Hi, looking for some support with first travertine bathroom. Thank you

[Beags]

Hi everyone,

I'm a couple of weeks away from beginning my first tiling job in my bathroom. I've been searching this site for several days now and have a few ideas but there's just so much to absorb and I would be really grateful for some clarity.

I'd like to be able to give something back but at the moment I'm all questions - one day I hope!

My plan for my 10ft by 7ft victorian terrace bathroom is as follows....

• full pedestal basin, close coupled toilet, bath with shower over and valves etc built behind a pertition wall, victorian style radiator & one window to tile around.
• 12mm 400mm x 400mm medium unfilled travertine floor tiles
• 12mm 400mm x 600mm medium unfilled travetine wall tiles
• Currently cermaic tiles on skimmed plasterboard which I plan to remove and replace with new plasterboard. I don't think there is a stud wall behind the plasterboard but just the old brickwork, I suspect it is bonded rather than screwed and plugged
• I believe the floor is currently ply wood which I may replace with the same to keep cost to a miniumum

I would appreciate help from anyone with a few questions which are:

1. Can I replace the plasterboard and using a dot & dab technique rather than plugging and screwing into the old brickwork?
2. What adhesive should I use for a) the floor and b) the walls? Can I use the same stuff? Waterproof for all the room?
3. Do I need to prime the plaster board? If so, with what?
4. Should I seal before laying the tiles as well as after?
5. What's a good colour grout for medium coloured travertine and leading from that question, what grout should I use?
6. When grouting, can I spread the grout over the entire tile as you would with ceramic or do I need to be more precise when filling the gaps on travertine?
7. What's a good tile spacer size for these size tiles?
8. Best notch size for spreading adhesive on walls and floor?
9. How big a gap should I leave between where the bottom wall tile meets the floor tile... and what about internal corners?
10. I'm going to get a Rubi 180 for this job. What do I need for drilling though the tiles for radiator pipes and other fixtures and fittings such as toilet roll holder and towel rail?
11. Do I need to use Silicon anywhere? If so, what would you recommend?
12. Is anyone against using Lithofin sealants? If not, what specific product should I use to keep the stone looking as natural as possible?
13. Presumably the process is... remove existing tiles and suite, temporary fit new sanitaryware, sort plumbing, remove new sanitaryware, tile walls (apart from bottom tile), tile floor, tile bottom wall tile, final for on new sanitaryware? Does anyone disagree?

I think that's it for now. Sorry to be so prescriptive but it helps me to try lay my thoughts out on paper (head's all over the shop at the minute).

Thank you very much
Chris

 

[ohhnoo]

Hi Everyone,

I've spent the weekend removing all tiles, old plasterboard and old 6mm ply floor and have now pretty much replaced the plasterboard ready for plumbing and tiling etc.

Thinking ahead alittle now, I've bought a Vitrex Pro 750 for cutting the travertine but I have not, until now, given condsideration to edge cuts and polishing for my tiles around the windowsill for example. I've done some searches and it would seem that "edge" cuts are probably the best option for a diyer but I don't know much about what I need for the job and secondly how I polished the rought edges.

Can anyone offer any advice for the simplest solution without it costing the earth?

Cheers
Chris

I would also like to know whats best for rounding off then polishing edges for window sill etc, I thought take the sharp top corner off with a diamond wheel followed by shapeing with a diamond file then polishing up with wet and dry. i'm going to give it a go on an offcut to see how good a finish I get.

 

[faithhealer]

Hi Everyone,

I've spent the weekend removing all tiles, old plasterboard and old 6mm ply floor and have now pretty much replaced the plasterboard ready for plumbing and tiling etc.

Thinking ahead alittle now, I've bought a Vitrex Pro 750 for cutting the travertine but I have not, until now, given condsideration to edge cuts and polishing for my tiles around the windowsill for example. I've done some searches and it would seem that "edge" cuts are probably the best option for a diyer but I don't know much about what I need for the job and secondly how I polished the rought edges.

Can anyone offer any advice for the simplest solution without it costing the earth?

