decorative tiles thinner than main tiles

[louiscribber]

I tiled my bath/shower yesterday

When tileing, I noticed that the decorative tiles (probably 40 mm square) are thinner than the main tiles. The main tiles are 600mm*300mm)

The big tiles are maybe 7mm thick, and the decorative tiles are probably 5mm thick (rough estimate)

So the decorative tiles are recessed a bit....

It doesnt look bad, it looks fine, but I'd prefer if they were completely flush with each other.

In the showroom where I bought the tiles, they used the same combination, and I noticed that they were not flush there either.

Is it a problem ? I'm worried that in the long term, water may be more likely to get through the decorative tiles because they are recessed.

 

[Richard C]

You can fit them flush but it obviously has to be done when your laying; too late now but most probably won’t notice it anyway. It shouldn’t be a problem, glazed ceramic tiles are non absorbent but some porcelain & natural stone is & these should be sealed. Apart from expensive epoxy products, waterproof adhesive & grout is only waterproof in the sense it won’t turn to mush when wet, it still absorbs water to a degree so it’s very important the tile base is waterproof in wet areas, plasterboard (even MR) isn’t & should be tanked if its to last any length of time. Using quality trade adhesive & grout of the correct type for your tiles & tile base is also important, most own brand & DIY stuff is crap. With tiles that size, you should not use tub ready mix adhesive or it may never fully set, did you use cement powder adhesive? If you use powder adhesive over plaster or plasterboard, it must be acrylic primed to avoid a reaction between the gypsum & cement in the adhesive. There is also a maximum weight limit when tiling over plaster & plasterboard!

If you live in a hard water area, water to lying in the bottom of the recess will cause lime scale discoloration & even mould to form if the water is allowed to sit there. Wiping down the shower with squeegee after ever use sounds like a real pain but can make a tremendous difference to maintaining looks over a period of time.

 

[louiscribber]

Oh no !

I did use pre mixed waterproof adhesive......the adhesive also serves as grout.

It wasnt cheap adhesive, it was one of the good brands.

Will I get away with it ? Its plasterboard.

The shower wont be used until the 15th July, 10 more days to dry out.
I could delay grouting them to allow them to dry out a bit more.

As a matter of interest, how would I have made the recessed tiles flush ?
By using a thicker layer of adhesive ?

 

[Richard C]

Oh dear . Sorry to make matter worse, generally fix-n-grout products are terrible & most are unfit for purpose on small tiles let alone large format tiles, what “good brand” was it?

As far as the plasterboard goes, who knows, it could last a few months or a few years, it depends on many factors. If (when) water gets in (fix-n-grout ), PB it will disintegrate & if you were to see the state of some I rip out, you would never use it again in wet areas. Both PB & adhesive/grout manufacturer’s recommend tanking so you’ve no chance of any warranty claim. Cement based adhesive is chemical cure so the size of tile is not critical. Tub adhesive relies on evaporative cure & will take an absolute age to set behind large format tiles, the only way for the moisture to evaporate is through the grout lines; sometimes it never fully cures in which case your tiles will eventually become loose & fall off. We’ve had instances of folks waiting a month with tiles still moving around to the extent they have eventually taken them down & retiled using the correct products. Unless you want to rip it all down now & start again your best bet is to wait, hope for the best & check for movement before you grout. Even after grouting you should not use the shower for 10 days or, again, you will compromise the gout integrity.

As a matter of interest, how would I have made the recessed tiles flush ?
By using a thicker layer of adhesive ?

Yes; easy using cement addy but with fix-n-grout, unsure how successful it would be.

 

[louiscribber]

Thanks mate.

The product was durabond waterproof fix and grout.
I'm not sure durabond is a good brand or not...it was purchased in Northern Ireland.

The product says that it is suitable for shower areas, that grouting can be done after 8 hours.....
I waited over 72 hours before grouting.

When I removed the baton, the tiles were fixed rock solid to the wall.

I'm still freaking out a little bit at the possibility that the product does not "do exactly what it says on the tin" !


I wonder are DIY stores being negligent by selling premixed products for showers.....
I mean, I went there in good faith, and bought a product which by the description on the tin was perfect for showers, and now I'm left feeling a bit worried !


The factsheet on the product is here

http://www.mcloughlins.ie/includes/downloads/safety_data_sheets/fix_n_grout.pdf

 

[Richard C]

Nothing wrong with quality ready mix tile adhesive for smaller tiles & used in the right circumstances, I regularly use BAL White Star which is excellent stuff. Confess I’ve no experience with Durabond but then I would never chose/use fix-n-grout products & I don’t know any tiler that would. I tend to stick with the one product range I know will do what it says on the tin but it’s probably the most expensive on the market. The Durabond link you posted is just a safety data sheet, no technical info & I couldn’t find any on their website either apart from general sales blurb.

Unlike a decent trade outlet, DIY stores mostly stock “value” products which will give them maximum profit, they have very little trade experience or expertise. You rarely see quality trade products as prices can be comparatively high & the average DIYer won’t see any point in paying extra for quality they cannot perceive. I would be concerned how well it stands up in the longer term despite what it says on the tin; also that you’ve use un-tanked, standard plasterboard in a wet area, if/when the water gets through it’ll be curtains for the PB in a very short time. If the tiles appear to be stuck well no point in freaking out over it, you might as well leave as is, use & enjoy the shower; at least you’ll know next time.