Installing Tile On Plaster Walls

You need a flat surface.

Installing tile on plaster walls.

Repair any loose or cracked tiles. It used to be very common to put tile up on whatever the wall was and seal the the tile. For the average small wall tiles which are currently popular you will want to use a 1x4 square notch trowel. To do so make sure all of the tiles are intact and secure.

Pull the tile up and look at the pattern that is create on the back. Peel and stick smart tiles won t stick properly on most porous surfaces but with extra preparation they will. Wavy plaster walls are common and that s part of their charm. Can you lay tile on plaster walls.

Both painted and bare plaster allows for the installation of tile. If you have a tiling job to do in your bathroom and the walls have been skimmed with plaster you have to follow a few guidelines when installing tile to make sure you do not have a failure resulting in all the tiles coming off the wall. One handy tip my father in law taught me three years ago was if you plan on tiling a wall and the wall is uneven then the plastering doesn t need to be abs. Wash the wall with tsp tri sodium phosphate or an ammonia based cleaner to remove any grease or oil.

Sanding the existing paint helps the tile adhesive stick to the wall. Mortar a small spot and then place a tile. Testing the wall for durability. Uneven surfaces and walls with reliefs raised or textured it is also not recommended to install smart tiles on a dented damaged surface or one with reliefs like uneven ceramic backsplash tiles.

For the purpose of installing tile it s a lot simpler. Firstly check the condition of the plaster skim it should be fully dried out and a light pink colour. Not all plaster wall surfaces will support the tile properly. Test a tile to make sure the mortar is mixed and spread correctly.

Remove the tile and prepare the wall according to the corresponding instructions above or tile over the existing tile. Loose paint must be scraped. This was back in the 80 s. If existing tiles are beyond repair remove the tile and install a piece of wallboard in its place.