Tiling onto sand and cement.

[Sean Kelly]

The situation: Several tiles have come away from a sand and cement wall. The customer (my mate) wants the tiles put back onto the wall. The tiles are basically resting on eachother i.e. take away the bottom row of tiles and they will all fall down. The tiles are coming away so easilly and so clean. Can you take a look at the pics and tell me what addy I should use, and can I tile straight onto substrate. These are the origional 1930's tiles and the groutline is virtually non existant. My mate wants the groutline to match the other thre walls. Is there anything I should be aware of when working with these tiles? If I get this right, I might even get the contract to do the other three walls in the bathroom!! Cheers Sean

 

[lucius]

Hi Sean this seems a strange one to me as if these tiles were fixed in the 1930s with sand and cement or possibly lime morter and it looks like this from the pics they are normaly a nightmare to remove the only reason they faill is if the tiles have not been soaked long enough, the wall not dampened down or inferior morter this method of fixing tiles works on suction if any of these were the problem it would have happened years ago.If the tiles come of that easy i would take the lot of and the bedding morter check for any problems make good and retial with appropiate addy but beware break one tile and you may not be able to match it.
Best of luck
Lucius

 

[murf]

I would use a flexi wall adhesive. start from the top and give yourself a 2mm joint. Allow for Silicon at the internal angle and the difference in the joints won't be noticable at the bottom.

 

[wetdec]

Hi Sean

I'm guessing here m8 but the rest of the room isnt going to be this easy, old house, the chances are these tiles have blown with the condensation around the toilet pan. Its a moisture trap cold pipes fron cystern cold pan.

As has been said if you break one your in the $hite and a flexi thin bed adhesive would be the idea I think


..

 

[doug boardley]

I'm with lucius on this one, the tiles look as though they've been backbuttered with sand/cement, but alas tiles had not been pre soaked to avoid over suction. If sand/cement is solid I'd go for a white spf addy

 

[DHTiling]

Also the older tiling methods were to butt joint and tight corners, thus allowing no thermal movement with modern heating systems...IMO they all need to come off....

 

[doug boardley]

Also the older tiling methods were to butt joint and tight corners, thus allowing no thermal movement with modern heating systems...IMO they all need to come off....

must agree, they've been on a good while anyway, best to take them off in a controlled manner than have them tumble like a house of cards