Can I tile on this

[Boogi]

Instagram.

Hi all, I'f the above link works, can you have a look and tell me what you think, I have pulled one bathroom tile off the wall, and it looks like the person before me has tiled over wall paper. If I strip this all back does the plaster that's left look ok to tile on if I seal it first, it's not plasterboard? It's an old house. I'm not sure how the walls were finished back in the day!

 

[DHTiling]

I wouldn't tile onto that.

 

[Dan]

I'd also consider pulling the other tiles off before they fall off! Looks like the lot could be crumbling.

 

[Boogi]

To be fair, it took some chiseling to get it off! So what do I do then? If I strip all the walls and clean it all, then what?

 

[Boogi]

Hi. So if I strip the wall bare, and am left with the base layer, what do I do then?

 

[White Room]

What is beneath the render, blockwork etc...

 

[Tony73]

Hi, i'd recommend to pull all tiles off.

 

[Boogi]

Block work I guess, can I tile on that if I seal

 

[Qwerty]

Pull all tiles off. If you overboard the walls properly you should be ok. I would never tile onto that render coat though
Those cracks look worrying ....... had the cracks transferred through to the tiles? When was that top layer of tiles put up (roughly)

 

[Boogi]

Hi, intend to pull off all the tiles, I'm retiling the bathroom. No cracks at all on the old tiles, and I should think they have been on at least twenty years. .....this is all going wrong, do I need to take it back to block, and overboard with what... Any reccomandations welcome. Ps... How do I fix the over board to the wall

 

[Peter]

Looks like a lime mortar. The only way to cure crumbly walls is to chip back to the block and dot and dab plasterboard or sand cement render, depending on time constraints.

 

[White Room]

How old is the property.....

 

[Stef]

The same as Wingn above.

I would take that lot off & DryLine (Dot n Dab) Plasterboard onto that to give you a nice smooth surface to tile to.

 

[Boogi]

I think I will clear one whole wall at the weekend then re post, now I know I risk being mocked but...... Once the tiles are removed and all the loose crap,is removed what's left looks very solid.... But you are the experts so I will re post after he weekend, if you recommend I re plasterboard, but it seems like a lot of work, and I don't want to do I if not require .

 

[ishi69]

It is definitely best to go right back to the block or brickwork. Then re plasterboard the walls prior to tiling. What type of tiles are you intending to use, if you are using heavy porcelain or stone you may have to use something other than plasterboard to prep the walls.

 

[cuemanlew]

I would take off all the tiles then tap the plaster to see if its hollow or solid, you can hear the difference, If its solid then you should be ok. Prime it first (not pva). If its hollow its got to come off (will drop off anyway). What area is it in?

 

[Boogi]

My concern is that, my walls will be so much thicker if I re plasterboard, there is handle enough room for the bath as it is. I presume the old stuff can't be made secure with s sealer or bonding agent of some sorts, can the walls be re skimmed

 

[bugs183]

It's not a disaster so don't get stressed over it Boogi!
Tiling onto old walls like this is a real pain, and it will take so much more adhesive, time, patience and swear words to achieve even half of a decent job. They've been up a long time and they've done their job, but it's time for them to go.
I'd bite the bullet and strip all the areas you want tiling back to the brick/block. It sounds bad, but just bear with us all. Wire brush all the dust off, and then get a 5 litre bottle of SBR, water it down 2 parts water to one part SBR, and get a plant sprayer from b&Q etc and spray this over the walls, brush this in to the walls with a cheap wide paint brush. This with seal the walls and make everything new and nice.
Use 12.5mm plaster board or better still 10mm marmox boards (Insulation Express are really cheap and reliable), dab these on with board adhesive (lots of handy youtube vids). If you are short of space for the bath maybe you could board one wall and dab the other board over the roll of the bath.
This way you'll have lovely sound walls, that will be a million times easier than tiling on dodgy crumbly render or plaster.
Yep it'll add a few quid, and you'll have a bit of dust etc, but honestly go for it and you'll save a ton of agro when tiling.

 

[Boogi]

ok, i think i can just about live with this, marmox board sounds like the way to go, ill strip a wall at thee weekend and see what im left with, i presume i can tile directly on to marmox baord(do i need to seal again, this is in a bathroom). time is of an issue, if i fix the board to the wall with wall adhesive,how long before i can tile

 

[bugs183]

Marmox is fine to go straight onto, its waterproof, but if you really want to make it bombproof tape over the joints in the boards with waterproof tape, that way you've tanked your walls. No need to prime. Use a good quality cement based adhesive if you can.
Fix with board adhesive, not wall adhesive as it slump behind the board and not remain flat, plus board adhesive is dead cheap.
I'm not sure of the drying times of board adhesive,I'd say leave overnight if possible, it will tell you on the bag.