Beveled edge crackle glaze white brick tiles 200x100mm

[Richard C]

Don’t be confused by “Aquaboard”, "Moisture Board" or similar sounding products, the are only Moisture Resistant plasterboard; you should use Aquapanel or a similar quality waterproof tile backer board; the clue is usually in the price.

Studs can be any thickness you need them & you can pack them out if needs be but you don’t necessarily have to use them, there are other methods of fixing.

 

[Yukster]

Don’t be confused by “Aquaboard”, "Moisture Board" or similar sounding products, the are only Moisture Resistant plasterboard; you should use Aquapanel or a similar quality waterproof tile backer board; the clue is usually in the price.

Are these the one you mean? http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/220561

Studs can be any thickness you need them & you can pack them out if needs be but you don’t necessarily have to use them, there are other methods of fixing.

Can you recommend the most straightforward way of fixing the Aquapanel the an expose brick wall. Please bare in mind that i'd like the Aquapanel to be flush with the existing render?

 

[Richard C]

Yes that’s Aquapanel but not from the most competitive supplier. Studs can be any size you want depending on what you’re doing but you can also direct fix backer board to the wall. Don’t attempt to butt two different tile bases - brick & studwork, the tiles will crack where the two meet; bring them out level & overboard the lot.

Tiling onto a suspended timber floor needs special consideration & prep if you wan’t it to last. Before you do any work or buy materials, please read the tiling forum sticky & archive posts, it could prevent you making disastrous & potentially expensive mistakes. Use only quality trade tiling materials of the correct type for your tiles & tile base, cheap own brand & DIY products are mostly crap.

 

[Yukster]

Thanks you all for your advice so far. It's been really helpful

I would be grateful for some advice about how to seal the gap between the bottom tiles and the bathtub? Should i just leave a 4mm gap and fill it with mastic or is there a better way?

 

[Richard C]

Leave 2mm gap, 4mm is too large. Fill the bath with water, apply a bead of quality sanitary silicone sealer not mastic; leave to cure overnight before emptying the bath.

 

[Yukster]

Leave 2mm gap, 4mm is too large. Fill the bath with water, apply a bead of quality sanitary silicone sealer not mastic; leave to cure overnight before emptying the bath.

cheers

 

[Yukster]

Studs can be any size you want depending on what you’re doing but you can also direct fix backer board to the wall.

The ceramic Aquapanel look like they're designed to be strewed into wooden studs. Could you please give instructions on how would I attach the Aquapanel directly to the wall?

 

[Yukster]

Studs can be any size you want depending on what you’re doing but you can also direct fix backer board to the wall.

The ceramic coated Aquapanel screws look like they're designed to be screwed into wooden studs. Could you please give instructions on how would I attach the Aquapanel directly to the wall?

 

[Richard C]

Forget using expensive ceramic fixings; I & most others I know don’t use them. Direct fixing of Aquapanel is done using dot & dab using method using drywall (plaster board) adhesive. You can only dot & dab Aquapanel as an initial fixing & must also use additional mechanical fixings or they won't stay up there. Fix & level the panels using adhesive dabs on a 300 x 300mm grid pattern but with additional, intermediate dabs all around the edge of each board. Let the adhesive dry over night & then mechanically fix using through screw (frame) fixings into the wall behind; you must fix through the adhesive dabs or you will crack the boards when you tighten the screws. One way of achieving this is to drill a grid of 3mm pilot holes in the Aquapanel before you start, the adhesive will ooze through these as you fix giving you a reference to drill throung with the fixings.

 

[Yukster]

Thanks Richard C. I took off the render off 2/3 of the wall because it wasn't in good condition. I'm left with a brick wall which isn't completely even. Am I right in saying that I need to initially re-render the exposed brick wall and then use the dot & dab method to fix the board to the wall?

I read in another post //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=98056 that it's suggested to use Aquapanel for the wet area and use tanked plasterboard for the rest of the bathroom. Is that sensible or should I use Aquapanel for the entire wall?

They also talk about whether or not to tank the Aquapanel in the shower area with http://www.tilefixdirect.com/product/BAWP1C.html?gclid=CPPD8db-qKsCFYIKfAod6Fpvzg. Is tanking Aquapanel needed?

