Thick tiles on wall, heavy

[Sonnypaul]

Morning all,

Need some advice please,

I'm in the process of stripping out a bathroom and noticed the wall where the shower was is ringing wet.

I'm going to let the wall dry etc but the customer is buying floor and wall tiles, they've told me the guy in the tile shop said not to put these 7mm or 8mm tiles on new plaster?

So is it worth me not getting my plasterer to hard wall and skim or even bond and skim the wall and just go out and buy some hardiebacker and dot and dab it on with dryline adhesive and plug and screw it afterwards,

Appreciate any help lads

Thank you

 

[Paul C.]

The issue with plaster is the weight it can hold. As per British Standards, the maximum weight you can apply to plaster is 20kg per square metre. This must also include the weight of the adhesive.

What size tiles are they? and are they ceramic or porcelain?

 

[Sonnypaul]

Hi Tony

I think they are 600x300 and I'm pretty surer they are ceramic, but if a square meter can hold 20kilo I'm sure it will be fine,

I just wanted to cover myself

 

[Paul C.]

Porcelain is denser than ceramic. Would advise double checking.

Also on that size tile regardless if its ceramic or porcelain, you need a cement based powder adhesive. Ready mixed won't dry properly. Plaster will also need priming with an acryllic primer.

Sorry if you know all this already, but seen a few horror stories of things not being done properly, so i like to cover all bases.

 

[Sonnypaul]

Yeh I'll double check what they are Tony.

I'm a builder Tony and to be onest I just used to use a good flexible tubbed adhesive, and never had any problems,

But I'll use a primer this time and powered adhesive and see how I go.

I've built a stud wall at the head of the bath to house the shower and I'm just going to plaster board it and not bother having it plastered, that's the route I normally do anyways,

I only ever use hardiebacker when I'm doing a full enclosure on stud work.

I can't keep up with these new products that keep coming out ha

Thanks Tony, I'll take pics when done

 

[Paul C.]

Who's Tony? lol

Anyway, Plasterboard can hold 32kg so that will be fine.... BUT.... as plasterboard can turn to mush if it gets wet, if it was me, I'd prime it and tank it with WP1 if its in a shower area. Lets just say I had a bad experience about 15 years ago. Since then, for shower walls, I've used or suggested Marmox Multiboard and taped the edges.

Most grout is water resistant so water can still pass through it. So if you do use the plasterboard tank it to make it water tight. The cement adhesive can go straight on the membrane.

For a 60x30 tile, use an 8mm square notch trowel and butter the backs of the tiles. That's give you 100% coverage and also help stop the water from travelling round the back.

 

[Sonnypaul]

Haha sorry Paul I'm not with it today lol, my plasterer is Tony!

The bath is 750 but I've built the wall 800 to allow for some give and the new plaster on the external wall.


I've got some 12.5mm hardiebacker in the shed so I'll prob use that but I'll have to use some plasterboard on the edge where the shower screen is going because I'm making the width 800 not 750.

I don't think you can skim on hardie board, so the edge all the way up needs to be skimmed so it can be painted,
It that makes sense to you lol