Tile Cutting = Cracked Tiles

[SteUK]

Hi all!

After my tiles all dried out, I have set about starting my bathroom. Here is a pic!

Have no reached the ceiling and doing long (30cm) cuts. Using a scoring tile cutter that supposedly goes up to 30cm, it just keeps smashing the tiles when I try to snap them. Is it just rubbish? Would a cheapie b&q job do the business (only place local to me and open :/)

Thanks!
Ste

 

[Italy]

sorry, I believe that it would be better to change the decoration strip setting.
maybe you saw brick type .without alignment tile lines 😉

 

[Wishiwasatoptiler]

Are you laying the cutter on the floor or on on a work bench, you maybe pushing through and smashing the tile. Also how old is your scoring wheel. May need replacing.

 

[SteUK]

All down to personal taste antonio 😉 it's what the wife wants, and who is going to go against that force of nature!

Great advice Wishi. Wish I had checked back sooner! The wheel has cut about 10 tiles (over the height - 20cm) and had been fine. I was cutting on the floor though. Ended up, in my blind panic of having half a bucket of adhesive to be used (not rapid setting), scoring on the cutter and breaking over a corner by hand. Worked well enough!

Cheers,
Ste

 

[Italy]

All down to personal taste antonio 😉 it's what the wife wants, and who is going to go against that force of nature!

Great advice Wishi. Wish I had checked back sooner! The wheel has cut about 10 tiles (over the height - 20cm) and had been fine. I was cutting on the floor though. Ended up, in my blind panic of having half a bucket of adhesive to be used (not rapid setting), scoring on the cutter and breaking over a corner by hand. Worked well enough!
Also in Italy command the wives!!! ahahah

Cheers,
Ste

View attachment 80232

 

[p4ulo]

Good one matey, looks alright too.
In hindsight, I would've said you could've moved the back face of tiles across so you lost that thin cut down the LHS. But, it all looks clean and tidy and it all lines up!

 

[SteUK]

Thanks for your kind words p4ulo. Went with the way it is as there would have been a small column by the shower 45degree piece of not. It was all a bit of a compromise one way or the other.

Whilst I have you though. Wonder if I can beg some advice? Woke up today with a sudden panic that I had my left enough expansion to the wall (left in the picture). I left 2 to 3 mm, but fear that adhesive will have filled the gap and I didn't clean it out properly. That then led on to a panic about the backer board behind. I can't remember, but think I just smoother over the excess adhesive, filling the gap to the wall. Pretty sure I left a few mill between the board on the short wall to the long as I remember putting silicon in. The walls are internal, made up of 5cm cinder block with a sand cement render and finish plaster (hence the backer board). They are not tied into the ceiling completely as I recall.

Do you think I have a problem??

 

[SteUK]

Probably important to add that between the backer and tile is a waterproof membrain with rubber like tape in the corners.

 

[SteUK]

In fact, I have a picture fro. August last year when I put the boards up on that wall. Shows I did fill the gap :-S

Should I be worried? I suppose I could remove tiles and chop out that corner a bit, then make good again and re-waterproof.

 

[SteUK]

Saying all that...

I have a picture or two that shows the sand and cement render that appears to bridge that corner...

 

[p4ulo]

I'm sure it'll be fine mate, as long as you try to keep the corners relatively clear of anything other than Silicon from now on!

 

[SteUK]

Thanks for the advice...

But, I am naturally a hugely risk averse kind of guy. I don't usually go against a professionals advice. However, for complete peace of mind I think I will take the extra time to cut open the two corners and chop a gap back in.

Addressing this, in theory, will only take me a day, cost a few extra tiles (have looooads spare as bought a job lot) and another tub of Mapei waterproofer. I have asked Mapei if cutting the WPS and remaking it after will pose a problem.

You probably think me completely mad?! I am just paranoid about either...a) tile falling into my two year old daughter whilst she is in the bath, b) having to rip all this hard effort out and start all over again.

 

[Flintstone]

Thanks for the advice...

