BAL adhesive choice

[Burnerman]

I'll be tiling out my new shower cubicle in a couple of weeks. The tray will be 1200 x 700mm.
I'll be using BAL adhesive, but which one do I need? BAL grip D2TE or BAL White Star D2TE come to the surface.
Price isn't an issue.
Any comments anyone, and good morning
John

 

[Richard C]

Are we talking walls, floor or both? What size & type are your tiles? What is the tile base?

 

[Burnerman]

Walls only, using a largish tile (as yet unchosen) but 300mm rectangle plus, and the base will be aquapanel from B&Q if the old plaster has to come off. If the old tiles submit easily, then its onto plaster.
Thanks for the interest!
John

 

[Richard C]

I would advise a flexible powder addy, Grip & White Star are excellent products but you might have adhesion problems on that size tile with tub mix. You can fix directly onto the Aquapanel but use an Acrylic primer on any gypsum plaster or plaster board to avoid a reaction between the cement in the addy & gypsum in the plaster.

 

[Burnerman]

Thanks for your expertise mate - much appreciated
John

 

[Richard C]

Check back once you have chosen your tiles; or anything else

 

[Burnerman]

Hi Richard, just to report back....
The tiles have been chosen (with minimum grief, I hasten to add) and they are Guocera white ceramic wall tiles, 330 x 250mm x 8mm thick.
Pilkington Group, EN 14411, Group Blll (whatever that means).
Made in Malaysia
Can you recommend the adhesive (I'd prefer ready mixed, really) and a make of grey grout?
Cheers
John

 

[pompeyal]

Hi, I used BAL White Star with no prob's gotta shop about for it though try these, http://www.ctdtiles.co.uk/ cheepest place I found. Look at my project here //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=232104 the black quartz tiles are 300 x 600 x 10 and had applied thin coat to tile and normal comb layer to wall.

 

[Richard C]

You won’t need anything special but I would advise you go for a powder cement addy rather than tub mix (remember to prime Gypsum plaster/plasterboard). I mostly use BAL White Star for tub mix but use powder adhesive on anything over around 200mm; your tiles are a little on the large side for tub mix really & you may have problems with initial adhesion & extended drying times, especially if the tile base has been painted. Powder addy cures chemically & doesn’t rely on evaporation to set. Tub mix must also be left a minimum of 24 hours before grouting but with tiles your size tile, an setting time of around 3 days is more likely.

As you have aquapanel, I would use BAL Rapidset Flexible or Mapei Keraflex which can be grouted after around 3 or 8 hours in each case; or BAL Single Part Flexible, after 16 hours. You don’t really need flexy addy on solid walls but rather than buy 2 different adhesives, it’s usually more economical to use flexy everywhere, depending on how much you need. I mostly use Microban grout but it only comes in white or ivory; they do Microcolour but only list gunmetal or smoke, how close these are to grey I don’t know. If you specifically want grey, Mapei Ultracolour grey & a silicone to match which you should be using around the tray & down the corners of the shower enclosure rather than grout. Usually best to use materials from the same manufacturer as well.

 

[Burnerman]

Great stuff and thanks again.
Fortunately there is another bathroom available so this job can take as long as necessary.
Cheers
John

 

[jctilingservices]

John,
as Richard said, really you should be using a powdered adhesive on tiles that size, really on any tile over 200mm.
If you definately want to use bluestar get it from CTD, there is 1 on team valley gateshead, and also 1 in newcastle, top of byker high street

 

[Burnerman]

I'd just like to say a big thanks to all who have shared their expertise with me - the job is going well and without this info I'd have dropped numerous clangers ...like I did the first time!
John