Improper prep with pics this time

[Old Mod]

Several days ago I was reading a thread on here asking what to do next. The prep had been done, and I use the word prep very loosely!, based on advice from a plasterer, NOT a tiler. Consequently several major mistakes had been made, that will or could, have dire consequences possibly in the future.
Needless to say, the poor chap who posted it came in for a barrage of sarcastic abuse. (Mind you it was funny abuse! IMO)
Anyway, my point, I was just wondering if the same plasterer did the prep for one of my bathrooms a couple of months ago? And does anybody recognise his work?
The plaster was 5 weeks old when I entered the room (this I'm positive about) so first order of business for me was to prime the walls, I used a Kerakolll primer for plaster. So as I roll my roller up the wall, THE PLASTER FOLLOWED

He had made little or no attempt to prepare the surface, no keying or paint removal of any kind! So he just went straight over the old paint which was some kind of vinyl or bathroom paint I think.
image.jpg (82.8 KB)
So guess who got to do it! And for free too, what a bonus!! (Just easier in circumstances) the only help I did get was from the plasterers governor, which did ease my pain a little.
Still, two days later, we finished removing the new plaster and old paint all the way back to original plaster, which was sound. So primed again and I was left with this!
so you see the correct prep is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!! To all those trier's and chancer's who think "it's only tiling, how hard can it be?" Haha
Anyway with a little help from Rubi, a lot of patience oh and my wife! I started to get there
And eventually, arrived at this!
)Anyway I'm sure we've all got a story like this eh!

SORRY DID TRY. BUT PICS ARE NOT IN ORDER.

 

[White Room]

the substrate looks like Browning....

 

[Old Mod]

No, def finish.
The Kerakoll turns it strange colour
oh I see what u mean now. No, that was whatever the plasterer had put on it! Looked like filthy dirty water or PVA but it certainly didn't have the feel of PVA.

 

[steve187]

the smartest tiler i have ever seen, looks like a nice job

did you use kerrakoll adhesive , i use it as often as i can

 

[Andy Allen]

that looks gorgeous .............tiling's not bad either...:lol:

 

[Qwerty]

The plaster finish may not take the weight, also were the tiles back buttered? I hope it wasn't PVA!

 

[Old Mod]

The plaster finish may not take the weight, also were the tiles back buttered? I hope it wasn't PVA!

Haha No IT WASN'T PVA! Haha and YES I back butter every single tile that goes thro my hands.
But thank you for your concern Plan Tec.

 

[Qwerty]

End finish looks great.

 

[Old Mod]

that looks gorgeous .............tiling's not bad either...:lol:

Hey Andy,
why d'u think I put her pic up! To detract from the work ya nutta! Haha
Rather u didn't call her 'that' tho! Haha she'd be upset me thinks!
but thanks for the compliment all the same

 

[Old Mod]

End finish looks great.

Thank you Plan Tec. Appreciated!

 

[jonnyc]

Was the ordinal tiling done with these clips or was this when redone.
never seen these before.
what are they

 

[Old Mod]

That was the reference to Rubi.
They are Rubi's tile level straps and cups. Straighten anything!
I like em, can save bundle of time, but comes at a cost of course haha but sometimes it's worth it. I did another two Travertine bathrooms in same flat as well. So I figured they warranted the cost.
original tiles were white 6x6 straps used when re done.

 

[jonnyc]

I can understand using them for porcelain that is flexible and bowed although by tightening I would imagine putting stress on other part of tile that might want to lessen bed contact under another point under tile.
we tried another type recently on big 800 x800 porc floor but didn't work that well.inexperience on our part maybe.
but for travertine that doesn't normally flex and is quite fractious and weak I would worry that the straps could cause tiles to crack.
the plus point of I could foresee would have been years ago when ardex x7 and ardion 90 had tendency to slump as it went off over night and these clips would have helped combat that.
but nowasdays don't seem to have slumping problems.
would be interested on anyone else experience with these with stone.
i may be missing a trick here and not keeping up with the times.
how much time do think it saves you.i guess it's difficult to work out accurately as every job different

 

[Old Mod]

I can understand using them for porcelain that is flexible and bowed although by tightening I would imagine putting stress on other part of tile that might want to lessen bed contact under another point under tile.
we tried another type recently on big 800 x800 porc floor but didn't work that well.inexperience on our part maybe.
but for travertine that doesn't normally flex and is quite fractious and weak I would worry that the straps could cause tiles to crack.
the plus point of I could foresee would have been years ago when ardex x7 and ardion 90 had tendency to slump as it went off over night and these clips would have helped combat that.
but nowasdays don't seem to have slumping problems.
would be interested on anyone else experience with these with stone.
i may be missing a trick here and not keeping up with the times.
how much time do think it saves you.i guess it's difficult to work out accurately as every job different

