Any advice for tiling bathroom and shower walls

[LianneB1]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone can give me any advice with the following:

I am remodelling my bathroom; the original configuration was bathroom paint on the top half of the walls and tiling to the bottom half. I have removed the old tiles so I am now left with bare plaster on the bottom half - which is very uneven in some places. I have read quite a few different bits of advice on the net and this forum regarding tiling bathrooms and showers, but, would really appreciate some advice on my exact application. In one corner of the bathroom there will be a shower tray and glass front / side screen, all walls including where the shower is to be sited will be tiled fully - should really call this a shower room because there isn’t a bath!!

I have already purchased the shower tray, enclosure, tiles, sink and toilet. Existing sink and toilet will be removed prior to tiling the wall they are on.
The new tiles are 60 x 30 cm ceramic wall tiles (approx 9/10mm thick) and 30 x 5 cm marble borders. Each of the large tiles weighs approx 3.25Kg. I want to ensure the tiles are securely fixed to the wall and they last for many years, some of the info I have gleaned so far and advice I require is as follows. Any corrections, advice or total nonsense I am talking please let me know.

For the shower corner, walls should have extra waterproofing? For this I am going to purchase Dunlop Shower Waterproofing Kit. Is this a good thing to use? Hopefully, this is just a precaution, because I don’t intend water to get through – I hope!!
What can I do with the walls so that I have a fairly flat surface to tile on? I have heard mention of backer boards etc, do these have to be fitted to wall studs? What is the best and most reasonably priced way to do this? Is it possible to use backer board on the shower corner and plasterboard on the rest of the room? All walls are breeze / concrete block and plaster. Can anything be fixed directly to them instead of to studs? I am trying to avoid losing too many inches in the room.

Shower tray should be fitted prior to first row of tiles?

What adhesive should I use? I have read / heard BAL Single Part Flexible is the most suitable for this application due to water resistance, flexibility and tile size, is this correct?

Should I seal the marble border with something like Lecithin?

What grout should I use? I want a waterproof, long lasting and mould resistant grout due to using in the shower. Is Dunlop Anti-Mould Grout with Microban good for this?

What is the best sealant to use on the internal shower corners? i.e. along the tray where it meets the wall and up the internal corner – this needs to be white. I want something that is mould resistant so it won’t end up looking unsightly. Has anyone tried TeleSeal10? This sounds really good for this type of thing.

Is there any type of clear sealing strip I can use for the shower glass? Where it sits on the tray.

Any advice, with this project is greatly appreciated - especially with the wall prep / surface, this is the bit that I am really stuck on!! Thank-you in advance for any help or advice you can provide.

 

[gcol]

For the shower corner, walls should have extra waterproofing? For this I am going to purchase Dunlop Shower Waterproofing Kit. Is this a good thing to use? Hopefully, this is just a precaution, because I don’t intend water to get through – I hope!!

Yes that's fine.

What can I do with the walls so that I have a fairly flat surface to tile on? I have heard mention of backer boards etc, do these have to be fitted to wall studs? What is the best and most reasonably priced way to do this? Is it possible to use backer board on the shower corner and plasterboard on the rest of the room? All walls are breeze / concrete block and plaster. Can anything be fixed directly to them instead of to studs? I am trying to avoid losing too many inches in the room.

Batten and screw plasterboard all areas to be tiled - as you are tanking the area around the shower, a tile backer board is not necessary. You can also stick the plasterboard up with tile adhesive to save on depth.

Shower tray should be fitted prior to first row of tiles?

Correct.

What adhesive should I use? I have read / heard BAL Single Part Flexible is the most suitable for this application due to water resistance, flexibility and tile size, is this correct?

No need to use flexible stuff, or even Bal gear (it's expensive). Tiling onto plasterboard is fine with a decent quality powdered adhesive - if the tiles are porcelain, ensure the adhesive is suitable for porcelain.

Should I seal the marble border with something like Lecithin?

Do you mean Lithofin - if so, wouldn't hurt.

What grout should I use? I want a waterproof, long lasting and mould resistant grout due to using in the shower. Is Dunlop Anti-Mould Grout with Microban good for this?

Fine.

What is the best sealant to use on the internal shower corners? i.e. along the tray where it meets the wall and up the internal corner – this needs to be white. I want something that is mould resistant so it won’t end up looking unsightly. Has anyone tried TeleSeal10? This sounds really good for this type of thing.

Not used that silicone. Most chaps on here recommend Dow Corning 785, it works fine. To be honest, most brand name sealants are ok. In my experience, to keep it looking fresh, it needs changing at least every 18 months anyway.

Is there any type of clear sealing strip I can use for the shower glass? Where it sits on the tray.

Do you mean where the door sits on the tray? If so, yes you can get them but I would have thought that your shower enclosure would come with one. If you just mean the side walls of the enclosure, just use clear silicone.

Christ, that was a long one. Cheques, postal orders and paypal accepted.