Advice on tiling on top of plywood

[AndyEcho]

Well chaps, its my first post so please be gentle.........

Basically I decided to tile the front of the my bath when I refitted the bathroom. I used a piece of 12 mm ply, in two pieces (so that I can gain easy access should the kitchen ceiling fall down ) and secured it quite well. I bonded the ply, and fixed the tiles in the same way as I have in all other areas, including some ply wood box work.

The problem is that the tiles keep coming loose. I have taken them all off again and retiled them with fresh, ready mixed wall tile adhesive, and initially they took much better, but once again I am finding loose tiles.

Any ideas where I am going wrong.

Thanks in advance....

Andy

 

[bathstyle]

A better product to build your bath panel out of is a Tile backer board like Aquapanel or hardibacker (12mm)

A good way of creating your access panel is by using a product called Schluter Rema

It's better to use a cement based adhesive 100% of the time, I'm not a huge fan of ready mixed.

 

[ColJack]

try silicone intead ov adhesive, should be flexible enought to deal with the movement of getting in and out of the bath..

 

[Richard C]

What did you “bond” the ply with before tiling?
What type of ply did you use?
Did you seal the back & edges of the ply?
What brand & type of adhesive did you use?

I agree with Bathstyle; ply is the wrong material to use for a bath panel, it’s not stable in damp conditions; a cement fibre tile backer board is far better. Also a flexible powder mix adhesive & suitable flexible grout would be better; tub redimix (especially the cheapo stuff) will not be ideal in this instance.

 

[jctilingservices]

hope you aint primed with PVA

if ya having the same problem constantly mate i would check for the rigidity of ya panels, if they are quite solid, use SBR or APD to prime the board then fix ya tiles with a powdered flexi addy

 

[AndyEcho]

Thanks for your replies, they are much appreciated.

Time for a few confessions, Yep I did bond it with PVA, and its normal 12mm ply. Weirdly though, the tiles came off with the adhesive the first time I tried, so I cleaned them off as best I could, but this time the tiles have come off but the adhesive is stuck fast to the board

The awkward bit is that I dont have enough spare tiles left to chuck the tiles out and start again.

 

[jctilingservices]

i know this may sound silly or as if you are stupid mate, its not meant to sound that way BUT, when fixing the tiles are you pushing them into the addy with a twisting motion?

 

[Richard C]

Yep I did bond it with PVA,

Wrong primer.

and its normal 12mm ply.

Wrong ply ; if you must use ply, you should seal the back & edges well or it will absorb moisture, warp & there goes your tiles again. Using any sort of ply for a bath panel would be wrong IMO.

Weirdly though, the tiles came off with the adhesive the first time

That’ll be the PVA; standard PVA remains water soluble & should never be used as a primer in moist/wet environment; I wouldn’t advise using it as a general primer for tiling either.

the adhesive is stuck fast to the board

Did you PVA the ply again the second time

You didn’t say what addy/grout you used

Get some tile backer board, some new tiles, decent flexy adhesive & grout & start again.

 

[AndyEcho]

i know this may sound silly or as if you are stupid mate, its not meant to sound that way BUT, when fixing the tiles are you pushing them into the addy with a twisting motion?

I did mate, much the same way I did the whole bathroom.

Yep I did bond it with PVA,

Wrong primer.

and its normal 12mm ply.

Wrong ply ; if you must use ply, you should seal the back & edges well or it will absorb moisture, warp & there goes your tiles again. Using any sort of ply for a bath panel would be wrong IMO.

Weirdly though, the tiles came off with the adhesive the first time

That’ll be the PVA; standard PVA remains water soluble & should never be used as a primer in moist/wet environment; I wouldn’t advise using it as a general primer for tiling either.

the adhesive is stuck fast to the board

Did you PVA the ply again the second time

You didn’t say what addy/grout you used

Get some tile backer board, some new tiles, decent flexy adhesive & grout & start again.

Cheers for the advice Richard, I can see now that I have basically made a right royal balls up of this whole bath panel. I am going to rip it all out and start again. I didnt PVA bond it again second time round and I just bought some new uni-bond ready mix stuff. Got some flexi tile adhesive, just need to get some of this backer board and some enthusiasm now (as its beaten me stupid this last few weeks!)

 

[Richard C]

Cheers for the advice Richard, I can see now that I have basically made a right royal balls up of this whole bath panel.

Its just inexperience & we all suffer from it to a certain degree; no one knows everything, in spite of what some might have you believe & we all make mistakes, the trick is to spot them & not make the same ones twice!

I didnt PVA bond it again second time round

That’s why the adhesive stuck fast to the board & not the tiles.

and I just bought some new uni-bond ready mix stuff.

& then you went & spoilt it; you won’t find many in the know with a good word to say about that stuff.

Got some flexi tile adhesive, just need to get some of this backer board and some enthusiasm now (as its beaten me stupid this last few weeks!)

Go for it & good luck.

 

[tictic]

dont think i could have put it any better RICHARD C...

how are way anyway bud.

 

[Richard C]

how are way anyway bud.

I'm absolutely fine, how about you