Dot and Dab tiles!!

[nat]

Hi,

hoping someone can advise me the best course of action? Bathroom refit started this week and when I have gone around to check tiling work it appears that tiles have been fixed with lumps of adhesive onto plasterboard? One tile I have managed to pull right off with very little effort, should I tell bathroom fitter to stop work?

Many Thanks in advance

 

[Gazzer]

Dot and dab fixing is not an approved method. I feel you are well within your rights to ask the tiler to fix in accordance with the adhesive companies instructions and British standards.

 

[nat]

Thanks for your quick response! I really feel that I no longer want them to carry out the rest of the work to be honest I no longer have any faith in them.

Currently left with just a bath and half a toilet, the are due back Monday, feel like just telling them to get lost but they have the rest of my bathroom, vanity unit shower enclosure toilet etc...

 

[DHTiling]

Also what size tile is it and is it tubbed adhesive or bagged. ?

 

[nat]

Tile size is 25cmx40 cm, adhesive I think is Nicobond ultragrip, in yellow tub with black lid? Thanks for your help with this, I haven't slept a wink last night worrying about it!!

 

[Gazzer]

Bonding of the Tiles
Fix dry tiles immediately by pressing them firmly into position with a slight
sliding or twisting action. Where appropriate, the adhesive can be spread
both onto the surface as described above, and buttered on the backs of
the tiles. Whichever method is used, the tiles should be firmly pressed
home to ensure solid bedding without voids, particularly in wet areas.
From time to time remove a tile to check that full contact has been made
with the adhesive bed. Where fixing is carried out in hot conditions, the
finished tiling should be protected from direct sunlight to avoid premature
drying. Should Nicobond UltraGrip dry out, due to excessive delays in
fixing, the adhesive must be removed and fresh material applied.
Adjustments to tiling can usually be made up to 15 minutes after fixing.
N&C (Nicholls and Clarke) Building materials manufacturer and supplierultragrip.pdf

View attachment ultragrip.pdf

 

[nat]

Basically its a botched job then!? Can the tiles be taken down and re-used( long shot I know)

 

[Andy Allen]

you need to explain your concerns to them, and give them the chance to put it right at there own cost, DONT let them fob you off, if they refuse to amend there mistake just remember the cards are very much stacked in your favour..

 

[Gazzer]

I know what the fixer will say..."i have always done it that way with no problem"... then you should tell him that he has always done it wrong.
While the instructions do claim it is for large format tiles and you can back butter the tiles it also states Solid bed with no voids. If he has dot and dabbed it will be neither of those.

 

[nat]

Thanks Andy for your reply, what if I don't want to continue with the work, where would I stand? I have very little confidence in the now.

 

[DHTiling]

I think you should state your concerns that :

1 : The adhesive used is really border line for that tile size.

2 : The fixing method does not conform to BS5385.

3 : Cost of rectification of said tiling works.

We have a market place that is flooded with i can do that mentality trades or i have done it for years and never had a problem type..

Stand your ground and insist on it being done to code.

 

[The D]

BSI 5385 7.2.1.5.3
Notched trowelling and buttering method
The notched trowelling and buttering method combines
7.2.1.5.1
and
7.2.1.5.2
and should be used for fixing large tiles (
3.4
) and tiles with
ribbed, deep keyed or heavy buttoned back profiles. A thin coating
of adhesive buttered over the backs should fill the deep keys before
placing the tiles in position on the combed adhesive bed. There
should be no significant increase in the bed thickness.
NOTE This bedding method aims to achieve a solid bed but, in practice,
a number of small voids are inevitable

 

[nat]

Thanks Dave, will let you know how I get on.......

 

[nat]

Dean by the looks of it there are large voids from what I can see, even if they do put it right I don't trust them to do the rest of the work...

 

[DHTiling]

Also when fixing tiles with a Dispersion ( tubbed ) adhesive , it is good practice to have an absorbent substrate or tile body , to aid in the dispersion of the moisture within the adhesive and to achieve a capillary bond.