Discuss My first bathroom project in the Bathroom Tiling Advice area at TilersForums.com.

S

Supercoley1

Hello, I am just setting about doing my first full bathroom DIY job (not pro at all) and have managed to do most things through internet research etc.
The project in question is a bathroom that currently has a shower over bath, W/C, sink and a wall hung radiator. The room is approx 280cm across the breadth (window wall) and 270cm from the door to the window wall. There a dog leg to the room as the airing cupboard is set within this room into a seperate area on the left of the door.
I will be keeping these apart from the wall hung radiator which I want to remove and then put a towel radiator in another place. I don't have a problem with the plumbing and radiator aspect.
We have had the bathroom like this since we moved in 30 months ago and all we did was to change the bath taps for a shower mixer type, tile the shower area on the window and half the bath side wall (It only had a 420mm high splashback around the bath previous to this), put up a shower curtain rail and laminate the floor. Pretty basic 'quick' but ready to use. The picture below shows what this was like:
bath.jpg

After planning to redo the bathroom we decided to do it early July and it would take a few months to complete due to the budget (Each month we can afford the 'next step')
So on 10th July we started to plan the bathroom. The W/C and sink will remain in the same place. The Bath will still be on the wall but will be moved so that each end is an equal distance from the wall. A frame will then be built around the bath so that I can tile under the rim and make it look like the bath has been 'sunken'.
The radiator which is currently on the right as you enter the bathroom will be removed and then the plumbing redone to put a towel radiator behind the door as you enter the bathroom.
The area where the bath is will be tiled in black, white and lime green inspired by a picture on Toppstiles here:
Fusion Kiwi Wall Tile | Topps Tiles
however we don't have anywhere near the budget to use those tiles and get the exact design. I have sourced some lime green, black and white tiles that are all a lot cheaper and are 150mm x 150mm. The design of this area is here (These plans are rough guides as they don't allow for grout joints. I will line them up properly when I get the tiles to gauge the number across etc when the tiles come.)
This is the 'fold out' design and what you will see facing the bath. The lime is bit bright in these pictures where the tile I have bought is more subtler more like the ones in the Toppstiles picture:
plan.jpg

And this is the plan from above:
plan%20above.jpg

The green/black/white combo will only go as far as the bath surround and the rest will be plain white.
This is the lime tile I have bought. 2 boxes:
Tiles, Ceramic Tiles, Wall Tiles, Gloss Lime Green Tile
The floor will also be tiled with white 330x330 tiles. Very crisp very clean, very bright with the single 'feature' area of the bath drawing the focus.
I will update tomorrow on what I have done already.
Regards
AC
 
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S

Supercoley1

So what to do ;)

I can get a mapei waterproofing kit for £35 + shipping OR

I can get a 5kg mapegum WPS for £14 + shipping (Judging from research on this forum the waterproof kit would be 2x or so what I need

and then get a 25m roll of Mira tanking tape for £9 +shipping.

waterproof kit pros: has the primer with it. Works out cheaper

Cons : 10kg will be too much, 5m tape may not do all the corners I need.

So I know I 'can' prime the walls first. What I want to know really is do I need to.

Problem being:
Wall on left is stud and plasterboard. Back wall is render apart from the patch at bottom (where the existing 'bath' tiles were) I have plastered. The right hand wall is rendered fully.

Then we come down to the bath and shelf surround. Shelf will be ply fixed on and then tiled.

Question is do I need to prime and if so will 1 tub of primer be suitable for all the surfaces? wood, plaster, plasterboard and render?

Sounds like a large area but I am just talking about doing the walls surrounding the bath and also the shelf. Not doing lower than the bath and the side panel of the bath as it will have a U shaped curtain rail.

I am leaning a little towards 'put it up bodged and then do it properly in a year or 2 when we can afford to at the moment. I can just about afford to spend £50 on the waterproofing as I am only doing the immediate bath area this month but above that we are really struggling.

Reason I am considering 'bodge job' to last a couple of years is we have now been without shower for a month already and we both hate baths. lol Missus is 15 stone and pretty aggressive too. (Portuguese temperament to boot) lol

The reason I 'assume' the bodge will last a couple of years is that the previous non waterproofed tiling was put there by me 2½ years ago and was fine. It was the councils existing dot and dab around the lower area surrounding the bath that failed so miserably. That was done just before we moved in so nearly 3 years.

Please help me guys I want to do it properly but desperately need to get at least the shower usable this month with a stupidly tight budget. :)

AC
 
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S

Supercoley1

Great stuff. I've found that the place with the Mapegum for 13.67 also has the primer G for 6.47 so that saves some shipping :)

Next question ;)

Should I stick to using Mapei adhesive? Should I use the whole system r.e. grout?

If so which adhesive/grout would you recommend.

The tiles are 150 x 150 ceramic and I want bright white grout. the spacers I will be using are 2mm.

May as well see if I can get all the 'sourcing' sorted out today ready for payday tomorrow :)

Oh and remember this has to be as cheap as possible or I may not be able to afford any tiles. lol I only have the green and a half box spare of white from the kitchen splashback.