the straps tend to snap off before the stone breaks. Unless it's already fractured and I haven't noticed somehow. (which they're designed to do with aid of special tension pliers anyway) u just can't put masses of tension in them, because u soak them in water first to give them elasticity. U get feedback from tensioners into your hand, and if you've been in this game long enough, which u obviously have,
it takes just a few hrs to get the feel for them. Not for the novice tho chaps! It can send your work all over the place, I know, I've let a couple of fairly inexperienced tilers at them to see what would happen! Yeah cruel I know but so amusing! Haha
As far as time saving goes, we'll i spose that depends on the user, I think u find your own way of using them and when they do help and when not. But for me, it can prevent that last few mins with a tile, you know, when it comes down to last little bit of adjustment. When u run the side of a packer over your joint to see if u can here it catch the adjoining tile. Or am I alone here? Haha I'm sure I'm not!
Does that cover it Jon?

 

[Mr Tiler]

surely though if one tile is off and the other nice and flat in order for these to get the tiles meeting nicely it must have to pull away from the adhesive and cause a void behind the tile? im not very experienced though so that is just a guess lol

 

[Old Mod]

surely though if one tile is off and the other nice and flat in order for these to get the tiles meeting nicely it must have to pull away from the adhesive and cause a void behind the tile? im not very experienced though so that is just a guess lol

yeah like I said Mr T, not for the novice! Don't mean to be offensive, just honest!

 

[Mr Tiler]

I understand what you mean I can imagine me using them there would be many issues lol

 

[jonnyc]

Thanks for explaining. We used the yellow pegs from tradetiler.
i think to be honest my employees are so used to setting stone without them that they could not be bothered to stick at but I did find when I tried that they did not help much but as you say need to keep at and learn what jobs are better suited or not.
sounds like you certainly know what you're doing and using these as an for certain circumstances.
i was imagining fixers who are not very experienced thinking that you just notch the floor or wall and then bed the tiles flat by cranking up the straps regardless of whether stone tiles vary in thickness which they often do

 

[Old Mod]

I understand what you mean I can imagine me using them there would be many issues lol

Hey, all good thing come to those who wait!
haha well sometimes u just have to grab with both hands and run with it!

 

[Old Mod]

Thanks for explaining. We used the yellow pegs from tradetiler.
i think to be honest my employees are so used to setting stone without them that they could not be bothered to stick at but I did find when I tried that they did not help much but as you say need to keep at and learn what jobs are better suited or not.
sounds like you certainly know what you're doing and using these as an for certain circumstances.
i was imagining fixers who are not very experienced thinking that you just notch the floor or wall and then bed the tiles flat by cranking up the straps regardless of whether stone tiles vary in thickness which they often do

my god wish it was that easy hahaha all u would do is continually snap them, they're an aid only. And believe me picking up a stone that's down and almost there! Just to replace strap, haha NO! Hey your a stone fixer, describe your frustrating when u've got to lift a piece of stone cos u've messed up! Haha
Marc

 

[jonnyc]

Marc . See you are local to me so we must work similar areas.
do you know any stockist fairly local of good quality travertine ivory honed and filled where client could actually go and see a few tiles in crate rather than just sample.
i have a job in 10 days and client wants to buy off internet which is chancy unless you know the supplier especially for travertine.
european heritage used to good quality but not been over there for awhile.

 

[Old Mod]

Marc . See you are local to me so we must work similar areas.
do you know any stockist fairly local of good quality travertine ivory honed and filled where client could actually go and see a few tiles in crate rather than just sample.
i have a job in 10 days and client wants to buy off internet which is chancy unless you know the supplier especially for travertine.
european heritage used to good quality but not been over there for awhile.

a good friend of mine owns marble company in Wimbledon, I'll give him a call, see if he can recommend somewhere. Do you know where European Heritage warehouse is in Parsons Green Lane? There's a high end stone supplier there as u drive in on right. See what info I can gather for u.

 

[jonnyc]

Marc
yes I know stoneage well.
was at school with owners and been recommended by them for 25 years.
they don't do travertine light.
i was getting container loads of travertine from North london for new builds near me plus staircases we fabricated on site but quality gone down hill.
if you hear of anyone then great.
think I will go in to European heritage next week as they were always good ,but you pay the premium which is fair.

 

[Old Mod]

Marc
yes I know stoneage well.
was at school with owners and been recommended by them for 25 years.
they don't do travertine light.
i was getting container loads of travertine from North london for new builds near me plus staircases we fabricated on site but quality gone down hill.
if you hear of anyone then great.
think I will go in to European heritage next week as they were always good ,but you pay the premium which is fair.

Jon,
just viewed your website, impressive!
I never realised how close we are to each other! I'm less than 15 mins away
I'm gonna PM you with a link to my photo album. There's a couple of stone jobs on there. Click each individual heading to open it.
And I've left a msg about your stone, see what I can find, if anything.

 

[widler]

Bloody plasterers, bain of my life