New Bathroom tiles lifting

pamd · Post by **pamd** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:01 pm

hello, i wonder if anyone can help? i have recently had a bathroom suite installed and the floor and walls tiled, the result could well end up in the rogues gallery!!! Anyway, the floor was originally floor boards, they were covered in ply, although i dont know what thickness. the tiles have been set down for over 2 weeks now, and they are constantly lifting or moving, the grout it also very powdery and is coming away from the tile edges. I am at the end of my tether.

any advice at all would be appreciated. Is there a different adhesive for walls and floors?......now all i have to do is figure out why the tiler didnt put edging around the exposed edges of the window, there is silicone all over the ceiling, floor, walls, toilet....you get the picture

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:10 pm

Mudster will be able to add to this but from what you describe it sounds like the wrong type of adhesive has been used on the floor, perhaps non flexible adhesive has been used, when it should of been flexible adhesive!

I am not familiar with any problems like that with grout, I can only guess that it was powdered grout and has not been mixed properly!

I can only try and imagine how you are feeling right now, you must be gutted.

pamd · Post by **pamd** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:19 pm

Hi and thank you for your reply...that was super fast!!!! i have a feeling that you may be right about the adhesive.... i will goi and have a look through the pile of rubble and rubbish that the plumber has left here!!!!

Mudster · Post by **Mudster** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:14 pm

It sounds like the wrong type of adhesive and grout used, and I'd hazard guess they nailed a thin ply down too.

pamd · Post by **pamd** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:52 am

Hi, I have had a really good look at the empty buckets of adhesive, and ( forgive my ignorance) they all say wall tile adhesive, i am guessing there is actually floor tile adhesive?

Obviously i am going to have to re lay the floor, but i am concerned as to how i might remove the adhesive that is on the floor already....any thoughts???

I think the ply that is down is 9mm.....but i might be wrong. Thank you for your posts on this.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:18 pm

Wall tile adhesive is no good for floors, especially wooden floors as it needs to be flexible to accommodate slight movement.

9mm is a little bit thin as well, 12mm would of been better!

Removing the tile adhesive is not going to be easy and will require scraping with a good quality scraper, if that does not work, you may need to use a hammer and chisel to remove the adhesive from the floor.

skiking · Post by **skiking** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:38 pm

Wouldn't removing the ply be better, that way you don't have the hassle of trying to remove the tile adhesive. This way you can put down thicker ply - its not that expensive, is it ? and re-lay the tiles.

However, if a tradesman has done this job and it was only two weeks ago I think I'd be getting them back to do it properly

honeymonster · Post by **honeymonster** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:49 pm

skiking wrote:Wouldn't removing the ply be better, that way you don't have the hassle of trying to remove the tile adhesive. This way you can put down thicker ply - its not that expensive, is it ? and re-lay the tiles.

However, if a tradesman has done this job and it was only two weeks ago I think I'd be getting them back to do it properly

That makes sense to me, unless they are trying to remove the tiles carefully, so that they can re-use them!