Plumber done a runner/ Need to DIY whats left of bathroom

[alexhayes]

I wont go into massive details about how i`ve been screwed over but i`ve basically got one tiled wall, a tiled floor and a bath installed in what was our upstarrs bathroom. The plumbing for the sink sticking is out the floor, a couple of holes in the outer wall for the WC (fookin cold!! as we have no rad in ther too!). A wonky shower tray falling the wrong way, some piping for the shower cubilcle set in the wall (though needs adjusting to suit the inset thermo shower valve).

Its been like this for months and it cant go on, i`m getting no where with the e jit that started the work so its DIY to the rescue (ie i`m not willing to pay scum to do it again)

(we have downstairs WC, so at least we are not ***ing in buckets). I`ll make an apology now for the amount of dumb ass questions i`m going to ask over the next month or so, please bear with me! Down to work then.

So i`ll start with question and problem No.1

Floor tiling 101: We have poreclan(sp) tiles (big ones circa 400mmx 280mm ish off the top of my head) which have been installed upon some 5mm ish board nailed to our floorboards, slapped on with some Unibond Tile on floors non premixed stuff. Most of the tiles are fine and attched well but a couple (mainly where floor isnt 100% level, causing rocking motion on tile) have become lose, the adhesive seems very brittle to me.

What are my options? rip it all up (approx 5m^2) and start again with thicker board and some flexible floor tile and grout (i have been using the search button! boy some people bitch on here dont they?)

or can it be salvaged by maybe levelling the offending area (i have a sledgehammer ) and re- adhesefying (new word, i like it) the offending tiles

right then, off i go into the plumbing section to ask about installing wc's and shower plumbing, i can see this being fun as i have no knowledge of plumbing!!

also anyone now any heavvies to go do in some scumbag (joke by the way> i knew i should have done the work myself)

excuse the humour, if i dont laugh about it i`ll cry

 

[gcol]

Take up the tiles and thin board. Screw down 12mm WBP (exterior) ply every 200mm. Then stick the tiles down with some flexible powdered adhesive (suitable for porcelain tiles) and a flexible powdered grout. I'd recommend you stick (pun intended) with BAL adhesives when tiling on wood - they are expensive but it'll probably save you doing the job a third time.

NOTE: There are certain forum members that are recommending the use of "speciality adhesives" from Wickes - saying that you can tile straight onto well screwed down floorboards. Please take no notice or I'm afraid you might find yourself back in the same situation you're in now.

 

[joe-90]

Or he could contact Wickes for advice. They guarantee all their products and test them rigorously.

 

[Moz]

joe-90

they guarantee......tub mud/mix ...yeah right .....the tub not the job ...



use good stuff if ever a prob ...
bal an the powder tile adhesives /mud mix will FULLY REFIT/PAY YOUR WHOLE BATHROOM ,
an its not unheard of for them to sort out .....

by Pro tiler lads ...
a lot of the mayor firms do this ...

the diy sheds will reimbuse your SH*T TUB MIX , not the repair ..FACT ,all pro tilers know that...lol...lol


an they mix sloppy /rubbish adhesive ... couldnt care less ....

 

[joe-90]

Bal make a product for tiling to boards - so he can use that eh?

 

[Moz]

joe-90

have you used it an read the recommended applying advice on that tub mix ?

 

[alexhayes]

Cheers for the advice guys,

i'm going to rip it all up and start again with some thicker board, and the BAL stuff if i can get it. Where can i get these BAL adhesives though? i have not seen them about..

on hands on knee's now starting the clear up!! i dont think any of these tiles have adheared properly

cheers, i'm off until 8th jan, so i'd better make some progress

 

[Moz]

alexhayes
http://www.bpindex.co.uk/manf.html?id=1060

they got a new website but this applies still ....

 

[alexhayes]

Thank you Moz. I have the correct boards now (£7 each from b&Q, robbing ***t's) and i also realised that all the floor boards that had been removed had not been secured!!!! and were free to just move about, no wonder teh tiles would not adhere!

Been nailing and screwing the floor boards down and alos sorting the uneven ness. I will lay the boards tomorrow as i'm off playing santa claus tonight.

Do i need to 1:5 mix PVA onto these boards and let it dry before i should start tiling?

many thanks, glad i had the guts to start over. (although getting tile adhesive off the backs of the tiles was not fun) still, they are at least cut to shape!

alex

Update: i have a couple of local suppliers!!! might have to wait until wednesdsay though to get some

 

[Moz]

alexhayes
dont pva .....*SHOCK /HORROR !!"...as the adhesive /mud mix sticks too the pva an then lifts /fails ...

use this ....single part flex
http://www.building-adhesives.com/bal/bal_products/single_part_flexible.asp

 

[alexhayes]

lol, good job i asked!!!

cheers

 

[alexhayes]

Well, secured floorboards with 12mm ply screwed at 200mm ish centres, coupled wil BAL single part flex seems to have done the trick.

Only problem is the wall tiling that was started is now no longer at the correct height (due to thincker boards) so we have taken all that off as well!! The adhesive was still wet in some parts!!

So BAL to the rescue again with its rapid set stuff for porcelain tiles. We did a wall last night and the quality difference between our tiling and the so called tradesman is shocking, it now looks so much better. Just need to look into how to tile round a window and we should be all good, bar the fact we have tiled about 1/5th of the bathroom!!

Also had a bash at plumbing, and got our new towel rad in, and with no leaks!! So I had a bash at doing the shower valve and recessing it into the wall. I recessed it a little too much and came through the other side of the wall, so i`ve now tried my hand with brickwork and mortar!! Loving it but its hard work!

many thanks

 

[wizbongre]

Well, secured floorboards with 12mm ply screwed at 200mm ish centres, coupled wil BAL single part flex seems to have done the trick.

Only problem is the wall tiling that was started is now no longer at the correct height (due to thincker boards) so we have taken all that off as well!! The adhesive was still wet in some parts!!

So BAL to the rescue again with its rapid set stuff for porcelain tiles. We did a wall last night and the quality difference between our tiling and the so called tradesman is shocking, it now looks so much better. Just need to look into how to tile round a window and we should be all good, bar the fact we have tiled about 1/5th of the bathroom!!

Also had a bash at plumbing, and got our new towel rad in, and with no leaks!! So I had a bash at doing the shower valve and recessing it into the wall. I recessed it a little too much and came through the other side of the wall, so i`ve now tried my hand with brickwork and mortar!! Loving it but its hard work!

many thanks

Sounds like you are having fun I'm just getting into a complete refit of my bathroom and loving every minute of it. Even last week when the outer leaf of the external wall fell apart whilst drilling for a sink waste pipe Oops!

The best bit will be when its all complete and you can say you did it yourself.

 

[Tozzy]

Well, secured floorboards with 12mm ply screwed at 200mm ish centres, coupled wil BAL single part flex seems to have done the trick.

I thought the golden rule was to use 18mm ply prior to tiling over, not any less?

lol let's hope you don't have to rip it all back up again alex . Personally, I don't see why you would have to use 18mm. So what, it's a couple of mm less.

The best bit will be when its all complete and you can say you did it yourself.

And kept your money for booze and fags .

 

[wizbongre]

I've got 12mm ply down as well although nowhere near the tiling stage yet! I am in two minds to lay another layer of 4mm running perpendicular to the 12mm. None of it is permanently fixed down yet so I still have the option.

But then my dad did his a couple of years ago with 10mm I think (or whatever the next size down from 12mm is!) after screwing down all of his floorboards and he has had no problems at all. My specific worry isn't so much with the tiles generally but more with the one or two that will have the toilet sat ontop of them...