Tiling On Concrete Blockwork Outdoors

[Samb213]

hi all just been offered a job tiling an outdoor bar ...the bars walls are made from concrete block (not breeze block ) and have only been built for around 3 weeks ...just trying to get a few different opinions on the best way to go about this ..the block work its self is very flat soo thats not an issue ...my first thought was to back it out with some 6 mm wedi then tile straight over the top of that with some flexible adhesive but in order to keep costs down for the customer i was looking at tiling directly onto the block work maybe with a good few coats of primer on it then skim over it with a flat bed of adhesive ...one of the main things im worried about is the fact the block work has been sat out getting rained on for a few weeks and obviously the blocks are going to shrink as they dry back ...so the question is would you tile directly onto the block work or stick with my original plan and back it out with the wedi board ?

 

[White Room]

The concrete blocks won't be shrinking back anywhere, what tiles are they fixing.

 

[Samb213]

Hi thanks for the reply ..not to sure about the tiles yet ..at first they where going to go for some split face quartz type tiles but due to the price I think they will probably end up going with 30 x 30 oyster

 

[Italy]

I have done many walls of concrete blocks.
usually in italy, concrete blocks for outdoors are water repellent.
I always used s1 adhesive.
naturally buttering.
the wall is large sq.m?
if they sq.m large, it must have expansion joints.
and comply with tile joints

 

[One Day]

If they can afford the luxury of an outdoor bar, they can afford to pay you to do it right! Don't scrimp.

 

[Samb213]

So basically I can just go ahead and tile it like I'm tiling any other wall right ?

 

[Flintstone]

I would! Just wait til it's dry and not Rained for a few days

 

[GAZ5518]

Concrete blocks take a sand and cement render with no problems.. so I would go with flexible adhesive used direct , both applied to blocks and tiles would do the job.. Wouldn't hurt to sbr the blocks first..

 

[Lee holl]

Can you tile onto breeze blocks the day after it's rained heavy. I have sealed the wall and tiles. It's for a raised garden border. Cheers

 

[Dan]

Can you tile onto breeze blocks the day after it's rained heavy. I have sealed the wall and tiles. It's for a raised garden border. Cheers

No they need more time to dry out really. Cement-based adhesive will cure while wet, but you don't want to trap that water in because if/when it freezes it'll expand and blow the breeze blocks and the tiling will fail.