What Do I Have Behind My Tiles Here?

[MrMiller]

Hi folks

I'm currently removing tiles from our bathroom, which quite likely hasn't been touched in decades!

I'm just wondering what I have here:-

And whether I need to keep going or stop here and have it re-finished over the top?

You'll see to the right that there does seem to have been some very thin boarding originally put in place on top of the plaster here but it's basically all just come off along with the tiles.

I have got a wee bit with some hairy patch sticking out:-

So I'm not sure if this is lath and plaster wall?

If so, or even if not, what's the best course of action?

Probably going to put bathroom panels rather than tiles directly over whatever we do to get it in decent condition, if that makes any difference to possibly course of action.

Thanks.

 

[foxhole]

Wall panels don’t need much prep , as long as there is nothing sticking out from wall it’s very forgiving and easy to install .

 

[accelerator]

The hairy patch could be a filamentous fungus, it's hard to tell from the pic.

 

[MrMiller]

Wall panels don’t need much prep , as long as there is nothing sticking out from wall it’s very forgiving and easy to install .

Thanks. I don't know if you can see from the photo but the wall seems pretty uneven - there are bits where that thin board seems have a bit of a hollow behind it, so I guess it was pretty uneven when that board was initially applied. I was thinking it would be pva mixes, then replaster to level off-ish.

I've no experience with this though, but could give it a go if its just "roughly" level for wall panels...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

So I'm not sure if this is lath and plaster wall?

Easy to work out what it is - Lath will be an internal partition wall, and if you tap it, it will sound hollow.

 

[MrMiller]

The hairy patch could be a filamentous fungus, it's hard to tell from the pic.

Sorry that was a pretty bad, blurry image. I took another one:-

I think there's another thread on here with something similar and someone said it was horse hair?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I think there's another thread on here with something similar and someone said it was horse hair?

They used to mix horsehair, in with plaster, to help reinforce it back in the day. Is it an old property?

 

[MrMiller]

They used to mix horsehair, in with plaster, to help reinforce it back in the day. Is it an old property?

Yeah, 1930s I think. The plaster is pretty much well in place on the wall but there is a bit which has come away in a line above the door frame, so I'm guessing it is lath and plaster. Having said that, it isn't sounding particularly hollow. But it's definitely not structural as it's only about 7/8 inches wide between the bathroom and the top of the stairs / landing.

 

[foxhole]

Thanks. I don't know if you can see from the photo but the wall seems pretty uneven - there are bits where that thin board seems have a bit of a hollow behind it, so I guess it was pretty uneven when that board was initially applied. I was thinking it would be pva mixes, then replaster to level off-ish.

I've no experience with this though, but could give it a go if its just "roughly" level for wall panels...

Adhesive for wall panels will accommodate most undulation, mine are over a mix of tile and thin MDF panels where walls were untiled to get walls almost flat.Wall panels are fairly rigid so only need installing vertically as they interlock .

 

[simplesteve]

The ' thin board' you refer to is is actually the tile adhesive. It is stuck solid to the tile because the ( very) dry plaster has sucked all the water out of the adhesive when it was tiled.
Keep going and strip everything off; the wall looks in very good condition.

It's personal choice whether you tile or board/panel the wall with plastic panels, but no matter what you do, the first step will be a few coats of SBR to stabilise that ' sponge' plaster wall.

 

[MrMiller]

The ' thin board' you refer to is is actually the tile adhesive. It is stuck solid to the tile because the ( very) dry plaster has sucked all the water out of the adhesive when it was tiled.
Keep going and strip everything off; the wall looks in very good condition.

It's personal choice whether you tile or board/panel the wall with plastic panels, but no matter what you do, the first step will be a few coats of SBR to stabilise that ' sponge' plaster wall.

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply - I've heard of that SBR stuff because I used to watch quite a few videos from a scouse plaster guy and he was always talking about using it!

I'm not sure re the board being the tile adhesive though - If you look at that first picture I posted and about half way down next the second tile which is still in place, you can see a wee bit of that board, which has a light limey green colour to the top of it, with the tile adhesive on top of it. At least that's how it looks to me. It's mostly all come off with the tile and adhesive but it is a distinct thin layer.

Anyway that's great though if you think it looks reasonable - If I can apply some SBR and then trying applying a reasonable smooth layer I'll maybe give it a go. We're probably going to go with wall panels anyway, so I don't think it has to be 100% perfect.

Cheers.

 

[simplesteve]

Now that I’ve ‘ zoomed in’ on that green tinged layer stuck to the adhesive ……
It’s the old top coat of finishing plaster