Bathroom tiling meets coving ...

Leif

My bathroom is being completely refitted and on wednesday the room was replastered, with the original coving in place. Today I saw the wall tiles. Overall very nice, but in the bath area where the tiles meet the bottom edge of the coving they project out almost 2cm. For some reason there is a large gap between the tile and the wall at the ceiling, more than 1cm, and the tile is over 5mm thick. So there is an obvious step at the tile coving join. Is this normal? I think it looks dreadful. Am I being too OCD? Since he had it replastered, surely he should have removed the coving, and had square edges, presumably taped before plastering to prevent cracking. Or is there some standard way of finishing so it looks good. Obviously I have contacted him, but I'd like to educate myself first. The fitter is pleasant, and easy to deal with.

phill99

The thickness of coving (if it as 'standard' 127mm coving) is about 10mm where it meets the wall. You have had it replastered. This will add 3 - 5 mm to the thickness of the wall and as such, effectively reducing the thickness of the coving as the plaster is butted up to it.

Coving can't be removed and refitted. It can only be removed by destroying it and replacing it with new coving. Typical adhesive for wall tiles is app. 5mm. Add thge thickness of the tile (say 8mm) and this will protrude beyond the level of the coving.

This is nobody's fault. In this situation, it is common to remove the coving, tile right up to the ceiling and then re-cove so that the tiles are under the coving. This will give you a 'proper' edge to teh cove.

Unfortunately I would respectfully suggest this is a result of ignorance on your part, as opposed to the fault of either of your tradesman. They are only acting on customers instructions!

Leif

phill99 wrote: »

Unfortunately I would respectfully suggest this is a result of ignorance on your part, as opposed to the fault of either of your tradesman. They are only acting on customers instructions!

I asked for the bathroom to be completely refitted by one company including tiling on walls and floor and new furniture. He was the one that said it needed replastering, and he arranged the plasterer to visit. So I don't think it is my fault. However ...

I am hoping after a so so experience with a builder that I am worrying unduly. It occurred to me what he might be doing. He seems to be purposefully pushing the tiles further away from the wall at the top. I suspect he will apply a second layer of coving, thereby ensuring that the tiles do not project beyond the coving. If I am right, then he might end up doing a better job than expected. It would be consistent with the tiling that is overall excellent.

phill99

Leif wrote: »

I suspect he will apply a second layer of coving.

There is no such thing as 'a second layer of coving'. Its not sometging you can build up in layers.

aliasojo

Leif wrote: »

I suspect he will apply a second layer of coving...

Completely agree with Phil. Doubt very much he would even think about doing this, I would worry if this was his intention tbh.

Will you update after you've spoken to the tradesman please. Will be interesting to see what he says.

lindos90

Unless your walls are really uneven, or there are areas where you will not be tiling, im not sure why it needed replastering if you are tiling all over?

What kind of coving is it? I would be tempted to remove it and either replace it with a larger coving which comes down onto rather than upto the edge of your new plaster, im guessing with your sizes that this would leave the new tiles about level with the coving edge. Or better still, put the tiles on first and then coving ontop, so you get a proper overhang of coving over the tiles.

Im having a similar dilemma about skirting boards..tile up to the skirting boards, remove them for tiling then replace ontop, or no skirting boards at all!

phill99

lindos90 wrote: »

Im having a similar dilemma about skirting boards..tile up to the skirting boards, remove them for tiling then replace ontop, or no skirting boards at all!

If you are tiling floors and walls, get rid of the skirting boards. It will give a much cleaner looking finish, easier on the maintenance and you won't need to paint them!!

andyhop

Leif wrote: »

I asked for the bathroom to be completely refitted by one company including tiling on walls and floor and new furniture. He was the one that said it needed replastering, and he arranged the plasterer to visit. So I don't think it is my fault. However ...

I am hoping after a so so experience with a builder that I am worrying unduly. It occurred to me what he might be doing. He seems to be purposefully pushing the tiles further away from the wall at the top. I suspect he will apply a second layer of coving, thereby ensuring that the tiles do not project beyond the coving. If I am right, then he might end up doing a better job than expected. It would be consistent with the tiling that is overall excellent.

Why is he packing out the tiles?Even cement based adhesives have a maximum thickness....Sounds like the tiles are being dot and dabbed fixed

Leif

phill99 wrote: »

There is no such thing as 'a second layer of coving'. Its not sometging you can build up in layers.

There is if you apply one. What you mean is that people do not do it, but I was trying to guess what on earth he was up to.

I heard from him, and he says it is as intended. For some reason he increased the distance of the tiles from the wall at the top, to about 1cm, so there is a pronounced lip or step where the tiles meet the coving. If he had tiled normally there would have been a small step, but it would have been okay. Obviously the correct (IMO) approach would be to either remove the coving, plaster then tile to the ceiling, or remove coving, plaster, reinstall coving and tile to coving edge. I think it looks scheisse i.e. amateurish. Sigh.

Has anyone else seen this? It makes it look amateurish IMO. Or am I wrong to moan about this?

aliasojo

Leif wrote: »

Has anyone else seen this?

Not me, sorry.

I wouldn't be happy leaving it like that tbh.

Leif

andyhop wrote: »

Why is he packing out the tiles?Even cement based adhesives have a maximum thickness....Sounds like the tiles are being dot and dabbed fixed

I wish I knew why.

It looks like he is cutting corners to keep costs down, or make more profit. My guess is he made a quote knowing it would need plastering (the quote excluded plastering), and he left the coving in place so as not to increase the cost too much above the quote. I wish he had been up front and direct about everything because I wanted a quality not a price. He was not the cheapest.

He had the walls plastered as a lot of plaster fell off when he removed the tiles, and I am having some of the wall left untiled and I will paint it. Also the ceiling was rough, so a skim made sense.