need advice

[sjw450]

hey, i need some help and advice from all u experienced tilers out there, ive been tiling since the start of the year for myself and made a pretty good start ive had lots of work no complaints a few reccomendations and now landed a contract for 100 splaskbacks, up until 7pm tonight i was thinkin everything is going sweet until i went a customers house to grout there walls and floor.
i tiled there bathroom on saturday and sunday in brickwork it looks lovely and was looking forward to groutin it tonight so i could take a picture, (sad i know) but when i got there and was taking the pins out to get ready to grout, a tile came off, and another and another about 20 times!!!!!! i nearly through in the towel! anyway the the chap bought the adhesive from b&q and i tiled onto tiles which i cleaned before starting, when the tiles came off the adhesive wasnt hard and set under them u could push ur finger into it and it was soft it was also still dark looking, any ideas? is it me or the adhesive? any help would be great so iit never happens again, i stuck the 20 odd tiles back on with my own bal adhesive so am goin back to grout tomorow and hopefully its not groundhog day!

 

[sjw450]

anyone awake? lol

 

[DB-Tiling]

b an q stuff is crap. always supply your own adhesive mate.

 

[faithhealer]

Sounds like a lesson learned there mate, when a customer has gone and bought B&Q tiles I always stipulate I won't use their adhesive. Never used it myself , just what i have read on this forum. Best of British on the rest

 

[Fekin]

Aye, never used B&Q adhesive, and never would :furious3:

 

[sjw450]

so its not my fault then, i cant even charge the customer again because i never new the stuff would make them fall off im gutted! i always supply my own stuff but this job was through a mate that had already bought there stuff, thanks anyway

 

[sjw450]

its not there own brand but was bought there has a black lid

 

[woodie]

hello matey, no it's not you it's that b&q crap, i don't recommend using that stuff and i would never use it myself, take it with a pinch of salt and you will be fine, i dare say when you get back the tiles you replaced will be fine, better luck next time, and don't let the customer pick the adhesive find what you like and stick with it, all the best Mike....

 

[grumpygrouter]

It is not a good idea if it can be avoided to tile onto tile anyway. I suspect that you have used a dispersion adhesive which would have taken forever to dry out, which is why they popped off when you took the spacers out. To tile onto tile you need to be SURE that the walls are good and that you get proper adhesive to do it. There are plenty about but B&Q ain't the best place to get it from.

Check out info on the BAL or Ardex websites about tiling onto tile and you will see the types of adjesive that you should have used.

Grumpy

 

[Fred]

A sad tale I went through with the same product when I first started. It's hard mate, BUT, you have to be stern & tell them your using quality gear you suppy, and that it is usually cheaper than this diy stuff any way, or walk.

 

[sjw450]

great thanks!

 

[DHTiling]

If it was a large format tile you used and a tub ( dispersion ) adhesive then as mentioned by grumps it will take ages to dry and not completely hold the tiles weight....a single part flexi powder adhesive is better for this type of tiling...
But if the tiles weren't large format then maybe the adhesive bed was to thick and this takes longer to dry and lastly if you serrate your adhesive onto the wall and don't cover it with tiles quick enough and the adhesive starts to skin then this could be the reason they debonded....just a few suggestions to contend with...good luck on future jobs mate....

 

[Fekin]

For standard sized ceramics on top of tile I use Bal bluestar minimum, and any area subject to the slightest bit of wet then Bal Whitestar, never had a problem.

 

[Ric]

used b and q rapid set set on a floor today just to finish off, boy that stuff is muck! all dark and gritty!! poo

 

[tysfoot]

Did exactly the same m ate with crap B&Q stuff, all come off after two days and still not set, im new to tiling also and i cacked my pants when they come off

 

[Saltire69]

Bal Grip is good for tiling on tile.

 

[iain1979]

saltire69 where you from??????

 

[davy_G]

Where the tiles porcelain or ceramic? Decent adhesive should have dried into the biscuit of a ceramic tile as the moisture could not dry into the glazed tile substraight. If the tiles you put on where porcelain then the adhesive had only the relatively small grout lines to dry out.
It does sound like crappy adhesive though. Pity the job turned out bad but fix it well and on and up!

 

[Perry]

it can take 7 days for tub adhesive to dry, if its above 4 mm deep can take longer may be the prob
----
use cement based bucket should be baned

 

[sjw450]

they were ceramic tiles from bnq and they were about 300 by 200, i did it in brickwork ive got pictures of the finished job but dnt no how to upload them to this, i used my 6mm trowel and made the adhesive perfect for the tiles it just didnt harden cheap crap was the problem and im doin a bathroom tomorow onto tiles too and i only have 1 and a half tubs of my own blue star coz this guy says hes already bought the materials and guess wot, there from bnq!!!!! nightmare, im only tiling 1 metre high i think its m square metres so i hope i can do most of it with my own stuu then i can get more for the other toilet on sat!

 

[sjw450]

correction: 5 square metres not m square metres

 

[DHTiling]

Don't be shy ust tell the customer what he has bought might be ok for DIY type work but not for you to use and give a guarantee on it..Stick to your guns and refuse to use it......good luck...

 

[sjw450]

will do! thats wot its all about confidence!