Should i tile on this surface or get it skimmed?

[jimbaker81]

Hi,

Just ripped out my upstairs bathroom (i am fortunate to have a bathroom with a shower cubicle downstairs as well so no rush with this project) and i'm not sure if i should tile over the plasterboard walls which i have just exposed and damaged in places as i removed the existing tiles. The plaster board has ripped obviously with the tile adhesive and i have knocked a couple of holes in there as well just for good measure but im happy to just fill those in. It's the surface as a whole i'm interested to find out will be OK to take a fresh load of tiles or should i get someone in to skim the whole lot which i wanted to avoid if possible. The walls are pretty flat, some slight undulation but only mm not inches.

I have attached some pictures (reduced quality) for some experts to have a quick look at and give me their opinions.

Thanks in advance!

[Cantseeitfrommyhouse]

Thats knackered. Overboard or reboard.

[SB Plastering]

yup, reboard where possible, overboard if you cant reboard. use moisture resistant boards and don't skim what is being tiled. the MR boards may cost a little more but if theres ever a leak or water gets behind the tiles somehow, they will hold up alot better than normal boards

[tictic]

the artex on the walls,has it been up long....?
there may be traces of asbestos in it,...if its been up there for long?...pre 1990.

[jimbaker81]

Thanks for the replies.

I know it looks bad but i thought the main reason for reboarding would be the undulations in the walls (if any) and they are all still pretty straight. Are you saying that the tile adhesive wont bond to this surface? I'm just trying to understand what new boards will give me that the existing ones dont. I was planning to make good most of the really bad bits and then PVA the rest of the walls prior to tiling them if that is worth doing?

Yes the artex is way older than 1990 - more like 75 - 80. Bit late to get concerned about it now but i'll make a note to to snort any future dust that might settle. Thanks for the heads up.

[Cantseeitfrommyhouse]

I'm just trying to understand what new boards will give me that the existing ones dont....

...and then PVA the rest of the walls prior to tiling them if that is worth doing?

You can't repair damaged plasterboard. Once the paper is gone on either side it is irreparably damaged.

PVA = big no no. Not suitable as a tiling primer.

[royaloakcarpentry]

The boards are completely knackered. Don't worry about why they are knackered cos to explain would entail going into board technology and load capabilities.....................Just trust those in the trade who have told you they are useless, need replacing or over boarding.

The tiles will bond to that surface................which is good because it means when the tiles fall away from the gypsum, they will still have what's left of the paper attached to them!!!! In other words, tile onto those boards and watch what happens.

When you have got new boards up, then give them a coat of primer which is recommended by your adhesive manufacturer.

Do not use PVA, it is not suitable for tiling over and can lead to adhesive failure leading to tiles falling off the wall.

[jimbaker81]

OK i've decided to board over the existing plasterboard but now i have come across Aqua board as an alternative. Had a look round BnQ this aftn and can see the advantages in using it i.e. it looks to be a lot more water resistant than plasterboard in case things to go wrong and looks to be a nice sterdy product to use. Couldn't help but notice the weight of it though so i have some concerns about fixing it to the walls and then putting tiles on top of that - fixing it to the batons behind the plasterboard might be an issue as well. So, can i have some advice on the advantages/disadvantages of using cement board over plasterboard and also a good way of consistently finding the batons underneith the existing plasterboard would be good.
Cheers.

[SB Plastering]

take the old wall off, by the time you've messed about finding the studs you will have taken the wall off and it'll be a proper job.

[fingaz]

Personally i wouldnt use aqua boards. i cant see how they will stop any damp getting behind. steam and water get everywhere. tiles are the best bet, either over board or rip all the old plaster off and do it all again from scratch..

if your going to do it you might aswell do a proper job

[Colour Republic]

Personally i wouldnt use aqua boards. i cant see how they will stop any damp getting behind. steam and water get everywhere. tiles are the best bet, either over board or rip all the old plaster off and do it all again from scratch..

if your going to do it you might aswell do a proper job

I believe the Aqua board the OP is talking about is a tile backerboard not a replacement for the tiles. You may be thinking of a different product.

[royaloakcarpentry]

Seems that ''aqua board'' has become a generic term because I would automatically link it with lafarge which is gypsum based. I have always known cement based as tile backer board. So can see why Fingaz would come to his conclusion. I read the OP's last a few times until the penny dropped that he meant tile backer.

Just doing another bathroom at the moment which is 15 years old and again good initial workmanship at time of build has ensured that the gypsum core of the standard plasterboards was as good as the day they were put up.

The tiling background is only a small percentage of the work. It is how the bath/shower is installed, sealed prior to tiling, how the tiling is done, grouted, how the bath/shower is sealed after tiling which are the important factors. After installation maintenance also plays a big part.