Thanks for the help so far.

AC
 
S

Supercoley1

OK I have found the 'cheapest' sources for my goodies online.

Mapesil, Ultracolour plus 5kg and P9 20kg are £48.99 shipped from trades-direct. There were many cheaper sites but they all had shipping at £35.00 which seems a little silly when trades-direct was under a tenner.

The shower waterproofing kit is £55 on ebay inc shipping.

Sound good or is there anywhere else cheaper online with sensible shipping?

This about the very very top end of the budget here. But all the Mapei system

Step 2 of my pricing check is:
What I am going to do now is check in Focus as they sell BAL and I get 15% off there plus of course no shipping. Not even any petrol :) it is 400 yards or so from my house :) So I will go on my bike and if I choose from there I can put the adhesive over the crossbar, the grout and sealant in the rucksack.

So a few more questions:

1. I won't be buying today BUT I am assuming Focus won't have a tanking option there. If I were to buy the Mapei tanking would I then be able to use BAL adhesive and grout on it!! Are there any other top sealants I should look out for.

2. Just as Focus is 400 yards from my house, Wickes is 800 yards. lol. I tend to buy a lot from Wickes (only DIYer stuff not trade quantities. I have read some posts on here slating Wickes products quality wise and others saying they aren't too bad and made by Weber.

3. What are the opinions on the Dunlop waterproofing system at Screwfix (apparently made by BAL according to one of the reviews on their site?) It is £44 compared to the £55 Mapei. Screwfix is a little further afield but still a 3 mile bike ride with a tub in the rucksack. 3 miles there without a tub in the rucksack too. lol

Is it a no no to use 1 waterproofing system with other adhesives and grout?

Be back with the Focus pricing later. lol

Top advice so far and am looking forward to starting this project. Month 1 is about to get underway as soon as ply and waterproofing are in my hands.

AC
 

macten

TF
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You'll be fine using different adhesive on the tanking. The Dunlop is fine too.
Have used Bal, Weber, Dunlop and Mapei tanking kits - all the same to me, only difference is prices.
 
S

Supercoley1

A little more searching and a little more research. lol

I have been seeing the buildfix stuff in B&Q and apparently (from research on here) its made by Mapei.

Would these be OK for the shower area?
Buildfix Rapid Set Floor and Wall Tile Adhesive Grey 20kg, 8022452041051

Buildfix Flexible Wall and Floor Grout White 2.5kg, 8022452048289

What about thisd for the sealant? Or are there any suggestions for a sealant from the Sheds? I have B&Q, Wickes, Focus, Homebase, Screwfix and Tops Tiles all pretty close.
Neken Grouting & Bath Sealant Ready Mixed Flexible White | Tiles & Transfers | | Tiles & Accessories from Wilkinson Plus

AC
 
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lk1d

TF
0
31
Great job so far Supercoley! This thread has just prompted me to sign up cause it's exactly what I'm on with (only less well planned); hope it's ok to chip in with an eejut question?

Do you need to use tanking tape with a plaster / gypsum wall (no board). Thinking it would go into the corners and around of the top of the bath. In the spirit of this thread I've drawn a pic...

isthisstupid.png


Is this crazy talk? I've never tiled before and want to do a proper job cause I've just spent the last 3 days resurfacing the water damaged wall. Figured once the tiles were on then cut away the protruding tape on the bath then grout and seal with Silicon. Thanks. L.
 
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faithhealer

Great job so far Supercoley! This thread has just prompted me to sign up cause it's exactly what I'm on with (only less well planned); hope it's ok to chip in with an eejut question?

Do you need to use tanking tape with a plaster / gypsum wall (no board). Thinking it would go into the corners and around of the top of the bath. In the spirit of this thread I've drawn a pic...

isthisstupid.png


Is this crazy talk? I've never tiled before and want to do a proper job cause I've just spent the last 3 days resurfacing the water damaged wall. Figured once the tiles were on then cut away the protruding tape on the bath then grout and seal with Silicon. Thanks. L.
Always found id difficult to get the tape to stick to the bath when you only have the thickness of a tile to work with. I would fill the gap between bath and wall with silicon, tile then finishing bead on top of that
ps welcome to the forum
 

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Title
My first bathroom project
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Bathroom Tiling Advice
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Which tile adhesive brand did you use most this year?

  • Palace

    Votes: 9 5.8%
  • Kerakoll

    Votes: 15 9.7%
  • Ardex

    Votes: 11 7.1%
  • Mapei

    Votes: 45 29.0%
  • Ultra Tile

    Votes: 19 12.3%
  • BAL

    Votes: 37 23.9%
  • Wedi

    Votes: 4 2.6%
  • Benfer

    Votes: 2 1.3%
  • Tilemaster

    Votes: 21 13.5%
  • Weber

    Votes: 18 11.6%
  • Other (any other brand not listed)

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Nicobond

    Votes: 7 4.5%
  • Norcros

    Votes: 3 1.9%
  • Kelmore

    Votes: 4 2.6%
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