Retiling Shower Room

[kevinsmbuk]

I need to retile my shower room, the shower has been leaking as water is penetrating the back of the tile through the grout and pulling the tiles off the bottom of the wall where it meets the tray.

I have tiled a concrete floor before which was fine, is this a big job? It's three walls incl door, shower and above vanity/toilet unit.

How easy will it be to break off existing tiles? I do have an SDS with a tile removal bit. would you normally have to reboard or reskim too?

 

[Eccles]

Sadly I have to say that whoever did the job in the first place did not have the necessary skills because this should be happening. Are the "walls" solid masonary with the usual plaster covering or are they so called stud walls:- plasterboard on a timber frame. If they are the first kind, was is the state of the plaster because if it is crumbling it will need to be replaced and "sealed" before sticking a tile on it. If it is the latter it will still need to be "sealed" with a high quality material such as that made by Marpei before sticking a tile on it before using a waterproof adhesive and grout. I would also recommend a quality grout sealent when you are done to prevent any build up of mould. I still remember working with a bloke years ago who did not understand these things, he stuck large tiles straight onto plasterboard (unsealed) and two fell off overnight and damaged the customer's brand new bath (yikes!).

 

[opps]

Sadly I have to say that whoever did the job in the first place did not have the necessary skills because this should be happening. Are the "walls" solid masonary with the usual plaster covering or are they so called stud walls:- plasterboard on a timber frame. If they are the first kind, was is the state of the plaster because if it is crumbling it will need to be replaced and "sealed" before sticking a tile on it. If it is the latter it will still need to be "sealed" with a high quality material such as that made by Marpei before sticking a tile on it before using a waterproof adhesive and grout. I would also recommend a quality grout sealent when you are done to prevent any build up of mould. I still remember working with a bloke years ago who did not understand these things, he stuck large tiles straight onto plasterboard (unsealed) and two fell off overnight and damaged the customer's brand new bath (yikes!).

I have worked in a number of houses where the tiler couldn't be arzed to put any coating on the new plaster. I would try and explain the chemical reaction between plaster and the cement adhesive- namely ettringite crystals, but they didn't care. They got paid and effed off.

 

[kevinsmbuk]

Sadly I have to say that whoever did the job in the first place did not have the necessary skills because this should be happening. Are the "walls" solid masonary with the usual plaster covering or are they so called stud walls:- plasterboard on a timber frame. If they are the first kind, was is the state of the plaster because if it is crumbling it will need to be replaced and "sealed" before sticking a tile on it. If it is the latter it will still need to be "sealed" with a high quality material such as that made by Marpei before sticking a tile on it before using a waterproof adhesive and grout. I would also recommend a quality grout sealent when you are done to prevent any build up of mould. I still remember working with a bloke years ago who did not understand these things, he stuck large tiles straight onto plasterboard (unsealed) and two fell off overnight and damaged the customer's brand new bath (yikes!).

Yeah I put you right there. I think the previous owner had a go. I don't mind doing it but I want to be thorough and do a proper job. So it's a bit of a mix, one wall is solid and a joins the house next door, the two two others are stud. Doesn't look like the plaster has been sealed, it seems pretty crumbly.

So I take it you cannot tile straight onto board?

 

[mcprinter]

DIYer

Leak in my Shower with one Masonry and one Plasterboard Stud Wall
Took the Masonry back to Brick. Removed the Plasterboard.

Replaced with Fully Waterproof Delta Foam Filled Board, Marmox, Wedi, Elements same thing.
Tile Adhesive and screwed to brick. Screwed to Stud - Needs extra Noggins as a bit flexible.

Also consider Shower Panels instead of Tiles. Lots of options and prices.
Some prefer Tiles.

 

[kevinsmbuk]

Thanks, would you say this is the minimum anyone should be doing, or is this very thorough.

 

[Eccles]

I did put tile straight onto plasterboard a while back (daughter's new bathroom)but only after giving it a couple of coats of Marpei sealer,see here:- https://www.toolstation.com/mapei-plaster-primer/p57804. I don't know what is in it but it seems to work and Marpei generally know what they doing when it comes to tiling. The again, going back around 20 yrs and redoing the bathroom which I knew HID would want a shelf or something put up, I scrapped the plasterboard on a stud wall and screwed on some 10 mm marine ply instead.

 

[kevinsmbuk]

Many thanks, will have to take a look once our kitchen project is finished!

 

[oldbutnotdead]

You can tile direct onto bare brick- often easier to put a backer board as above on though cos of surface irregularities.
Yes you'll destroy the plasterboard on the stud walls (unless matey dot and dabbed tiles to skimmed board, in which case the skim will probably fail before the tile glue).

 

[kevinsmbuk]

Had about 6 quotes to get the tiling redone since this thread. Got one in after the first one didn't get back to me or avoid calls, say they will call back and so on, I don't really get why you would spend an hour round a house that you are not going to do! waste of time seems to be a continuous pattern and its getting boring. Anyway rant over!

Looking like I'm going to have to do this now, so I'm thinking aqua board replacing the plasterboard in the shower area. Plasterboard for the other wall which is stud and away from shower. Seal them, or does the aqua board not need sealing? on the solid wall mould proof sealant between shower tray and wall, embed bottom row of tiles onto the bead of sealant and adhere to wall. then when finished tiling grout and seal the bottom edge between tile and shower tray as normal. Does this sound like a good route?

 

[Eccles]

1. The quality of the sealent is very important when it comes to showers, in order to avoid any mould build up which I have seen a few times, there is only one which I would use from past experience:- "Forever White by Everbuild" a Sika business. A tad more expensive but you won't regret it.
2. Also, as we all know, grout can over time attract mould too. However, I found a spray on grout seal product a few years ago which seems to do a good job:- LTP grout sealer. There are others these days but I did a bathroom all over with it about 15 years ago and said bathroom's grout has remained clean ever since.
Not familiar with aqua board but have the impression that it is supposed to be an alternative to tiling and I repeat that I have successfully put tiles onto plasterboard in the past after sealing the plasterboard with a Mapei sealent. I once saw a mate put tiles on plasterboard without such sealent and the following day they started to fall off as the adhesive dried out. The problem was solved by using some sort of glue to stick the tiles on instead he said but Mapei usually know what to do.

 

[opps]

Not familiar with aqua board but have the impression that it is supposed to be an alternative to tiling

It is a board for tiling on to. Unlike plasterboard, it won't rot if it becomes wet.

 

[mcprinter]

Is Aqua Board cement or foam filled?
Have used foam filled. Fully waterproof. Providing the joints are sealed of course.

In B&Q for loft insulation earlier and noticed that they do a pre-made, full height corner piece in the foam filled type.

Lots of options for tray to wall sealing rather then just silicon.

 

[drives]

Look at epoxy grout. Much more suitable for wet areas.

 

[kevinsmbuk]

I've just bought loads of Sts tile backer board 10mm from wickes, bought the adhesive that fills in the gaps too and the relevant screws. Seems as it this system will be totally water proof.

Do you if it's all boarding in this stuff and sealed that we could still use the shower before tiling?