Battens onto tanking?!?! Help!

[Julz77]

Morning all

A wee question about battens and tanking? Advice really appreciated

After the area is tanked how do u fix battens to the wall? It's around a bath so can't use batten stands. How can they be fixed without damaging the membrane?!!

Also what way do u find best for fixing battens to concrete wall?

Thanks for the help!

Julie

 

[DHTiling]

What type of tanking are you using.?

 

[Gazzer]

Batten stands ! Propping the batten up with tiles etc..
As for concrete, either same as above or masonry nails

 

[kilty55]

you could cut the bath in first julz no need for battens then

 

[nybor62]

just go straight of the bath with your 1st tile, weather its a cut or full tile put a datum line around for your 1st row of tiles

 

[Julz77]

What type of tanking are you using.?

Hi, it's Mapei tanking.

 

[DHTiling]

Hi, it's Mapei tanking.

OK, if you prefer to use battens , then simply patch in the hole from the fixing with adhesive (once the first tiled row is dry) and then when dry tank it..

 

[Julz77]

Think I'll just go off the bath, plumber put it in yest so hopefully be pretty level.
First time I have done a full bathroom floor and walls in a 'oner' think I have planned it to death!

 

[DHTiling]

Think I'll just go off the bath, plumber put it in yest so hopefully be pretty level.
First time I have done a full bathroom floor and walls in a 'oner' think I have planned it to death!

Never assume the bath is dead level as most do camber... datum line next row up from the bath and cut to that line in consecutive rows..

 

[Julz77]

Never assume the bath is dead level as most do camber... datum line next row up from the bath and cut to that line in consecutive rows..

Think that's the best plan. Thanks !

What do you use for your battens? I have old levels that were cheap and no good but use them like boxed ali lengths. Wonder if strips of MDF architraves might be better?

 

[DHTiling]

I very rarely use a batton..but sometimes i have used them when i don't want the weight of the tiling to push onto the substrate whilst the adhesive dries to take support, like when i have insulation boards down on the floor or crack isolation membrane , where these can crush under heavy weight from stone tiles etc.

 

[Julz77]

I very rarely use a batton..but sometimes i have used them when i don't want the weight of the tiling to push onto the substrate whilst the adhesive dries to take support, like when i have insulation boards down on the floor or crack isolation membrane , where these can crush under heavy weight from stone tiles etc.

Do you just never tried batten-less, do you just work off your datum?

Hoping Santa brings me a laser level!

 

[DHTiling]

It is a case of i have a better / quicker method and work in rows straight from the substrate when it allows.

 

[AliGage]

It's very rare that bath rims run true and flat. Get yourself a few packs of 5mm wedges from tradetiler. Cut into the bath first to a datum line as suggested. Once you're done the cut row, stick a level along it and use the wedges to bring anything into place.

I almost always use battens. 2"x1" pse from any diy shop is the cheapest, it's never straight though, but thin enough to be able to bend into place. Stud walls i use a collared plug when drilling for the batten, masonary i use a standard 6mm plug and put a longer fixing into the brickwork behind.

If you're drilling through a tanking membrane use a HSS bit to start and that way it won't grab and tear at the membrane sheet like pehaps a wood bit would. Patch after with a small square of membrance stuck with adhesive.
For other such tanking, cover your hole with the jointing tape provided and apply adhesive or further tanking coat over the top of the area.

 

[afright]

When tiling onto a bath I always do the first row if using porcelain and fix with rapid then I leave it till it sets before I carry on,had a bad one once where I tiled above the bath got halfway up the wall and the weight pushed the bath away from the wall and the tiles started to slide behind the bath which was only stuck with silicone,I,ll never make that mistake again.

 

[AliGage]

Was the bath no fixed to the wall or battened?

 

[afright]

No the plumber had to come back and fix it again,I always check the bath if I use porcelain or a heavy tile now,it seems a lot of plumbers tend to just use silicone,just done a showeroom and that had the same problem with the tray told the builder to do it again.

 

[AliGage]

Yeehah!! I wonder what these plumbers think might happen to the bath when is full and the average bloke gets in it for a soak?

Average bath holding 150 litres of water: 150 litres = 150 Kilograms
Average bloke say 11.5 stone: 11.5 stone = 75 Killograms (Approx)

Totalling almost a quarter of a ton = Epic fail!