Dot & Dab Quandry

[artfuldodger]

The story goes like this...

We have just had wall tiles fitted to our bathroom that is near completion following renovation by myself (former joiner) my partners father (plumber) and a friend of his who is a builder but came highly reccomended to fit the wall tiles. The tiles are 600 x 300 polished porcelain that the friend has gone and fitted with a dot & dab method. I kind of felt uneasy about this from the start but having been out of the building game for 15 years and considering the weight of the tiles (4kg) each I presumbed this must be common practice nowadays and the correct way of fixing.

Earlier today I was in my garage having a crafty cigarette when bordem lead me to read the back of the discarded tile adhesive packaging. No where did it reccommend dot & dab. Worried now I then went and checked on the walls, found a smallish cut tile say 8' square and with a small amount of force I easily pulled the sucker from the wall with hardly a mark left.

Now im even more worried...with 3 children one of them 2 years old should I confront the friend, try and pull them all off and try to refix on a combed bed of adhesive or was I just lucky to get this small tile from the wall and have nothing to worry about.

The tiles are floor to ceiling in some places, around the bath etc, are fixed to plasterboard walls, some bare and some painted with old emulsion.

Apart from giving up smoking

Your Thoughts appreciated

 

[pete f]

dot n dab is a no no method was the adhesive used cementitious ie mixed with water :yikes:

 

[artfuldodger]

Mixed with water yes...does this make a difference??:yikes:

 

[pete f]

no thats fine porcelbond as well why dot n dab are walls bad

 

[Daz]

What prep was done to the painted surfaces prior to tiling?
What type of adhesive was used? ready mixed or bagged?
Were the walls primed before tiling?

Regardless, dot 'n' dab is a big no no.

Tap the tiles with your knuckles, if you here hollow sounds, then don't let your kids near the bath! :mad2::mad2:.

If I was you, I'd have word with your mate and suggest he takes a look on here before correcting his mistake at his cost.

 

[White Room]

Whatever addy it's still a no no

 

[doug boardley]

you have every right to be worried artful, don't put your kids at danger, remove the tiles, it doesn't matter at this stage wether it's powder or tubbed adhesive, the method is most definitely WRONG! Afterwards use a 10mm square notched trowel with a single part flexible adhesive

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

big no no:mad2:

 

[spacer]

Shocking method of application. You should definately remove the tiles.

 

[sranners]

i wouldnt alow it mate, have a word with him see what he says, if they are all b & d take them down. feel sorry for you mate.

 

[artfuldodger]

The house is around seven years old with pretty plumb walls...I know I've fitted the furniture myself. On tapping the tiles most of them sound hollow, though would this just echo through from the hollow stud walls behind?
The adhesive was a bagged (powder) adhesive that he has mixed on site. One worrying thing my partner and I have done is look down one wall to another behind the line of tiles by pressing our faces to the wall. You can clearly see the other wall with no break for adhesive. He appears to have put little or none at all near to the edge of the tiles...

Btw ...all the comments and advice is greatly appreciated...Thanks

Nearly forgot regarding the prep work, I removed the old tiles and scraped the old ahesive off. very minor making good to do. Did he do anything else?? I dont think so but I havent done further than that.

 

[sranners]

its a real shame but its a pull down and do it again but wright, crazey that you can see the other wall through the tile,

sorry mate.

 

[White Room]

I would be phoning the guy who put them up as well:20:

 

[Daz]

I'm sorry to say that it sounds like it all needs to come off and be done correctly.

In your situation I would definatley not let my children anywhere near those tiles.

You are going to get water ingress in the substrate as well as tiles landing on your head if you don't take action soon.

Next time, consider tanking and combing the adhesive with a 10mm notched trowel.

 

[doug boardley]

at least no physical harm has been done to your family mate. Get it rectified asap tho'