Is my tiler using the correct adhesive ?

[grumpygrouter]

Just to point out there are a couple of tubbed ready mixed adhesives that are suitable for porcelain tiles, though large format porcelain do not fall into that bracket
Granfix Multifix is one of them ...
http://www.tileadhesive.co.uk/PDF files/Multifix Adhesive.pdf

...as is Ardex D30, but not large format and you must have a porous substrate.

 

[Leatherface]

Grumpy
did you get my PM ?

 

[cornish_crofter]

PVA will become "live" again in contact with moisture. Dispersion adhesive contains alot of moisture so the pva will not do vey much apart from become slippy. There is a very good thread on here about primer v pva which I am sure Dave has a link for and will post it up for you.

This one Russ?

http://www.tilersforums.com/tile-adhesive-grout-prep-forum/2511-p-v-versus-primers.html

 

[grumpygrouter]

Grumpy
did you get my PM ?

No Leatherface I didn't. Send it again?

 

[grumpygrouter]

This one Russ?

http://www.tilersforums.com/tile-adhesive-grout-prep-forum/2511-p-v-versus-primers.html

The very chap Hugo.

 

[faithhealer]

If I were you Graybags, print off this thread, and a few PVA ones, and there are many, to arm yourself with tomorrow. He will say, I've done this before and never had a failure yet blah blah blah
Good Luck

 

[cornish_crofter]

Graybags, how you approach him is down to you. You know what approach is best for the situation.

My only concern here is that if he doesn't know these basics, then what is your bathroom going to look like when he's finished?

My Brother in Law had his kitchen tiled by a complete chancer. I've never seen such a bad tiling job in all my life! The real shame is that he had spent a small fortune on these tiles.

The problem here is that I suspect this job is out of this guy's depth. This may make you feel awquard but either you want to come out of this with a job well done, or you want to avoid upsetting this guy, you may not be able to achieve both.

If it were me, I would probably pay him for the time he's spent at your job and ask him to stop and pack up. You can make an excuse to the effect that your wife hates the tiles and apologise for causing him an inconvenience.

There are plenty of good tilers on this forum who are short of work. You don't say where you are but if you PM Dave or ask in the Tilers Wanted section you will no doubt get a few replies.

It's a tough call but at the end of the day I assume you and your wife want a good job done.

 

[graybags]

In fairness to him he may not have primed all the walls, just that there is a tub of PVA on the window sill, which I guess he might have used on the one plastered (outside) wall. The other walls are all studwork and hence are plasterboard/aquapanel. Would you normally prime them, or just tile straight on them (with the correct adhesive !)?

 

[grumpygrouter]

In fairness to him he may not have primed all the walls, just that there is a tub of PVA on the window sill, which I guess he might have used on the one plastered (outside) wall. The other walls are all studwork and hence are plasterboard/aquapanel. Would you normally prime them, or just tile straight on them (with the correct adhesive !)?

For using a cement based adhesive it would be normal to prime plasterboard but if he was using "grip" then it is not necessary. Aquapanel doesn't need priming at all.

 

[beanz]

PVA shouldn't be used at all! Even on an external wall. It's basically a very old (out dated) habbit that refuses to die...

 

[graybags]

The actual quality of tiling, cutting, grout lines and levelness is excellent, just wondering whether if he hasn't used PVA on the non plaster walls (which it dosen't look like he has) whether the BAL Grip adhesive might just hold the tiles.They are 450X250, not 450x450, so not "huge"

 

[graham31]

The actual quality of tiling, cutting, grout lines and levelness is excellent, just wondering whether if he hasn't used PVA on the non plaster walls (which it dosen't look like he has) whether the BAL Grip adhesive might just hold the tiles.They are 450X250, not 450x450, so not "huge"

Still large format are they not?To big for tub addy

 

[BDS]

You`ll have to ring BAL but i`m sure they`ll tell ya there to big for BAL grip.

 

[david campbell]

dont know if any tubbed gear is suitable for these size of tiles,someone let me know if i'm wrong,and pva deary deary me!

 

[doug boardley]

with a bit of luck graybags tiles will come off and clean and be ok to re-use, from some of your posts it seems as though you might be giving tiler benefit of doubt. Simple answer is that if he doesn't take them off now they'll come off later under less controlled circumstances!