how do i solve a problem with tiling on uneven surface Advice and information on tiling and fixing tiles to a variety of surfaces

[adavies71]

hi there

i have just removed old tiles from my wall in the kitchen, when doing so the tiles took of the top of the plaster just leaving the rough plaster which is not loose but is very dusty ( 1-2 mm missing of the wall). i was wondering if i was able to just tile straight onto the plaster or do i have to have the wall replastered. could i just put somthing like PVA onto the wall before tiling

please help me with this problem

[OldandGrey]

Well, that depends on how good a finish you want to achieve. I believe the best effect is to have the tiles flat in all directions and its perfect when you can put a level on it and the tiled area is spot on vertical too, although these days not much is square or true in property! You might choose to pack the tiles with extra adhesive. This can be tricky because you are guessing how much extra you need to make the area flat and you might be taking the tiles off the wall a couple of times before you have it right. Perhaps a better alternative would be to find a plasterer that doesn't mind re-skimming the area for you. It is much slower and more difficult for them because you will already have your worktop, cupboards etc there and they are "in the way" but you will have an easier job of tiling. If you go this route, make sure you allow plenty of time for the plaster to dry out before tiling, the multifinish should be white not pink when it is dry.
HTH
Grumpy Old Git

[rosebery]

The bonding plaster isn't a suitable substrate to tile directly to. If the top coat skim has come off over the whole area to be tiles I agree with the earlier post - have it reskimmed first.

If there are a few patches then my solution would be to to level the surface with some rapidset tile adhesive, let that dry and then tile over that.

Please DONT use PVA as a primer before tiling. Use an acrylic Primer like APD or Primer G.

Cheers

[www.tileexperience.co.uk]

if reskimming isn't really an option, consider using something like the new kerdi board by Schluter. the thinnest they do is 5mm, but it is ideal for getting a flat and even finish without the mess of replastering