First Tiling Job Not Going So Well

[tom76]

Hi Everyone,

First time I've tried tiling and I'm having problems getting the tiles to stay up. I'm using Unibond non-slip wall tile adhesive (ready mixed) and even after a couple of days they will lift off the wall very easily with a fingernail, so no chance of grouting. Strange thing is that the adhesive is stuck really well to the wall but comes clean away from the tile. I can see lots of impressions from the back of the tile so I think I've been making good contact. Any idea what I've been doing wrong?

I've had a look at a few other posts and seems that Unibond isn't everyone's favourite, so if it's a case of using a better adhesive what would be good for:

• Tiling the walls of a downstairs WC (i.e. no prolonged water contact)
• Walls are mix of plasterboard and ply (I've primed the ply with acrylic but as above there doesn't seem a problem sticking to the walls so much as the tiles themselves)
• Ceramic tiles 200 * 250 * 6mm
• Using a 6mm square notch trowel
• ready mixed

I'd like to use a ready mix as it's quite a small room/job and saves on mess etc. But near me (north London) I can only see stockists that sell BAL Green star (from a well know tile store £20 for a tub) and Mapegrip D2 (£20) MapeStik (£8) or Mapegrip D1 (£12) from a builder merchant. Or Mapei ultramastic which looks like I can use on the floor too (£30). Any of these a better choice than the Unibond and might fix the issue?

Sorry for long post. Also, if there's any knack to getting existing adhesive off ply I'd be interested to know!

Thanks!

 

[Dave]

Hi tom , I'm not a fan of the tubbed dispersion adhesives ... IMO Tom get yourself some slow set bagged adhesive , min . C1 will suffice , should be around £15 retail from your local tile shop.

20kg bag will mix more than your 15ltr tubs of poo. Lol.

Ctd , tile giant etc , topps will be more money.

 

[Dave]

Oh and up the trowel to a 8mm min notch and back skim the tiles for really strong bond.

 

[Dan]

Your adhesive could be developing a skin if you've left it on the wall too long before pressing a tile into it.

Perhaps just spread the adhesive over an area perhaps big enough for 6 or so tiles, and quickly get them on before it starts to develop a skin.

Other than that, yeah, as above, get some cement-based adhesive that's quick-setting.

 

[tom76]

Thanks for the help! Sounds like I could be trying powdered then.

My local tile chain stocks BAL max flex adhesive. Would this be ok for the walls and also could I then use for the floor too (floor tiles are 300 * 300 * 10mm, ceramic onto ply wood)? It's quite pricey but if it does a good job on wall and floor I'm ok with that. I'm hoping it doesn't set too quickly either?

 

[Dan]

Ive never even heard of that adhesive so I'll stay out of this one.

Just make sure it's suitable for the ply.

If the ply and plasterboard are on the same wall, you need an expansion strip of some kind there. The two materials will flex differently and it'll cause the tiles to crack in the future over that joint. So make the joint match a tile grout line and then silicone that grout line. Or get a proper expansion strip.