DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Is it possible to plaster over wall tiles? I am doing a bathroom and it is tiled from floor to ceiling. The walls are brbrick and the tiles are very secure and level. It would be a major job to take them off - when I tried to take a few off, lumps of plaster from the wall below came off. I was reading some of the instructions in a DIY store and they mentioned using a special adhesive before plastering.

It can be done Paul but it is not a good idea at all. The special adhesive is called PVA and it can be seen and bought via our project on PVA adhesive. The problem is that even PVA sometimes does not stick to ceramic tiles too well and that means that the plaster you aplly on the top of the PVA is only stuck as well as the PVA itself. Its your call obviously but we would not do it.

What if I roughen the tiles first, or use the plaster as a leveler then put lining paper on top and paint over it?

Hi Paul, Its not recomended but you can skim over solid wall tiles using an adhesive agent called "Thistle Bond - it". This is a stronger type of PVA with grit texture to it and normally has a green dye in it. Its mostly used for kitchen ceilings before a re-skim as it holds well on the grease on the surface (due to cooking). Havn't used it for a while, but from what I can remember its expensive and only comes in 10ltr tubs. If the bathroom is empty and depending on size and what the tiling is like you could think about dry-lining over the tiles.

Hope this helps.
Cheers, Karl.

I really would'nt skim or dry-line over tiles,

Iv done a few bathrooms now which have involved;

Taking the tile back to the bare brick ( Day 1).

Dry-lining over the bricks (Day 2).

If Painting then skim over the plasterboard, if not then tile directly over the plaster board (Day 3).

To me this is the best way it should be done

Hope this helps :wink: Gary