Tiling Dilemma in Bathroom with Slightly Damp Wall Using Porcelain Tiles Advice and information on tiling and fixing tiles to a variety of surfaces

[mika_98]

Hello all,

I seem to be in a dilemma with the tiler and tiling my bathroom. First of all, things to bear in mind are that the walls are slightly damp and I have gone for porcelain tiles. The walls have been treated with a damp proof course but I have been advised any previous damp may remain for a while.

With that in mind, I'm assuming the best method is to fit a board of some sort to tile onto. If that is correct, which method should I use - dot and dab with adhesive or studwork?

I'd rather go with the dot/dab as my bathroom is very small (1.8 x 1.5m). Batons plus boards, followed by tiles will take up what little space I already have. If I go down this route, which boards (apart from plaster/MR) can I fit using adhesive? I'd love to use something like Aquapanels but was advised they have to be fitted using batons. Are there any other alternatives?

However, if its best to go with batons+boards, which combination can I go with (again apart from plaster/MR) that will take up less space? Aquapanels I believe require a 38mm baton according to the manufacturer!

Also, I've never heard of this but the tiler wishes to add some kind of waterproof additive to the grout I prefer, which is one from the Mapei range. Anyone ever heard of such practice?

I would be very grateful of any advice as it's causing me some bother :oops:

[diydoctor6]

What have you sealed the wall of the bathroom with?

If it is waterproof, then no moisture should be able to be able to come through, and then you should be able to tile straight on top of this. Note, it might feel damp still as it could be cooled by the moisture in the wall, but it should be totally dry on the tiling surface. (the damp should leave through the other side of the wall - hopefully).

To achieve this seal, we use a kit like this one from Everbuild: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/DIY-superst ... q=aquaseal

If it's not a waterproof sealant and the wall is still wet, then we would recommend that you deal with the damp first before putting tiles on top. It will be interesting to see other's views on the subject, and there are ways about it, but we feel that you should let the damp dry out before attempting any tiling (from what we understand of your post).

You mention you're considering panels. They look lovely, but are stressful to fit - They are expensive so you don't want to slip up! Well worth the stress - have a look at our video on fitting shower panels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJQrIpBbD94

We use water resistant grout, so don't need to use any additives. Here's a great video on grouting bathroom tiles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TgRrYejIkw