600 x 300 ceramic wall tiles.

[boart]

Hello.
I am in the early stages of fixing 600 x 300 ceramic wall tiles to bathroom and ensuite walls in stretcher bond. while I have done a fair bit of tiling before (but not with tiles of this size) I'm finding it far from easy to not get any lipping. I am very fussy and strive for perfection but realistically how likely is it for me to fix this size tile with no lipping at joints and what would you trade guys consider acceptable, thanks in advance.

 

[White Room]

I'd be checking the tiles don't have a bow in the longer length

 

[boart]

Thanks for the reply whitebeam, I will check that. I'm tiling onto a stud wall lined with fermaboard which I've sealed. Pretty sure the wall was slightly bowed along the length which I tried to overcome by laying tiles and then checking along length with a 2mtr level and dubbing out as required. All looked good, but then on went the next row and there was a bit of lipping here and there not much 0.5mm or so. Is this to be expected with tiles of this size? will it get taken up when grouted?

 

[White Room]

The walls should be as flat as poss for the brick pattern, it could mean you may have to build out the odd tile. Wlth ceramic I find it can be hard to buy them perfectly flat at that size, try to keep your lighting as it will be on the finished job. The grouting might hide small imperfections but not larger lipping which should be avoided at all costs

 

[heavytrevy]

u are using a10mm trowel right?

Trev

 

[boart]

I started with a 10mm trowel when putting the first course on, but went to a smaller trowel as I thought the 10mm was leaving to much adhesive on the high spots due to the bow in the stud wall which in turn meant dubbing out the low spots more than I wanted.

 

[White Room]

What adhesive are you using and how much bow is there in the wall

 

[boart]

Bal rapidflex, Hard to say but about 4 or 5mm in the middle of a 3.0mtr run at mid height in the stud wall (a bowed stud i guess, typical) the stud wall follows a sloping 35 degree ceiling up to a height of about 3.0m so I should lose the problem the higher I get. I thought I had the first course back OK with a bit of dubbing out, but it seems with tiles of this size a small amount out just gets magnified when the next course is added.

 

[White Room]

It allways does with brickbond

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Reading the questions and replies through - post 2 from Whitebeam asked if the tiles were flat?
If they are ceramic and 60cm long it would be unusual for them to be flat and not bowed in the middle and unfortunately brick bond is not a design that allows perfection with this material.
If they are porcelain and 60cm long and they have a sharp square edge any bow in the tile will again cause 'shadows'.
You usually find the more expensive quality porcelain give a flat surface but if your preparation is uneven it will be almost impossible to put it right with tile adhesive.

 

[White Room]

Post 4 answered most of the relevent questions

 

[boart]

Thanks whitebeam, only got about another 98m/2 throughout the house to go, hopefully I've started on the worst room first regarding bowed wall. Plus I now realise how vigilant I need to be on keeping tiles flat and true.

 

[boart]

Can confirm they are 600mm ceramic from a spanish company called Saloni.
They are also square edged.
I'll check tomorrow if they are flat never gave it a thought 😳
Just picked them up, put them on, took them off, put them on, took them off:incazzato:
Would you recommend going back to a 10mm trowel on a flat wall?

Thanks for your thoughts guys

 

[White Room]

8-10mm and back skim the tiles to fill any profiles on the tile

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Post 4 answered most of the relevent questions

And boart answered mine!😛rrr:

 

[heavytrevy]

Id go back to using a 10mm with a back skim and use a rubber mallett to tap the tiles flat, hope that helps mate.

Trev

 

[Wylie]

is it not a matter of taking a bit off,putting a bit on and sticking with the 10mm,check the walls with the plumb aswell,you know what way its running as a twist in the wall will add to your problem

 

[TheFunkyMonkey]

A Customer turned up with 600 x 300 ceramic floor tiles on a job I did earlier this year. Changed their mind at the last minute. I ummed and ah'd a bit, and got on with it.
Was expecting 400 x 250 porcalain in regular pattern, so didn't pay too much attention to the flatness of the walls. 3 rows in, I was really struggling to get them all plumb in the stretcher pattern. The walls were all a bit bowed and twisted due to the studwork.
Bathroom i'm doing at the moment is a similar house, with 600 x 300 porc in vertical stretcher pattern. boarded it out today and got a long straight edge all over it in all directions. It's important to check all directions, not just horizontal and vertical. Any off bits, I level them out with addy before starting tiling. As said above, it needs to be almost perfect or you'll be pulling your hair out as to why they won't line up!
Big tiles and stretcher pattern = hard work!