I'm thinking of starting my first ever wall tiling project, by
renovating my half-tiled kitchen. Tips, please, for a tile newbie.

* Existing tiles are faded with the odd chip, but they are sound and
fixed on OK. Some newbie FAQs say that its OK to tile again on top of
this layer. But this seems like a cop out and anyway, won't it build up
a thick layer on the wall?!

* Removing existing tiles. Wall is breezeblock/plaster (1970s
construction). FAQs advise using a bolster chisel. Any likelihood of
damaging the plaster when the tiles come off? And does the surface
underneath (presumably chunks of tile adhesive) take a lot of levelling
off before retiling?

* Is tiling suitable for a newbie project? I can do wallpapering,
painting and basic electrics OK. My idea is to remove the existing
tiles down to a single row, then use this as a level base to plonk the
new tiles on. Sounds easy enough, in theory!

Bruce

wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm thinking of starting my first ever wall tiling project, by
renovating my half-tiled kitchen. Tips, please, for a tile newbie.

* Existing tiles are faded with the odd chip, but they are sound and
fixed on OK. Some newbie FAQs say that its OK to tile again on top of
this layer. But this seems like a cop out and anyway, won't it build up
a thick layer on the wall?!

* Removing existing tiles. Wall is breezeblock/plaster (1970s
construction). FAQs advise using a bolster chisel. Any likelihood of
damaging the plaster when the tiles come off? And does the surface
underneath (presumably chunks of tile adhesive) take a lot of levelling
off before retiling?

* Is tiling suitable for a newbie project? I can do wallpapering,
painting and basic electrics OK. My idea is to remove the existing
tiles down to a single row, then use this as a level base to plonk the
new tiles on. Sounds easy enough, in theory!

Well Bruce,

I have done this a few times and have never gone for the tile over
option...If you
have any areas where the sides of the tiles join back on to normal wall then
the
extra thickness is very apparent and can be different to hide. I have
always used
a bolster or 2 and have never had any really major damage to the plaster.
I think
it comes down to how well the adhesive has held up and how good the original
plastering is. The most time consuming part for me has been removing the
left over
ridge pattern from the previous adhesive comb.

My tips
*Keep the force (I always hit the bolster with a club hammer)
as close to parallel to the wall as possible then you shouldn't pull out the
plaster.

*Take anything out of the room that could possibly get damaged - sharp hard
bits
of tile going at speed can trach virtually anything

*Do wear gloves / goggles - it is one of the times it realls *is* necessary
IMO

*Once you get the hang of it try and get the bolster flat under the tile and
prise the
tile off without breaking - cleanest way of doing it

*Be realistic about how level the wall needs to be - the wall does not need
to be
flat but you do need to avoid big peaks of old dry adhesive as the new
tiles will
pivot on these and not grab properly to the wall.

Good Luck!
Tim

I'm no expert myself, but have done tiling - so here's my 2ps worth:-
Tiling on tiles works fine, and if the previous job was a good one,
makes the jobs quite easy. You could consider it a cop out, and I
would certainly want to remove both layers the next time, but then
again how often do you tile?

As for removing the tiles, I wouldn't worry too much about the plaster
unless deep chunks start coming off - tile adhesive can be put on quite
thick if required, not all over obviously, but in necessary places 1/2
inch is ok. More than this and you can level with mortar prior to
tiling.

I have only done this once, so I was a newbie last time, and found it
quite easy, with very pleasing results - so go for it!
Personally, I would remove all the tiles, then use a level batten to
tile onto, as removing the last row of old tiles might cause problems
with the newly laid first row.

* Removing existing tiles. Wall is breezeblock/plaster (1970s
construction). FAQs advise using a bolster chisel.

Use an SDS drill with a cold chisel attachment. I've never had much success
with a hammer and chisel. It tends to disintegrate the tiles into shards and
leave chunks on the wall. The SDS chisel, on the other hand, causes the
tiles to leap off the wall whole with excitement and stack themselves
neatly, ready for disposal.

And does the surface underneath (presumably chunks of tile
adhesive) take a lot of levelling off before retiling?

