Tiling onto an airing cupboard Advice and information on tiling and fixing tiles to a variety of surfaces

[TomA]

I'm about to replace my bathroom and build a simple airing cupboard so that I can have an over bath shower. What should I use for the wall butting up to the bath so that it can be tiled?

[kbrownie]

Hi TomA,
If you plasterboard wall, then you can fix hardboard to the plasterboard, then tile on to hardboard, this is so if you ever decide to remove tiles, it is easier to remove from hardboard and does not damage the plasterboard underneath.
Hope that answered your question, good luck
KB

[TomA]

Thanks for that KB. Would it be necessary to use plasterboard at all if you were putting hardboard on top? Also would you have to prime the hardboard before using adhesive?

[kbrownie]

Hi TomA,
I'd always put a plasterboard up, it will give wall a bit more strength as hardboard very flexible and only 3-5mm thick, and I guess you may want to fit enclosure up and may be shower too.
I would prime wall with PVA but don't let it set just go tacky before appling adhesive.
Best of Luck
KB

[TomA]

Morning KB

I had read elsewhere on the site that you can have problems with tiles slipping if you get any water ingress onto the pva, is this correct?

Many thanks

Tom

[kbrownie]

Hi again,
I have heard of this, there is some sort of chemical reaction that causes the pva to fail, fortunately I have never experienced this and I have tiled, dot and dabbed, plastered many a wall in my time using PVA and touch wood had no known problems!
You can buy primers that work well with tile adhesive if you have any doubts! I don't think the costs would be a great deal different?
KB

[TomA]

Cheers KB, good to hear it from someone with experience

[rosebery]

Acrylic primer like APD is the answer rather than water based PVA.

Cheers

[mikjayfay]

i am doing same job but have used 10mm thick mdf board...have i done wrong? if so how to retify without stripping it out again?[/i]

[mikjayfay]

tiling going well here but still worrying about the mdf..if no response here i will go with sealing with waterproof pva sealer [unibond] and shall tile over before using waterproof grout afterwards.

my thinking is that the hotwater cystern is at the back of it so it should be dry 99 percent of the time.