Walls, Travertine Tiles and Problems, advice and help needed!

[Peter Howe]

Never ever use ready mixed adhesive for travertine. It has to be cement based powder adhesive(white) mixed with water to give a good consistent adhesive. And as for the floors I always use a flexible(white) powder adhesive on concrete floors, and a Two-part (latex) flexible adhesive on wooden floors or underfloor heating. More expensive but much better in the long run. I repeat. Never ever use ready mixed adhesive on travertine wall tiles.

 

[AliGage]

Thanks for the further info...............so each tile comes in at 4.75kg and 8 tiles make just over a sq m2 so 38 kg total for the tiles. Not sure how much you add for adhesive and grout but i guess this has got to be somewhere in the region of 3 to 4kg! Could someone confirm on this.

So following the above comments about wedi, hardibacker etc it seems like this is the best route. Can anyone offer advice on what should be the next cause of action with these plasterboard and skimmed walls..........how is this wedi or hardibacker fixed to the walls. Apologies for all the questions just trying to ensure the job is done using absolute best quality products

You can fix hardiebackers direct to stud work. I believe the 12mm board is what's recommeneded in your scenario.
For your dabbed walls my approach is proberbly different to most. I remove plasterbaord back to brickwork and then construct a timber frame to the wall. I level the wall using wedges and then screw the hardie to the frame as you would with a stud wall. I personally feel i can rely on the mechanically fixed framework more than plasterbaord adhesive. To put hardie over the top of your plastered external wall still require a mechaincal fixing anyway. The frame idea also gives me the option of adding further insulation to the wall.

 

[Diggy]

From memory I think adhesive & grout accounts for 2.5kg/M² .

Diggy

 

[YNWA2012]

Rookery thanks for the comment.............ok this hardie board seems to be the stuff to use and will this be fine for these really heavy tiles? Would having a sand and cement coat applied to the bricks be better than hardie board ? I have a builder who has said best bet is to take all plaster and knock everything back to the brick and he would then apply a sand and cement coat. He said pro tilers really like working straight onto this kind of surface however if the hardi board is better, quicker and just as efficient i would go with this....................any comments?!

 

[YNWA2012]

So it's looking like i need a new tiler in the TW area, Staines, Sunbury, Heathrow, Egham ish area. Anyone out there who is in the local area drop me a PM

 

[Rookery]

At the end of the day, you could take it back to brick then either render, board or batten & board. Marmox are easier to work with than Hardie. Just check out the installation instructions from Hardie and Marmox to decide which method you prefer. Or wait until you've found a tiler and decide between you.

 

[YNWA2012]

So an update on my situation......A quality plaster has said he will remove plaster and hack walls back to the brick (although one wall is already at this point) and will apply sand and cement base coat or scratch coat as he desribes it. He said ample time will be required for this to be dried out and ready for tiling.

I have had a professional tiler who seems to know all about stone tiles and he has said this sand and cement walls will be ideal for him to work with. He has quoted for 20 metres of wall tiles and 7 metres of floor tiles. He has advised the green chipboard flooring should be either over laid with 6mm ply or removed and a 12mm ply fitted. He has said he will be laying ditra mat and skim bathroom floor and latex to level.

I have asked for the quote to include which adhesive will be used and they have been confirmed as Ardex X7R. The adhesive to stick the ditra mat is Ardex AF200. The quote also mentions the latex being used is Weber Floor Flex with fiber glass fibres. And finally the grout will be Ardex FS (choice of colours).

Does anyone have any comments about this and does it sound right and correct to get my tiling job completed to a high standard!

Oh and sealer has been mentioned but no brand and am wondering if this should be done before grouting or after.

 

[Two-Trowels]

He has advised the green chipboard flooring should be either over laid with 6mm ply or removed and a 12mm ply fitted.

That bit isn't quite right for my money - one of the more experienced guys on here will hopefully comment more.

 

[Bathfix Bob]

mmm...any talk of plywood in this situation should be 18mm/25mm not 6mm/12mm.

 

[Andy Allen]

main thing is the floor needs to be deflection free, i would ask him to then overboard with hardie cement boards reather than ply..

 

[YNWA2012]

Thanks for the further info...........do you mean keep the chipboard down and go over this with hardie board? or take the chipboard up and ply then hardie board?