Tiling tips....walls/house not level??
Discussion
Just after any advice on what to do with a new bathroom install.
The whole house is on the pi$$ to the tune of about 6" front to back. i.e. the whole house it tipping backward away from the road. All as one though, no cracks or anything.
The new bathroom walls will all be flat/smooth but the room is tilting backwards a bit. This means installing the bath and tiles using a spirit level will leave an uneven cut of tiles at the join with the ceiling/walls/floor. The cut of the tile will reduce from front to back/up down. We are also constructing a small stud wall to accomodate shower pipework, if this is also put in level a similar thing occurs.
Hard to explain without piccies!
So, do you install everything according to a spirit level or level with the room itself?
The whole house is on the pi$$ to the tune of about 6" front to back. i.e. the whole house it tipping backward away from the road. All as one though, no cracks or anything.
The new bathroom walls will all be flat/smooth but the room is tilting backwards a bit. This means installing the bath and tiles using a spirit level will leave an uneven cut of tiles at the join with the ceiling/walls/floor. The cut of the tile will reduce from front to back/up down. We are also constructing a small stud wall to accomodate shower pipework, if this is also put in level a similar thing occurs.
Hard to explain without piccies!
So, do you install everything according to a spirit level or level with the room itself?
Edited by dave_s13 on Monday 4th October 09:00
Yep I thought so. We've started constructing the stud wall and this is with a level. It will just look a bit odd having uneven cuts of tile at the wall/floor transitions.
Ah well....this is what you get when you buy a slighty older house I suppose. At least the structure is all sound and my new extension on the back will prop things up nicely for another 80 years...hopefully.
Ah well....this is what you get when you buy a slighty older house I suppose. At least the structure is all sound and my new extension on the back will prop things up nicely for another 80 years...hopefully.
It's all about how it looks, rather than being 100% level.
In this case, howver, I think would go for level, but at the wall/floor joins, aim to have as much 'tile' there as possible (i.e. a full tile at the widest point), so that you don't read the shrinking sized tiles as you move along the edge (If you see what I mean).
In this case, howver, I think would go for level, but at the wall/floor joins, aim to have as much 'tile' there as possible (i.e. a full tile at the widest point), so that you don't read the shrinking sized tiles as you move along the edge (If you see what I mean).
You don't need a level- pick an antique effect tile with distressed edges- that will hide the straight edges both vertically and horizontally.
Make sure the job is set out so you have a large cut to the top- that way it will gradually reduce, but won't look bad - as opposed going from a small cut to a large grout line.
Pm me for specifics
Make sure the job is set out so you have a large cut to the top- that way it will gradually reduce, but won't look bad - as opposed going from a small cut to a large grout line.
Pm me for specifics
Emsman said:
You don't need a level- pick an antique effect tile with distressed edges- that will hide the straight edges both vertically and horizontally.
Make sure the job is set out so you have a large cut to the top- that way it will gradually reduce, but won't look bad - as opposed going from a small cut to a large grout line.
Pm me for specifics
Cheers. I'm assuming you do(did) this for a living.Make sure the job is set out so you have a large cut to the top- that way it will gradually reduce, but won't look bad - as opposed going from a small cut to a large grout line.
Pm me for specifics
Tiles are already bought I'm afraid - 300 x 600 porcelain - same on floor and walls. Only doing round the bath and splash back for sink.
Bath is going in level and tiles will sit on top of the bath egde so they will be level too. Cheers re for the big cut at the top tip.
It's a fvckin nightmare is tiling. There are umpteen different ways of doing the same thing but depending on who you ask each of those ways is wrong!!
My issue now is that the wall around the bath has been boarded using a normal grade plasterboard. I've read one thing that says just tile straight on to it. Another says PVA primer then tile. Another says tanking, primer, then tile. Another say membrane (Kerdi) then tile. Arrghhh!!
Floor is boarded in "no-more-ply" which is supposed to be waterproof without any messing about.
Just for infor it's a dead simple, very modest size room. Bath with shower at the end. So not a commercial wet room or anything.