Cheers
Chris

Use the manufactured edge showng and put your cut edges 'to the back'.

As for being without a loo, just connect the pan up (take the cistern off) with a flexi pan connector and use a bucket to flush!

 

[ohhnoo]

Use the manufactured edge showng and put your cut edges 'to the back'.

As for being without a loo, just connect the pan up (take the cistern off) with a flexi pan connector and use a bucket to flush!

I think he was talking about the manufacturers edge, I know I was. This edge has sharp corners which chip very easily so in my opinion it would be better to round off or chamfer the exposed corner and polish to match the honed surface.

 

[Beags]

Thanks faithhealer.

Ohhnoo, yes, it's the manufacturers edge that i want to soften. I think it's an ease cut that I've seen whereby one edge of the tile is removed at about 45 degrees to the face (only a couple of mm) and then polished in some way.

That's what I would like to achieve if possible.

Can someone tell me what tools I will need to do this job?

By the way, had a good day today. Things are taking a lot longer than expected but today I finished laying hardibacker on the floor, all the plumbing is ready, walls plasterboarded the last couple of days so tomorrow I'm onto tiling the floor then hopefully the walls over the weekend. Things should start to take shape now... slowly!

Cheers
Chris

 

[Daz]

It sounds like it's taking shape Chris :lol:. Is there a specific reason why you will be doing the floor first? You will get a lot of adhesive and other mess dropping on the floor when you do the walls. My advice is always do the walls first, leaving out the bottom cuts, then tile the floor, then do the last wall cuts.

Just a thought .

If you have a Fein Multimaster you can use the stone polishing kit to buff the edges, if not then you will need to experiment with a variety of very fine grade sand papers and blocks (not recommended). Why not apply the sealer to the edge of an off-cut, first, and see if you are happy with the finished result. It may save you a lot of time, expense and stress? Again, not recommended practice for a professional, however, it may well tick your boxes (no offence meant).

Good luck and I'm looking forward to seeing your pics .

Daz

 

[Beags]

Thanks Daz.

I read your message late last night and took your advice - started on the walls today. I did have a fair bit of adhesive hitting the floor so even if I'd covered the tiled floor it wouldn't have been ideal.

Managed to lay just 11 wall tiles this afternoon. They look great but it took a long time. The walls are not 100% true so with most of I laid them then had to remove to adjust levles of adhesive then lay again to get a clean finish - extremly satisfying though.

I used the Vitrex 750 for a few cuts. It worked ok but a few of them split a little as I fed the last inch or so through the blade which was annoying - maybe it's the standard blade i got with it or maybe it's just my technique. Where it didn't split it left quite a nice cut edge.... better than the manufacturers edge, so hopefully I can try as suggested and maybe just lightly sand the sharp edge then seal. I'd like a multimaster but I'm working to a faily tight budget.

Not going to be finished buy Monday but should have broken the back of it I reckon.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Daz]

Take your time Chris you will be more than pleased with the end results.

Don't force the tile through the cutter, let it find it's own way (so to speak) and you will damage less cuts.

When working with stone, patience is definitely a virtue .

Good luck.

 

[Beags]

Cheers. Also, I meant "by" not "buy" - schoolboy

 

[Scott]

Try cutting one side of the tile first, about an inch or so then turn the tile round and cut from the other side. It should stop that last piece splitting or breaking off.

 

[Beags]

Thanks Scottley. I tried this technique today and was having better success.

Laid most of the floor today (about 5 sq metres) and a couple of wall tiles so about half the walls and bath panel to do now.... plus a few other jobs.

I'm starting to think about sealing etc. I bought a couple of litres of Lithofin MN Stain Stop to seal but I am now, following recommendation, considering applying a coat of Lithofin MN Colour Intensifer as well.

Can I apply the intensifer before the Stain Stop? I've read that the Colour Intensifer does have so sealing properties but that this is not the products main function. I would like to bring out the natural tones in the stone but don't want to waste the Stain Stop I've already purchased.

Can I use both and have the desired effect?

Cheers
Chris