Installing Tile On Plaster Walls

If existing tiles are beyond repair remove the tile and install a piece of wallboard in its place.

Installing tile on plaster walls.

Both painted and bare plaster allows for the installation of tile. This was back in the 80 s. It used to be very common to put tile up on whatever the wall was and seal the the tile. A wavy tiled wall isn t charming and.

Sanding the existing paint helps the tile adhesive stick to the wall. I have repaired tile jobs that were over 20 years old that the tile was applied directly to regular sheetrock and plaster walls. Loose paint must be scraped. Can you lay tile on plaster walls.

If the walls you want to tile are concrete walls with paint on them remove the paint before you install tile so the tile adhesive has something to grab onto and hold the tile in the correct place. You need a flat surface. Test a tile to make sure the mortar is mixed and spread correctly. 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.

Pull the tile up and look at the pattern that is create on the back. Wash the wall with tsp tri sodium phosphate or an ammonia based cleaner to remove any grease or oil. For the purpose of installing tile it s a lot simpler. For the average small wall tiles which are currently popular you will want to use a 1x4 square notch trowel.

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. To do so make sure all of the tiles are intact and secure. Repair any loose or cracked tiles.

Not all plaster wall surfaces will support the tile properly. 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. Wavy plaster walls are common and that s part of their charm. Mortar a small spot and then place a tile.