After removing large chunks, I go over with a belt sander.

Christian.

*Be realistic about how level the wall needs to be - the wall does
not need
to be
flat but you do need to avoid big peaks of old dry adhesive as the
new
tiles will
pivot on these and not grab properly to the wall.


Thanks, Tim.
Aah..I see. Slapping on the tile adhesive evens out wall/plaster
imperfections.

Anyway, I'm going to have a go at this. I can esae into it by popping
out a few old tiles and slotting in new ones as direct replacements.

Question: Are wall tiles made in standard sizes? I can't recall the
size of my kitchen tiles right now, but they are fairly small, 1970s
vintage AFAIK. I'm hoping I can buy exact sized replacements to make my
job as easy as possible...

Bruce

* Removing existing tiles. Wall is breezeblock/plaster (1970s
construction). FAQs advise using a bolster chisel.

Use an SDS drill with a cold chisel attachment. I've never had much
success
with a hammer and chisel. It tends to disintegrate the tiles into
shards and
leave chunks on the wall. The SDS chisel, on the other hand, causes
the
tiles to leap off the wall whole with excitement and stack themselves
neatly, ready for disposal.

And does the surface underneath (presumably chunks of tile
adhesive) take a lot of levelling off before retiling?

After removing large chunks, I go over with a belt sander.

Christian.

Sorry, Christian. Call me a Luddite, but I have no power tools in the
house!

It'll have to be done manually.

Is this chisel OK:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...27220&id=91628
Or is that too big?

Bruce

wrote in message
ups.com...

*Be realistic about how level the wall needs to be - the wall does
not need
to be
flat but you do need to avoid big peaks of old dry adhesive as the
new
tiles will
pivot on these and not grab properly to the wall.


Thanks, Tim.
Aah..I see. Slapping on the tile adhesive evens out wall/plaster
imperfections.

Anyway, I'm going to have a go at this. I can esae into it by popping
out a few old tiles and slotting in new ones as direct replacements.

Question: Are wall tiles made in standard sizes? I can't recall the
size of my kitchen tiles right now, but they are fairly small, 1970s
vintage AFAIK. I'm hoping I can buy exact sized replacements to make my
job as easy as possible...

Bruce


Bruce...

STOP keeping me from swotting up before a job interview tomoz!!!

just kidding

Exactly, the adhesiv is pretty forgiving of all but irregular highs.

The tip to use an SDS drill is also a good one - will prb save time and I
think you can get them for £50 from the usual places

Tiles unfortunately fall ito the category of almost standard sizes... For
example there are lots that approximate 150mm or 6 inches. For that reason
I really would not reccomend doing it a bit at a time - sorry. Apart from
anything else you will be constantly cleaning up after yourself AND risking
damaging the new tiles. and it is very difficult to apply adhesive at a
constant thickness if you work bit by bit like this - imagine trying to
plaster a wall patch at a time

General tile tips

*Clear the whole wall(s)
*screw on a batten and check with a level at the right height **
*put on the adhesive as per instructions in sufficient area that you get
consistent thickness but it doesnt go dry before you have time to put tiles
up
*Consider using the small plastic tile spacers IMO worth their weight
*Once the first row is set then carry on
*Clean out any excess adhesive in grout space if necessary while let -
otherwise it will be harder to grout later

** Spend a few minutes before you start laying working out how many tiles
you need height and width wise for the wall (allow for spacers if
applicable). THis should let you determine where to put the batten. There
is nothing worse than making twice as much cutting for yourself or having to
cut teeny slivers of tile because you didnt plan ahead . Ideally you
would start with a whole tile butted to one edge (wall worktop etc. - but
only if these are level and square with eachother, take nothing for granted
in houses) and only cut on the opposite edge but it can sometimes look
better/make cutting easier depending on the situation - just think it
through!

Sorry, Christian. Call me a Luddite, but I have no power tools in the
house!

It'll have to be done manually.

Is this chisel OK:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...27220&id=91628
Or is that too big?

It won't work. It doesn't have a plug. ;-)

Christian.