Emsman said:
Ref the plasterboard- give it a coat of unibond to be sure, and use a decent quality adhesive- Bal or similar
I had half a ton of travertine to fix on my plasterboard so I wasn't taking any chances... BAL seem to be the best, and have a helpline as well.www.bal-adhesives.co.uk/mediacentre/article14
OldSkoolRS said:
Another one for BAL with travertine. 
BAL is pricey but I didn't want 18" x 18" x 12mm slabs of stone falling on my nadgers whilst in the bath!BAL primer + BAL flexible adhesive + proper trowel = it's still on the wall after 5 years.
Just phone them up and do what they say
Bal is recognized as one of the best, but the help line tends to massively over-spec every application.
On your walls, if using something large and heavy, use White star on the Walls.
On the floor use gold or rapid set if concrete
use flex or fast flex on the floor if wooden.
The only deviation I would take from their suggestions would be if using a porcelain tile- I would leave it for 48 hours before grouting. Porcelain is far denser than ceramic, so you get little to no movement through the tile, so the only way moisture escapes when the adhesive cures is through the grout lines or through the substrate.
Anything else is overkill.
On your walls, if using something large and heavy, use White star on the Walls.
On the floor use gold or rapid set if concrete
use flex or fast flex on the floor if wooden.
The only deviation I would take from their suggestions would be if using a porcelain tile- I would leave it for 48 hours before grouting. Porcelain is far denser than ceramic, so you get little to no movement through the tile, so the only way moisture escapes when the adhesive cures is through the grout lines or through the substrate.
Anything else is overkill.
Emsman said:
Any chance of a photo, a few dims etc- I will set it out for you.
And yes, did it for a living- so much so that after nearly 13 years I still identified someones tile on another thread here!!!
Apologies for not taking you up on this but it's taken me longer than I thought to board out and sort the wiring.And yes, did it for a living- so much so that after nearly 13 years I still identified someones tile on another thread here!!!
Getting the room re-plastered this week. If I can't get my head round setting out I'll post back up.
One thing though. I have porcelain tiles for floor and walls. Can anyone advise on the gear needed to cut them neatly and also do cuts for a 100mm extract fan, soil pipe and 10mm pipes to towel rail. I'm aware they are not as easy to get through as ceramics, is that right?
Cheers.
It depends very much on the porcelain being used.
To cut them, a good quality cutter will do straight cuts- go to your local tile store/hire store and hire a rubi TS. They do a few sizes, so make sure they fit in!! A TS 60 will do most though.
Rubi are dead easy to identify- large green box, orange and blue cutter.
For cutting round the pipes/extractor you ideally need a diamond wheel or angle grinder.
Set it out- if you can do so- so the pipes are at an edge of the tile?
Before you cut, score the tile first- then the grinder/diamond wheel will follow the score line resulting in a neater cut.
If taking out a large section- a right angled corner for example- cut the shorter cut with the grinder/diamond, then snap the other part off in the rubi cutter. When doing pipes, the easiest way is to score it all first, then cut multiple cuts up to the score line to make thin 'fingers'. These will then snap out with pliers/tile nippers. Same with curves around the soil stack
If drilling, get a good quality masonry bit, make sure hammer action is off!!! Turn the chuck by hand to make a score mark, then slowly drill through.
Get a price for hiring a Rubi first though- if it's more than postage, I'm happy to post mine up to you to save you a few quid.
Anything else, just ask
To cut them, a good quality cutter will do straight cuts- go to your local tile store/hire store and hire a rubi TS. They do a few sizes, so make sure they fit in!! A TS 60 will do most though.
Rubi are dead easy to identify- large green box, orange and blue cutter.
For cutting round the pipes/extractor you ideally need a diamond wheel or angle grinder.
Set it out- if you can do so- so the pipes are at an edge of the tile?
Before you cut, score the tile first- then the grinder/diamond wheel will follow the score line resulting in a neater cut.