 

[Richard C]

Am I right in saying that I need to initially re-render the exposed brick wall and then use the dot & dab method to fix the board to the wall?

Unless you have huge discrepancies in level or holes, it’s a waste of time & money re-rendering before fixing the Aquapanel, the idea is to use the adhesive dabs to make up any discrepancies & level the panels. If your going to re-render you might as well tile straight onto that (tile weight permitting) but you will have to leave it 4 weeks to dry out before tiling unless you use a quickset render (expensive).

I read in another post //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=98056 that it's suggested to use Aquapanel for the wet area and use tanked plasterboard for the rest of the bathroom. Is that sensible or should I use Aquapanel for the entire wall?

They also talk about whether or not to tank the Aquapanel in the shower area with http://www.tilefixdirect.com/product/BAWP1C.html?gclid=CPPD8db-qKsCFYIKfAod6Fpvzg. Is tanking Aquapanel needed?

That’s a very old thread which I haven’t read before. gcol no longer posts & was the author of the Tiling Sticky, which I hope you’ve read. He was a respected contributor who I knew quiet well but I’m surprised he appears to recommend tanking Aquapanel; not what I would have expected from him . It’s true that Aquapanel is technically only moisture resistant & will absorb water but it will not disintegrate when wet, unlike plasterboard. As can be seen from other posts on the same thread (& stated by the manufacturer), Aquapanel is considered more than adequate for a domestic shower installation & tanking is not necessary unless you are constructing a wet room; but I wouldn’t use AQP in a wet room anyway, I’d use a fully waterproof backer board to start off with.

Tanking plasterboard in the rest (dry areas) of the bath/shower room is a complete waste of time & money. Tanking is only necessary in wet areas but if you’re going to tank it & for little more cost you might as well use AQP or a fully waterproof backer board in the first place. Plasterboard used in dry areas in a bath/shower room should always be Moisture Resistant, not standard wall board.

I assume you found that thread using the search facility but there are also dozens of others regarding the use of AQP & other cement based backer boards, waterproof tile backer board, plasterboard & tanking; check those out if you need further reassurance. If you feel the need then of course you can tank the lot but you will be wasting your money.

 

[Yukster]

Direct fixing of Aquapanel is done using dot & dab using method using drywall (plaster board) adhesive. You can only dot & dab Aquapanel as an initial fixing & must also use additional mechanical fixings or they won't stay up there. Fix & level the panels using adhesive dabs on a 300 x 300mm grid pattern but with additional, intermediate dabs all around the edge of each board. Let the adhesive dry over night & then mechanically fix using through screw (frame) fixings into the wall behind; you must fix through the adhesive dabs or you will crack the boards when you tighten the screws. One way of achieving this is to drill a grid of 3mm pilot holes in the Aquapanel before you start, the adhesive will ooze through these as you fix giving you a reference to drill throung with the fixings.

I read other threads as as you suggested and I have a couple of questions if I may:

The walls I plan to dryline and tile are external brick walls. In another thread //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1811521#1811521 a question was posted about screwing aqua panel directly to the brickwork. In response you wrote: I would advise a breathable membrane, void & then a damp proof membrane under the boards. you warned against the possibility of sorts of nasties growing under the board unless that's done. Do I run the risk of stuff growing behind the the drywall if I dot & dab Aquapanel directly to an external brick wall without a breathable membrane, void & then a damp proof membrane under the boards?

You recommend elsewhere using Rapidset Flexible for tiling on the boards & Microflex grout. Do I need to prime the Aquapanel if I use these materials?

What drywall (plaster board) adhesive should I use. And what screws should I use to fix the Aquapanel after the adhesive's dry?

 

[Richard C]

The walls I plan to dryline and tile are external brick walls. In another thread //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1811521#1811521 a question was posted about screwing aqua panel directly to the brickwork. In response you wrote: I would advise a breathable membrane, void & then a damp proof membrane under the boards. you warned against the possibility of sorts of nasties growing under the board unless that's done. Do I run the risk of stuff growing behind the the drywall if I dot & dab Aquapanel directly to an external brick wall without a breathable membrane, void & then a damp proof membrane under the boards?

