First time tiling with marble. Advice please

[Tamar Home Services]

Lol you seem to jack of all trades !!underpinning a house properly also requires skill

The underpinning, along with all my work on this house is being controlled by LABC.

I look at everything as a process. I am a degree qualified engineer having worked for several years in manufacturing. Whilst I don't claim to have in depth knowledge about very much I have learned that a combination of knowledge, aptitude and skills brought on to many jobs can achieve the correct result.

If the skills are lacking one can do a certain amount to reduce the skill level needed for the job. There are loads of tools out there that aim to do exactly that.

In the case of the marble tiling I know that marble tiles will be less forgiving than ceramic or porcelain, so from the point of process I need to be ontop of my game.

 

[Dave]

Hi Hugo.
You will be adding a lot of weight to those walls , the substrate needs to be suitable to take the weight. A suitable backer board will be required IMHO.

 

[Tamar Home Services]

Hi Hugo.
You will be adding a lot of weight to those walls , the substrate needs to be suitable to take the weight. A suitable backer board will be required IMHO.

Thanks Dave, and long time no see!

Three of the walls are solid concrete block. The 4th is a stud wall that I was going to use wedi board and plasterboard.

From what you're saying do I use hardbacker on all the walls with mechanical fixing and waterproof the shower area, or just the stud wall.

Also will wediboard support the tiles, or do I use hardibacker and then waterproof?

 

[Dave]

Thanks Dave, and long time no see!

Three of the walls are solid concrete block. The 4th is a stud wall that I was going to use wedi board and plasterboard.

From what you're saying do I use hardbacker on all the walls with mechanical fixing and waterproof the shower area, or just the stud wall.

Also will wediboard support the tiles, or do I use hardibacker and then waterproof?

What is covering the block walls ?

 

[Tamar Home Services]

What is covering the block walls ?

Render and multi finish. I was going to level it out with tile adhesive

 

[Dave]

Render and multi finish. I was going to level it out with tile adhesive

Is it sand/cement or gypsum base coat

 

[Tamar Home Services]

Is it sand/cement or gypsum base coat

The sub base is sand cement. The skim , which the tiled have taken much off, is the multifinish.

 

[Tamar Home Services]

After much thought I have decided to explain to the customer that this is a job I do not wish to take on.

1 I am busy with a huge amount of non tiling work, including work on my own house.

2 I know the customers have an eye for detail and have picked up on issues with the decorating etc. A 2nd rate job would be an expensive mistake for them. And as I don't actually tile that often I don't think it would work too well.

Ive got plenty of other work with the same customer, and he was absolutely fine with me telling him I didn't want to do it. I volunteered my services before I realised he wanted marble lol

 

[Dave]

After much thought I have decided to explain to the customer that this is a job I do not wish to take on.

1 I am busy with a huge amount of non tiling work, including work on my own house.

2 I know the customers have an eye for detail and have picked up on issues with the decorating etc. A 2nd rate job would be an expensive mistake for them. And as I don't actually tile that often I don't think it would work too well.

Ive got plenty of other work with the same customer, and he was absolutely fine with me telling him I didn't want to do it. I volunteered my services before I realised he wanted marble lol

It is probably a very wise decision Hugo and good of you to realise it wasn’t an easy project.

 

[Tamar Home Services]

It is probably a very wise decision Hugo and good of you to realise it wasn’t an easy project.

Well we can't all be good at everything. I have my strengths and with time being of the essence I'm happy to apply them where they are needed.

If he was going with ceramic, porcelain or even a wet room that would have been fine. I've done all of those a few times