006

Also I ripped out the skirting boards, and there was no plaster behind- so no suitable surface to tile onto.

I thought you're supposed to leave a gap of about 2-3 inches because this is where the groundings are located for the skirting?

In other words, the bottom edge of the bottom row of tiles should be 2-3 inches above floor level. Then skirting on last.

the skirting board bit will be done last as it's the bottom row of tiles!

Yea, but you didn't need to plaster over the gap left by old skirting as you don't tile over this gap anyway

. I mean I'm sure there is no right or wrong way, but I don't think that you would normally do it the way you have.

I am about to embark on my first tiling project

Hehe you and me both m8

.

andywatson · 22 Oct 2006

Tozzy,

There won't be any skirting boards whaen finished- I am tiling the walls flush down to the soon to be finished floor.

Anyway- I have just realised I can't start until tomorrow- so the plaster should be virtually dry by then anyway.

Oh, one other reason for plastering was to give me a better surface for the waterproofing to stick to.

Tozzy · 22 Oct 2006

There won't be any skirting boards whaen finished- I am tiling the walls flush down to the soon to be finished floor.

Sounds to me like it's a wet room then. It's just, our bathroom has skirting, but then again, we don't have a shower; just a bath. Would you add skirting if it was a tiled WC?

andywatson · 22 Oct 2006

I wanted a wet room, but felt it was probably beyond my abilities for a first attempt. Also the drainage for the floor was expensive, so I decided to go with a fully tiled bathroom instead.

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Too keen to start tiling?

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