The thread you link relates to solid external brick walls which are cold & prone to damp. Unfortunately, I only came in on this thread half way through with a comment about tiling over base plaster, having now read your thread from the beginning, I see your first post mentions the property is Victorian & so, I assume, has solid external walls. If you have solid external walls then the information in the thread in your link is relevant.

You recommend elsewhere using Rapidset Flexible for tiling on the boards & Microflex grout. Do I need to prime the Aquapanel if I use these materials?

No

What drywall (plaster board) adhesive should I use.

http://www.british-gypsum.com/produ...roc_accessories/gyproc_dri-wall_adhesive.aspx

And what screws should I use to fix the Aquapanel after the adhesive's dry?

I use these;
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.j...2150&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories<{9372015}/categories<{9372044}/categories<{9372210}/specificationsProductType=wall_plugs/specificationsSpecificProductType=plugs___screws&ecamp=aff-p9-awin-001&ecamp=aff-p9-awin-001

But another OP used these;
http://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-s...w&cm_mmc=AffiliateWindow-_-DeepLink-_-Na-_-Na
but don’t hammer them in, screw them in.

 

[Yukster]

Thanks Richard. I'm really grateful for your advice, I wish I could repay your kind. If you ever need advice re a hifi or AV project please let me know!

I am getting a bit anxious about biting off more than I can chew by drylining an external brick wall. I'm normally quite confident with DIY jobs but this project may exceed my ability. Rendering may take longer to complete but it might be more straight forward.

If I go for rendering, I read that sand cement 4:1 render is the best option for tiling. Do you agree? I'll be using this tile http://www.wallsandfloors.co.uk/products/antique-metro-crackle-glaze-tiles-bastille/17346/ which I plan to seal with Seal-Guard Grout & Tile Sealer

The wall is 2.4m high and I plan to tile upto 2m and paint the top end of the wall. How do I treat the top bit of the wall before painting it?

Once the render is cured after 4 weeks, do I prime it before tiling and if so with what primer. I read that Granfix Acrylic Bond And Prime. Do you agree?

As an adhesive, i read you recommend BAL rapidset. What grout would you recommend

 

[Richard C]

I am getting a bit anxious about biting off more than I can chew by drylining an external brick wall. I'm normally quite confident with DIY jobs but this project may exceed my ability. Rendering may take longer to complete but it might be more straight forward.
If I go for rendering, I read that sand cement 4:1 render is the best option for tiling. Do you agree?

If it’s an external solid wall you will need a waterproof render to avoid the risk of damp penetration. If there is any history of dampness & you get it wrong it could fail again fairly quickly & you will need to wait at least 4 weeks before tiling.

Have a read of this thread;
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=260814

But why not consider using this;
http://www.marmox.co.uk/dry-lining-insulation
It will also provide additional insulation.

I'll be using this tile http://www.wallsandfloors.co.uk/products/antique-metro-crackle-glaze-tiles-bastille/17346/ which I plan to seal with Seal-Guard Grout & Tile Sealer

If you’re proposing to use those in a wet area, have you checked they are suitable? I don’t think I’d chance it; sealer might even soak into & highlight the cracks which would look awful.

The wall is 2.4m high and I plan to tile upto 2m and paint the top end of the wall. How do I treat the top bit of the wall before painting it?

Ah so it’s only going to be ½ tiled; first time you’ve said that & Aquapanel is not suitable for gypsum plaster, although I’ve successfully done it on small inspection panels. Marmox boards will take plaster.

Once the render is cured after 4 weeks, do I prime it before tiling and if so with what primer. I read that Granfix Acrylic Bond And Prime. Do you agree?

Should be fine.

As an adhesive, i read you recommend BAL rapidset. What grout would you recommend

I use BAL exclusively but there are other quality trade products equally as good e.g. Granfix, Mapei, Webber.
I mostly use BAL Microflex;
http://www.bal-adhesives.co.uk/products/microflex
but, again, there are other trade products equally as good.