shower cubicle tiles comming off

[goofy gorilla]

they are standard ceramic tiles that i bought from wickes some years back...they are not heavy, size of tiles is 250mm x 200mm.thickness around 5-6mm....im sure ive got a pack in the shed somewhere as i decided to keep the extra pack, just in case any broke...

 

[Karis]

You don’t really need a powder addy for those tiles but if you fancy one, I’d go for Wall & Floor Pro. I use Rapidset as you can grout after just 3 hours but it has a short pot life (45 minutes) which can induce panic if you’re inexperienced. If you decide to use powder addy then you must acrylic prime plaster or plasterboard first.

I’d advise a tub mix for you; solid walls don’t really need a flexy so Grip will do it but I mostly use White Star which is a flexy. Use Microflex grout but you need to leave it at least 24 hours.

 

[goofy gorilla]

thanks pal - bal grip or whitestar, either will do....im just wondering if i should stick with the same tile spacing as it is because the grout lines are 6-7mm...seem awfully wide for a shower cubicle, mind you i think ill have to keep the same tile space because the entire bathroom is tiled with the same spacing..and reducing the spacing just in the shower cubicle will look odd....i would have thought the wider the grout lines the more chance of them cracking..i did find the grout that was used for the tiles, it was half a bag of mapei ultracolour beige tile grout that i have in the shed...it is water proof so will have to do...oh and i did manage to locate some aquapanel of 2.4m high meaning ill only need 2 boards...local builders merchant a few hundred yards away from my house can get them in for me...and only £28 a board...lol..

what plugs are best for securing the battons onto the thermalite blocks in the wall of the shower ?..i was thinking of these below should be strong enough to support the weight of the boards and the tiles...or not ?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-sx-nylon-plugs-10mm-pack-of-50/69025

 

[Karis]

thanks pal - bal grip or whitestar, either will do....im just wondering if i should stick with the same tile spacing as it is because the grout lines are 6-7mm...

That’s unusually wide for a wall, particularly in a shower cubicle & may have contributed to your problem, see below.

it is water proof so will have to do

It’s important to remember that waterproof adhesive & grout (except epoxy) is only waterproof in the sense it wont disintegrate when it gets wet, it will still absorb moisture & is why a waterproof tile base is important. It’s also advisable to stick with tiling products from the same manufacturer.

what plugs are best for securing the battons onto the thermalite blocks in the wall of the shower ?..i was thinking of these below should be strong enough to support the weight of the boards and the tiles...or not ?

Look as good as any, just make sure you put enough of them in.

 

[goofy gorilla]

ok guys - ive got the 2.4m aquapanel boards today, got the fischer 10mm wall plugs and screws, ceramic screws , scrim aquapanel tape from wickes and a tub of 10l bal whitestar adhesive at £29..bloody expensive, the only thing im not sure about is the battens, will treated softwood battens do ?..like these from wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/107064...i want them to be 100mm wide so i can attatch the shower door frames and also leave enough space so i can screw the aquapanel board in as well...i only really need two of these battens one for each door frame...will that be ok..?..will use smaller width lengths of similar thickens for centre battens ..etc...ta

 

[goofy gorilla]

ok guys - ive got the 2.4m aquapanel boards today, got the fischer 10mm wall plugs and screws, ceramic screws , scrim aquapanel tape from wickes and a tub of 10l bal whitestar adhesive at £29..bloody expensive, the only thing im not sure about is the battens, will treated softwood battens do ?..like these from wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/107065 I want them to be 100mm wide so i can attatch the shower door frames and also leave enough space so i can screw the aquapanel board in as well...i only really need two of these battens one for each door frame...will that be ok..?..will use smaller width lengths of similar thickens for centre battens ..etc...ta

 

[Karis]

Treated softwood is fine but 19mm is a little on the thin side for battens. You need to ensure that there is enough timber so the panel/door frame fixing screws don’t break through the back or you will force the batten off the wall, You also need sufficient fixing screws to ensure the batten won’t flex away from the wall with the significant weight you will be hanging off them.

 

[goofy gorilla]

what size batten do you recommend karis ?...i dont really know what thickness to go for...i dont think by screwing through the batten and into the wall will force the battens off as the wall is thermalite blocks..screw will probably go through it lol.... also dont really want the shower sicking out too much..