How Would You Go About This Job?

[Metal Head]

Hi,

I am embarrassed to say that for the first time in my life I am about to attempt to do some tiling - and this is at the age of 47 (shame on me I hear you rightly say).

I am going to have a go at replacing the tiles in our bathroom which includes the dreaded shower area. We live in a weatherboard home and I assume that under the shower base would be part of the wooden base. I suppose I could attempt to get under the house to see what is there exactly if required. However, what I am seeking is some answers and any advice you think I hould know before attempting the task.

Q1) Given that it is a premoulded base is there any need for me to rip it out? or can I just remove the old tiles and put on the new ones?

Q2) When the old ones are removed do I have to paint on any special sealant - membrane?

Q3) Is there any special adhesive I should put on the wall for the tiles?

Q4) Is it still preferable to use grout between the tiles, or is there a better product(s) on the market?

Q5) What should I use (sealant?) between the floor tiles (that I am NOT replacing) and the wall tiles that I am?

I have attached some images of the shower area as well as one of the wall tiles meeting the floor tiles?. Thanking those in advance of their replies.

Regards
David

[Ian007]

1: Yes/No depends on what look you want when finished + $ to spend.
2: Yes water proofing membrane to the full height of the tiles, but not past not even 2mm
3: Yes, tile shop will have it, there is different glue's for floor & wall tiles.
4: Yes/No
5: Silicone.

Glad to be of some help.

[Wood Butcher]

Well I was going to answer as I have done something similar before but I think Ian summed it up exactly as I would've.

[ian]

I am going to have a go at replacing the tiles in our bathroom which includes the dreaded shower area. We live in a weatherboard home and I assume that under the shower base would be part of the wooden base. I suppose I could attempt to get under the house to see what is there exactly if required. However, what I am seeking is some answers and any advice you think I should know before attempting the task.

Q1) Given that it is a premoulded base is there any need for me to rip it out? or can I just remove the old tiles and put on the new ones?

it's hard to tell from your photos, but it looks as though the shower base wasn't installed properly. It's my understanding that the tiles should come inside the lip so that water drains into the hob. In your case it looks as though the tiles are outside the lip possibly draining water into the house frame.
The amount of mould and damaged tile in the corner is, for me, a worry.

Q2) When the old ones are removed do I have to paint on any special sealant - membrane?

definitely. The membrane should be backed up by a bond breaker and reinforcing fabric in all the corners

I live in an old terrace and redid my whole bathroom 7 years ago. These are my observations:

• wear gloves, long sleves, long trousers and safety goggles and/or a face shield when chiselling the tiles off the wall. Tile splinters go everywhere and are a bugger to get out from under the skin.
• it was very hard to get the glue off the walls without damaging the substrate. In the end I used an angle grinder on the brick walls and found it easier to install new villaboard on the stud walls
• cover any items you want to keep with packing, drop sheets, etc to prevent damage from flying tile shards
• the paint on waterproof membrane was easy to install. from memory the process was
  • day 1, paint the floor and walls to tile height
  • day 2, install bond breaker and reinforcing fabric in all corners, including those between the floor and walls. Also install bond breaker and fabric around all penetrations. Make sure the fabric was folded down into the floor waste.
  • day 3, paint a second full coat on the floor and walls.
• maybe I was being anal with the waterproofing but my bathroom is above the kitchen. The kitchen has two false ceilings, representing at least two instances of severe water damage from the bathroom above.
• the old bathroom floor was a 5inch concrete slab layed on top of the floorboards. There was a strip of lead around the perimeter under the concrete. I replaced the slab with 18mm fibre cement sheets.
• when retiling
  • strike a horizontal line right round the bathroom about 2/3 of a tile above the wall, this will be your base line.
  • before you start layout the tiles and determine where any half or 1/3 tiles will go. You will almost certainly need to cut some tiles to fit into the corners. On one wall you may be able to place all the half tiles behind the door, on other walls you may want to use part tiles both ends of the run. Try to get it so that in th corners, the meeting tiles are either full width or cut to a similar width
  • the easiest way to cut tiles is with a wet saw
  • don't forget to use tile spacers
• strategicaly placed studs, noggins and power outlets (which you can do if you also replace the villaboard) give you the option of a frameless glass shower screen and a heated towel rail.

While I personally find them very unattractive, a premolded one piece shower unit might be the go in your situation.

best of luck, David. I didn't find my bathroom reno particularly difficult, just messy


ian

[Metal Head]

Hi Ian007, Wwood Butcher & Ian,

Thank you very much for your responses. Hopefully it won't be too soon before I get to start the job!!.

Ian I will be sending you a PM very shortly.

Cheers
David

[Metal Head]

Hi,

Well 2 months on and I have started to do my first bit of tiling, although it is far from perfect (is any job ever?). However I came across this problem in that if you place the spacer at the front of the tiles you get a smaller gap than if you push it to the back - this is due to there being an angular edge. Does anyone here push the spacers to the back and leave them there?, or is there a less fiddly way of leaving them at the front without the odd one falling out when placing other tiles on the wall - which was the case with my first attempt?.

Thanking those in advance of their replies.

Regards
David

[Doughboy]

Metal

All the way to the back with the spacers. They will stay put and that way you will have a uniform grout line where ever you look.

Pete

[silentC]

Push them right back and leave them in there.

[Metal Head]

Hi,

Well here I am again in the hope of getting some more excellent advice as to what I should do next. As you will see from the image I have this gap (which continues around the rest of the bathroom) between the bottom wall tiles and the floor.

Should I fill this is with grout, or should I use something more flexible (silicone) given that most of the previous grouting was broken (as is a lot of the remaining floor grouting)?.

Thanks to those who reply to my questions.

Regards
David

[mic-d]

You should fill this (and all junctions) with silicone. Translucent silicone if the gap is small since it will become invisible. If the gap is larger than a few mm, use white to cover it. Run a bead along the joint so it bridges the gap, then use a spray bottle with detergent/water to mist the joint and use either your finger or a tool to finish the joint.

Cheers
Michael

[silentC]

Sikaflex is the go. You can get it in white. It's expensive (about $18 a tube).

[Metal Head]

Thanks for your replies mic-d & silentC.

I have got to the stage where I have to tile an external corner and I bought this edge strip but don't know which way it should be put on - is there a rule of thumb regarding this, or is it personnal choice?.

I have attached 2 images to give you an idea as to what I mean - is it the one on the left or the one on the right?. The kitchen bench I took the pictures of is not the item I am tiling.

I hope I have been able to explain at what I am trying to get at.

Cheers
David

[workgoose]

The tiles sit on the side with the hole pattern (first pic), but what is the edge to, is it to carpet, or polished floorboards, or something else? There are lots of different kinds of edges available, depending on tile thickness or the effect you want to achieve. A good tile shop (not the big green place) should be able to advise you.

[silentC]

It's an external corner, which means the tiles are on both sides. I would put it as in picture 1 because it will be easier to fit. It should be symetrical, so it makes no difference and will look the same once the job's done.

[Metal Head]

Hi,

Yes I am after more advice again.

I unfortunately chipped a little bit out of the moulded base as seen in the pictures above. although I don't have a magnifying glass it appears to my naked eye to be made of strongly bonded fibre glass:confused:. Is there a product you know of that could fix this potential problem if left?.

I would also appreciate some advice as to what the wall board (material) is mainly used in our house (which was built in 1954)? - please see attachment. No that isn't a birds nest behind it.

Once again thanks to all those who reply in advance.

Cheers
David aka Metal Head