Tiling onto plywood

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

flyfisher said:
So, my next obvious question is about the grouting.

What is the latest and greatest in grouting that will not discolour and harbour mould?

I've read about epoxy grouts but the thought of trying to neatly apply "araldite" between tiles seems a bit alarming. :lol:

OK, I'm sure it can't really be like that but, seriously, is epoxy grout something worth considering or would the modern 'wipe-it-in-wipe-it-off' grouting be just as good these days?

Dont know about back then but does what it says on the tube today and comes in an array of colours and finishes another 12 years and everyone will be using it

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

Tile Marble Granite said:
Tiles falling off the wall due to condensation: shower head View attachment 136112
No matter what you install on the walls, tile or panels there is ongoing condensation going on behind the tile/panel 24/7

Not much holding them on to begin ?

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

flyfisher said:
Whoosh - another 10 years gone by!

Someone might be interested in another update so here are a couple of photos I've just taken of the shower cubicle in question.

12 years of almost daily use since it was finished there have been no leaks, no cracks, no tiles have dropped off, in fact no problems at all except a bit of discolouration of the grout.

Not bad for a DIY job, considering most of the advice was to use cheaper and faster materials. I understand this because professionals are always under price and time pressure, but at the risk of being controversial I'd suggest that most DIYers are capable of as good if not better results than most professionals, as long as they take their time.

In my case, I spent a ludicrously long time to build this shower cubicle (in fact, it was a completely new room), which would never have been acceptable to any professional's customers. Also, because I was saving loads by not having to pay someone, the materials costs were not as important as they would be for a professional. So when I built the stud wall to create this shower room I used treated 4x2 C24 structural studs instead of the more 'normal' 3x2 carcassing timber, plus I spaced them closer than 'normal' for extra strength. Basically, I over-engineered the whole job but the extra cost of the materials was probably only a few £100 (this was 12 years ago!).

So it's an interesting dilemma. Pay a professional for a fast job or DIY and save a lot of money? The big factor, of course, is time and the fact that I have plenty of it, being retired. But when the job is finished, only the end result is important because no one ever asks 'how long did that take?' and it's only the final quality that matters.

Was your own house , no liability only to the wife , everyday day in day out, i dont ever use plywood is no need today
Part way through a job most customers become time sensitive only several weeks after finished they begin to appreciate the finish .
No Mr G is never going to get his hands dirty

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

Dan said:
The idea is the tiles are aesthetics only. Water can ingress through the grout after prolonged use over several days and that water needs breath back out from behind the grout. That's with cement grout mind.

Welcome back matey. Been a while.

Need once a year maintenance with those type of installations just a breeding ground for bacteria imho
Most showers i take out an is quite a few are ringing wet and have failed .

flyfisher · Jun 10, 2024

Tile Marble Granite said:
Tiles falling off the wall due to condensation: shower head View attachment 136112
No matter what you install on the walls, tile or panels there is ongoing condensation going on behind the tile/panel 24/7

Hmm. I'm no expert but it looks like those tiles have been dot-and-dabbed and/or have been very poorly applied in the first place and/or the adhesive itself has failed, ie nothing to do with whether the substrate was plywood or not.

Is this really the way walls should be tiled? I applied my tile cement with one of those notched trowels and none of the tiles are even loose, never mind falling off, including the ones I fixed to the ceiling!

flyfisher · Jun 10, 2024

Kastar UK said:
Need once a year maintenance with those type of installations just a breeding ground for bacteria imho

What sort of annual maintenance would be required? Raking out and re-grouting or something else? Wiping over with diluted bleach every few months doesn't seem to prevent discolouration.

Tile Marble Granite · Jun 10, 2024

Once the grout is applied 24h/72h later apply a few coats of sealer. You always follow manufacturer's instructions. Maintenance consists of cleaning periodically to keep it clean and apply sealer once a year.

See these pictures, it is a brick wall, troweled, condensation/moisture damaged, black mold like never seen before.
Notice, the black mold grows from inside out.

Every single job of mine is well documented. An effort to educate the customer about what is going on withing the building trade and the importance of using the best materials available on the market, and the importance of waterproofing.

Once you get into the repair business and run into these jobs on a daily basis you get an idea what's good or bad. There are good, bad and in between materials available on the market. Good materials cost money but gets you a top-notch lasting job. Bad/in between materials cost less but gets you nowhere.
Job done in London Town

Dan · Jun 10, 2024

Ewwww thats bad! Terrible for anybody with breathing problems like myself. I have to watch out for that stuff. It's like Stranger Things upside down world or whatever it was called. Where the nasty monsters live!

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

flyfisher said:
What sort of annual maintenance would be required? Raking out and re-grouting or something else? Wiping over with diluted bleach every few months doesn't seem to prevent discolouration.

Carefully rake out 3-4mm of the spoiled grout with hand diamond grout rake , remove the spoiled silicone (100 mm razor scraper) & replace .
Customer wants his downstairs toilet vamping , had a look at the ensuite i did probably two years ago while there , silicone was black , grout was dis coloured had pink and black .
Looks ugly i used forever whites and quality cement grout .
Told him will whip it all out and replace for him with coloured waterproof polymer glue when i do the downstairs

Forgive the commas , maths all day backwards , English i need a plumber

Tile Marble Granite · Jun 10, 2024

Kastar UK said:
Carefully rake out 3-4mm of the spoiled grout with hand diamond grout rake , remove the spoiled silicone (100 mm razor scraper) & replace .
Customer wants his downstairs toilet vamping , had a look at the ensuite i did probably two years ago while there , silicone was black , grout was dis coloured had pink and black .
Looks ugly i used forever whites and quality cement grout .
Told him will whip it all out and replace for him with coloured waterproof polymer glue when i do the downstairs

Forgive the commas , maths all day backwards , English i need a plumber

send us some pictures

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

Tile Marble Granite said:
send us some pictures

Pictures of ? Only take pictures of nice jobs not maintenance work , might have one or two took on a mobile phone of a blurry 30 year old shower revamp in a abersoch holiday let or other bad ones when trying to take a photo of beige epoxy

A chimney stack glued back together in Black Resin ?
Did the wetroom probably 8 years ago , did more work there and repointed wetroom floor

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

Tile Marble Granite said:
send us some pictures

Is not my tiling or my install , i helped with a problem , started off as a bad shower door

Kastar UK · Jun 10, 2024

Tile Marble Granite said:
send us some pictures

Found picture of same job before removing the excess , soft edge tiles will use small razor scraper , square edge tiles can use 100 razor scraper

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