If taking out a large section- a right angled corner for example- cut the shorter cut with the grinder/diamond, then snap the other part off in the rubi cutter. When doing pipes, the easiest way is to score it all first, then cut multiple cuts up to the score line to make thin 'fingers'. These will then snap out with pliers/tile nippers. Same with curves around the soil stack
If drilling, get a good quality masonry bit, make sure hammer action is off!!! Turn the chuck by hand to make a score mark, then slowly drill through.
Get a price for hiring a Rubi first though- if it's more than postage, I'm happy to post mine up to you to save you a few quid.
Anything else, just ask
Edited by Emsman on Monday 11th October 20:03
Emsman said:
It depends very much on the porcelain being used.
To cut them, a good quality cutter will do straight cuts- go to your local tile store/hire store and hire a rubi TS. They do a few sizes, so make sure they fit in!! A TS 60 will do most though.
Rubi are dead easy to identify- large green box, orange and blue cutter.
For cutting round the pipes/extractor you ideally need a diamond wheel or angle grinder.
Set it out- if you can do so- so the pipes are at an edge of the tile?
Before you cut, score the tile first- then the grinder/diamond wheel will follow the score line resulting in a neater cut.
If taking out a large section- a right angled corner for example- cut the shorter cut with the grinder/diamond, then snap the other part off in the rubi cutter. When doing pipes, the easiest way is to score it all first, then cut multiple cuts up to the score line to make thin 'fingers'. These will then snap out with pliers/tile nippers.
If drilling, get a good quality masonry bit, make sure hammer action is off!!! Turn the chuck by hand to make a score mark, then slowly drill through.
Get a price for hiring a Rubi first though- if it's more than postage, I'm happy to post mine up to you to save you a few quid.
Anything else, just ask
Top man.To cut them, a good quality cutter will do straight cuts- go to your local tile store/hire store and hire a rubi TS. They do a few sizes, so make sure they fit in!! A TS 60 will do most though.
Rubi are dead easy to identify- large green box, orange and blue cutter.
For cutting round the pipes/extractor you ideally need a diamond wheel or angle grinder.
Set it out- if you can do so- so the pipes are at an edge of the tile?
Before you cut, score the tile first- then the grinder/diamond wheel will follow the score line resulting in a neater cut.
If taking out a large section- a right angled corner for example- cut the shorter cut with the grinder/diamond, then snap the other part off in the rubi cutter. When doing pipes, the easiest way is to score it all first, then cut multiple cuts up to the score line to make thin 'fingers'. These will then snap out with pliers/tile nippers.
If drilling, get a good quality masonry bit, make sure hammer action is off!!! Turn the chuck by hand to make a score mark, then slowly drill through.
Get a price for hiring a Rubi first though- if it's more than postage, I'm happy to post mine up to you to save you a few quid.
Anything else, just ask
Top post too.
I will look in to the hire of said machine and get back to you.
Just thought. My tiles are 600 x 300. I've found a hire place local to me that has a 600mm rubi tile cutter for 20 quid for the weekend. Will that cut the length of the 600 tile?
Also I need to drill two 27mm holes for the shower mixer pipes. Any specific bit I should use for that?
Thanks
Forget that. Found one that does 900 tles for 30 quid/weekend.
Edited by dave_s13 on Monday 11th October 20:14
Not hard to cut to be honest- much the same as everything else, if you have the right kit to do the job, you are halfway there!!
For the sake of 30 quid, get a cheap pkasplugs diamond wheel, again, if you struggle I will send mine to you.
Cutting holes in a specific place is generally a pain in the arse, but get a good drill bit, score (by removing the wheel in the rubi and using that- it's a small wheel) then cut a number of holes just inside the perimeter of the scoreline and eventually cut the area away.
Oh, and don't get your finger caught in the mechanism of the rubi- trust me, it will hurt like f
k!!
For the sake of 30 quid, get a cheap pkasplugs diamond wheel, again, if you struggle I will send mine to you.
Cutting holes in a specific place is generally a pain in the arse, but get a good drill bit, score (by removing the wheel in the rubi and using that- it's a small wheel) then cut a number of holes just inside the perimeter of the scoreline and eventually cut the area away.
Oh, and don't get your finger caught in the mechanism of the rubi- trust me, it will hurt like f
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