I'm redoing the bathroom which had 4 inch tile around the bathtub. I
managed to get them all off without seriously damaging the walls,
which are plaster. All the walls have had the paint removed down to
bare plaster.

My question is: do I prime the walls under the new tiles or do I leave
the wall bare where the new tile will go. Googling around didnt
really turn up anything definitive on the subject. The answers seemed
to fall in three categories

1. Yes
2. No
3. What does the tile manufacturer say?

I havent bought the new tile yet so I cant ask the manufacturer so I'm
asking here.


-dickm

It will all depend on how thorough you want to be in redoing that bathroom.
With plaster walls, much will depend on whether there is a shower in the
bathtub. If there is, it is amazing that it held out so far. You really
should install a water proof membrane such as the Schluter system or
equivalent. Then you should follow their directions. If there is not a
shower, then follow the directions on the adhesive or thin set mortar that
you plan on using. I am going for a "yes" on an oil base primer before
installation, with plenty of time for the primer to dry.


"dicko" wrote in message
...

I'm redoing the bathroom which had 4 inch tile around the bathtub. I
managed to get them all off without seriously damaging the walls,
which are plaster. All the walls have had the paint removed down to
bare plaster.

My question is: do I prime the walls under the new tiles or do I leave
the wall bare where the new tile will go. Googling around didnt
really turn up anything definitive on the subject. The answers seemed
to fall in three categories

1. Yes
2. No
3. What does the tile manufacturer say?

I havent bought the new tile yet so I cant ask the manufacturer so I'm
asking here.


-dickm

On Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:18:50 -0800, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 1/17/2009 5:16 PM EXT spake thus:

It will all depend on how thorough you want to be in redoing that
bathroom. With plaster walls, much will depend on whether there is a
shower in the bathtub. If there is, it is amazing that it held out so
far. You really should install a water proof membrane such as the
Schluter system or equivalent. Then you should follow their
directions. If there is not a shower, then follow the directions on
the adhesive or thin set mortar that you plan on using. I am going
for a "yes" on an oil base primer before installation, with plenty of
time for the primer to dry.

I assume you're talking about Schluter's membranes like Chloraloy,
Kerdi, etc., right? Great stuff if you're building a shower pan from
scratch or waterproofing an outdoor masonry deck, but wouldn't that be
overkill for retiling a tub enclosure?

I've got to assume that the OP's tub has a shower, as every tiled tub
enclosure I've ever seen has one.

My understanding is that in situations like this it's enough to use the
"green" drywall under the tile if re-sheeting the walls. In the case of
plaster walls, however, do you really need to do anything? I ask because
every tub enclosure I've seen in old houses with plaster walls
(pre-drywall) has been in pretty damn good shape.

In any case, I don't think that primer is going to do you any good here.
No way it can form any kind of water-resistant barrier.

I'm curious what others have to say about this here.

"dicko" wrote in message
...

I'm redoing the bathroom which had 4 inch tile around the bathtub. I
managed to get them all off without seriously damaging the walls,
which are plaster. All the walls have had the paint removed down to
bare plaster.

My question is: do I prime the walls under the new tiles or do I leave
the wall bare where the new tile will go. Googling around didnt
really turn up anything definitive on the subject. The answers seemed
to fall in three categories

1. Yes
2. No
3. What does the tile manufacturer say?

I havent bought the new tile yet so I cant ask the manufacturer so I'm
asking here.

Here're are more details.

First, there is a shower but there is no no shower curtain or tub
enclosure so the shower is pretty well useless. The house was built
in 1957 and I doubt anyone ever used the shower. The tiles only went
about 2 ft up from the tub, the rest of the wall is plaster so its
survived for 50 years.

The reason why I'm doing the remodel is that the paint is peeling from
the walls. This is happening in the whole house not just the bathroom.
Its like the primer under the paint just turned to powder and the
paint is separating from the plaster. I just took a razorblade and
scraped all the paint off with no damage to the walls. However, where
there was primer under the tiles, it was stuck tight. The razor blade
couldnt scrape it off. About he tiles themselves, about half fell off
the minute I touched them. The adhesive had dried out.

So now I'm down to bare walls, and I'm just wondering if primer will
interfere with putting new tiles back on the wall. Judging from where
there was primer under some of the old tiles, I'd say no.

-dickm

On Jan 18, 9:17*am, dicko wrote:

So now I'm down to bare walls, and I'm just wondering if primer will
interfere with putting new tiles back on the wall. *Judging from where
there was primer under some of the old tiles, I'd say no.

Mastic will stick to practically any clean dry surface.
-----

- gpsman

"dicko" wrote

Here're are more details.

Thanks. This clarifys it.

First, there is a shower but there is no no shower curtain or tub
enclosure so the shower is pretty well useless. The house was built
in 1957 and I doubt anyone ever used the shower. The tiles only went
about 2 ft up from the tub, the rest of the wall is plaster so its
survived for 50 years.

I have plaster walls too in the bathroom. Had tile and it rotted out
eventually. Now I have a tub enclosure.

The reason why I'm doing the remodel is that the paint is peeling from
the walls. This is happening in the whole house not just the bathroom.
Its like the primer under the paint just turned to powder and the
paint is separating from the plaster. I just took a razorblade and

Lovely ;-)

scraped all the paint off with no damage to the walls. However, where
there was primer under the tiles, it was stuck tight. The razor blade
couldnt scrape it off. About he tiles themselves, about half fell off
the minute I touched them. The adhesive had dried out.

So now I'm down to bare walls, and I'm just wondering if primer will
interfere with putting new tiles back on the wall. Judging from where
there was primer under some of the old tiles, I'd say no.

Opinion here from what you say is that it cant hurt. You'd also want to
make some sort of backer board to protect the plaster walls i imagine.