But, I am naturally a hugely risk averse kind of guy. I don't usually go against a professionals advice. However, for complete peace of mind I think I will take the extra time to cut open the two corners and chop a gap back in.

Addressing this, in theory, will only take me a day, cost a few extra tiles (have looooads spare as bought a job lot) and another tub of Mapei waterproofer. I have asked Mapei if cutting the WPS and remaking it after will pose a problem.

You probably think me completely mad?! I am just paranoid about either...a) tile falling into my two year old daughter whilst she is in the bath, b) having to rip all this hard effort out and start all over again.

I wouldn't bother going to all that trouble, it will be fine

 

[SteUK]

Gosh, two professionals telling me to leave it now. What a pickle! Thanks for your advice Localtiler.

Just not sure I can leave it the way it is, knowing it might fail, and with it ruin the whole wall, and I could address it with an extra days effort and a cost of £25.

If I was to go against your advice, do you think there will be an issue re-waterproofing up the corners with the liquid membrane stuff?

Thanks again!

 

[Andy Allen]

Are you an engineer, health and safety officer?
A Tiler on the forum fills his corners with grout and silicones over it.....and according to him with no issues Inc his own bathroom .......not me btw.
I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[SteUK]

Professional anxiety worrier Andy ;( (actually a computer programmer - maybe why I feel the need to try and make everything as safe and break-free as possible)

It's the lack of gap from the wall to backer board that concerns me the most. My understanding is that natural wall movement might put undue pressure on the boards and try to pop them off the wall. No?

 

[Martyn Leeds]

no

 

[SteUK]

Oh. Mind explaining more Martyn? I am nothing of not always keen to learn!

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Not really, I couldn't think of much more to say, other than a simple No to the question you asked
(bearing in mind 2 or 3 others have already said the same)

 

[SteUK]

You are absolutely right, and I apologise. I have no right to be anything but grateful for everyone's advice, and I am. I just want to do as good a job as I can that will be safe and last.

 

[Spare Tool]

Are you an engineer, health and safety officer?
A Tiler on the forum fills his corners with grout and silicones over it.....and according to him with no issues Inc his own bathroom .......not me btw.
I'm sure it will be fine.

Yeah but he's not a tiler....



He's a plasterer 😉

 

[Flintstone]

I always tile into the corners as tight a cut as possible, then Silicon. Realistically, what's gonna happen. If that's all you have to worry about in life, your a lucky man!

 

[p4ulo]

You've got the added problem of if you cut and clear / rake out the corners as much as you want to, you will destroy any kind of water-proof membrane / tanking you have put in the corner, so if you wanted to apply that again you will being out the level of the wall.
Leave it.....it will be fine.

 

[SteUK]

You make a good point p4ulo. I think I have enough depth to get away with a few mill though. I just want to make it right, rather than waiting for it to fail. I keep telling myself the backer boards have been up there since August and haven't popped off the wall yet.

Thanks again for your input. Sorry I am such a worry merchant and you have all been subjected to it.

 

[p4ulo]

It's allright @SteUK , you are amongst friends here.

 

[SteUK]

For the record. I am taking all your advice, combined years of experience, expertise, skill, and leaving it well alone.

Cracked on with day three today.

I will be using metal flat edge trim around the window (why make it easy for myself?!). Should I be siliconing the wall edge between tile and trim? Or grouting? What about in the gap between the edge and tile window sill side? Leave a few mm gap and Silicon, or grout?

Thanks for all your advice on the previous problems I have been unsure of!

 

[Flintstone]

Grout everything around the window area except where the tiles meet the window frame, Silicon that.

 

[Martino]

You've done a good job if that's your first attempt at tiling? Do you have any pics of the finished room?

 

[SteUK]

Kind of my first attempt. I did a few sq m of slate on the floor under the stairs.

Alas, not all finished yet :-/ The joys of only being able to do it when your job/two year old allows. Main bulk of the tiling is done, grouting this weekend!

 

[Martino]

Looking good mate