Tiling Questions from absolute newbie

[cooa99]

Hi guys,

I have some question regarding tiling. Though I am not doing the work myself, I would just like to make sure the job is done well using the right materials


The tiling is for a small cloakroom (1.51m x 0.8m). I have purchased ceramic wall tiles of size 310x450 and floor tiles of size 450x450.


The cloakroom wall is plasterboard. 2 adjacent sides fixed to brick wall with dot & dab, the other two sides are stud walls. The plasterboard walls are painted except for areas where I have had to the replace the plasterboards ....

My questions are :-

1) Can I Tile directly over the walls or do they need to be primed 1st with PVA?
2) Are the weight of these tiles OK for these plasterboard walls? .... how do I check the weight restrictions
3) will using different spacer size for walls and floor tiles be weird or use the same?
4) The Tiles i bought from Tile Giant have something like candle wax on them... maybe for protection. Do these have to be removed before or after tiling and grouting?
5) Which mapei grout adhesive should I use ? ...there just seems to be too many options

cheers

 

[White Room]

You joined over 2 years ago ???

 

[thompsonbrown]

If your asking if you need to Pva walls before tiling, I would suggest ask a tiler to quote for this install. If its the same job as when whitebeam said you joined the forum. Don't use any of the grout or adhesive that was supplied.

 

[Andy Allen]

1 ...dont use pva use an acrylic primer

2.....weight will be fine but remove the paint

3 ......2 mm spacers on the walls and 3mm on the floor will look fine

4......I remove wax after tiling but definitely remove before grouting

5....any slow set adhesive make sure its powder adhesive you mix yourself
And grout should be your choice of colour..

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Welcome and very good luck!

 

[cooa99]

Thank you all for your replies.

You joined over 2 years ago ???

Indeed!. This was around the time I took the old cloakroom out thinking it was a quick replacement diy job. However since then I have been working away from home till recently

If your asking if you need to Pva walls before tiling, I would suggest ask a tiler to quote for this install. If its the same job as when whitebeam said you joined the forum. Don't use any of the grout or adhesive that was supplied.

I chucked the mapei adheisive and grout I bought almost a couple of weeks ago when I realized they had an expiry date.

I gave the cloakroom job to a fitter who has repositioned the pipeworks and concreted soilpipe and electrical wiring .... He has giving the tiling Portion of the Job to another Tiler that he works with who will start tomorrow.

Since i am not doing the job, the questions are to make sure that the tiler is doing the correct job and I also learn in the process as well (if I could be capable of doing a decent DIY job in the near future as my bathroom needs some work as well ...)

1 ...dont use pva use an acrylic primer
2.....weight will be fine but remove the paint

1. Does the primer have to be dry before the tiler starts?
2. whats the best way to remove the pain?

thanks

 

[TJ Smiler]

1. Does the primer have to be dry before the tiler starts?

Are you going to be standing over this guys shoulder watching every step they take? If you are it would horrible working for you. Let them do there job, primer being dry or not depends on a thousand different situations. Question your plumber about the tiler as it was him who suggested him and he works with him too.

 

[cooa99]

1. Does the primer have to be dry before the tiler starts?

Are you going to be standing over this guys shoulder watching every step they take? If you are it would horrible working for you. Let them do there job, primer being dry or not depends on a thousand different situations. Question your plumber about the tiler as it was him who suggested him and he works with him too.

I have left him to the job this morning so I am not in the way

He was going to use pva for the walls, but luckily told him to use the sbr primer I bought yesterday ....

Shame I am no there to learn a few things about tiling.

 

[TJ Smiler]

Best of luck with the job.......... If you want to learn a bit then just keep coming on here. We have some of the best tilers in the country who regularly post on here and answer questions.

PVA..... Dodgy

 

[cooa99]

Are there any short training courses on tiling and plumbing?

 

[WetSaw]

If he was going to use PVA it doesn't sound like you would have learnt from him anyway....(not that I know anything either! )

 

[Stef]

If he was going to use PVA then I would have serious reservations about him tiling in my house.
The alarm bells would have been ringing straight away.

Watched my ex business partner carrying 6mm ply into a house the other day.
Been tiling 16yrs & will never ever learn, oh & he still uses PVA.

 

[m3fitter]

why are you priming new Plasterboard exactly ??

 

[cooa99]

why are you priming new Plasterboard exactly ??

I am almost certain I read that somewhere on the forum.

 

[cooa99]

The tiles I bought does not require sealing. The grout used is Mapei ultracolour (Jasmine).

To protect the floor grout from stain, is there a sealer that i can use?

thanks