Tiling on painted plasterboard

[Scott8400]

Hi. Guessing it's a common question but I'm trying to confirm whether it's possible to tile onto painted plasterboard? My kitchen walls are plasterboard with the original trade paint that was used when the house was built 4 years ago.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Dave]

I take it they are Not skimmed ?

 

[Scott8400]

I take it they are Not skimmed ?

No idea. The walls are as we found them when the house was built in 2016, i.e. stud walls painted with a breathable, but fragile trade paint.

 

[Dave]

No idea. The walls are as we found them when the house was built in 2016, i.e. stud walls painted with a breathable, but fragile trade paint.

Scratch the wall with a pointed knife, see if its paper finish or a pink powder

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

Hi. Guessing it's a common question but I'm trying to confirm whether it's possible to tile onto painted plasterboard? My kitchen walls are plasterboard with the original trade paint that was used when the house was built 4 years ago.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi,

The first thing to do is check that the paint is fully bonded to the plasterboard. Do this by applying a strip of gaffer tape overnight and then rip it off. If the paint comes off, then it means that there is weak bond between the board and paint, and the background is generally unsuitable to receive tiles. That would mean taking a chance, but lets say, that the paint is bonded well:

Weight and movement issues with tiles on paint are a big factor, so I'd personally take a chance tiling onto paint with tiles up to 200 x 200 mm, providing the walls are rigid and primed correctly.
The other thing to consider is what type of paint it is. If it's a moisture-resistant paint, then this would have to be primed using a primer that gives a key, such as Mapei EcoPrim Grip. If it's standard paint that absorbs moisture, then a normal SBR primer could be used instead.

In summary, the things to consider, are:

Is the wall stable and flat?
Is the paint bonded to the plasterboard?
Are the tiles quite small (not large format)?

Hope this helps.

 

[benchwarmer]

Scratch the paint up, fairly abrasive paper will do, prime with sbr, then tile, use a slowset flexible adhesive to 100%be sure and stick whatever you like to the walls, anything from a small mosaic to a small car! This job does not require any over thinking! 👍🏻