Tiles, plasterboard making a mess. Advice needed please

twopenny

Ok so I've been trying to get someone to do the bathroom that had a massive disabled shower in with dense shower board stuck half way up the tiles. 10 plumbers and trades asked, 1 quoted but wouldn't do the finishing. It's been 3yrs now including covid/mass infection/everyone busy and I got so exasperated I started to clear the area so I can at least store stuff there.

Plan to remove board and tiles and paper/paint over temporarily until I can get someone to do it properly.

I removed some board and took a hammer to the first tiles. I don't regret it - it was the most glorious feeling after looking at them for 4yrs!

I knew theplasterboard would be damaged, found that in some places the plaster in the plaster board had crumbled under the paper - mainly where the seat and heavy stuff was 'fitted'.

Now I think it's beyond repair and needs replacing but it will be a while before that can be done.

Can it be replaced half way along a wall neatly? Or would it need a whole board/wall doing?

I'm concerned because the join will be in direct view from the door as you go in.

Any hints and tips on the tile removal? I read how it should be done but that doesn't work on the plasterboard. They are stuck fast

Any hints and tips for removing the tile cement? Water to soften will weaken the paper and plaster under. Is there something more viscous I could use?

Am I allowed to hit them with a hammer again 

On the plus side I'm pretty good at invisible make do and mend, finding ways around.

 

This the bit I've tackled - and the worst bit where the plasterboard has torn

Gavin83

Do you know how the plasterboard is attached? Given that appears to be an external wall I’d assume it’s dot and dabbed. You can replace a section of plasterboard, just cut the hole square, cut the same sized piece, dot and dab it on and make good the join with some filler.

What’s your ultimate plans for the room? Personally I wouldn’t be replacing the plasterboard until you know what you’re doing. It may well be that plasterboard isn’t the ideal wall covering for your final solution.

twopenny

Thanks for the idea of just replacing a bit. Hadn't thought of that even though I've read it on here. Sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.

The space between the inside/front of the plasterboard and the external wall is 4cm.

I don't know what dot and dab is but assumed that it's attached to battons fixed to the wall and the board attached to that - but it's an assumption based on the space and looking at youtube.

I'll only know when the back board is removed and replaced.

Ultimate plan is for this to be a plain painted wall with the bath below.

I'd love to have a proper plastered wall but  that's a whole different ball game. So many probs to fix I'm taking it one small step at a time.

FreeBear

twopenny said: I don't know what dot and dab is but assumed that it's attached to battons fixed to the wall and the board attached to that

Dot'n'dab is dollops of adhesive applied to the wall, and then the plasterboard pressed in to place. The alternative is to use an expanding foam adhesive..

If you are stripping the external wall back to bare brick, it is well worth using an insulating plasterboard - Available in different thicknesses. But if you are planning on tiling the space, Wedi or Marmox boards would be more suitable.

Doozergirl

FreeBear said:

twopenny said: I don't know what dot and dab is but assumed that it's attached to battons fixed to the wall and the board attached to that

Dot'n'dab is dollops of adhesive applied to the wall, and then the plasterboard pressed in to place. The alternative is to use an expanding foam adhesive..

If you are stripping the external wall back to bare brick, it is well worth using an insulating plasterboard - Available in different thicknesses. But if you are planning on tiling the space, Wedi or Marmox boards would be more suitable.

...with insulation behind 😉

FreeBear

Doozergirl said:

FreeBear said:

twopenny said: I don't know what dot and dab is but assumed that it's attached to battons fixed to the wall and the board attached to that

Dot'n'dab is dollops of adhesive applied to the wall, and then the plasterboard pressed in to place. The alternative is to use an expanding foam adhesive..

If you are stripping the external wall back to bare brick, it is well worth using an insulating plasterboard - Available in different thicknesses. But if you are planning on tiling the space, Wedi or Marmox boards would be more suitable.

...with insulation behind 😉

Wedi/Marmox type boards have an expanded polystyrene core for insulation purposes. Not quite as good as PUR/PIR insulated plasterboard, but it is only a marginal difference.

twopenny

I've been round the builders merchants and I can get smaller bits of plasterboard that I can cut to fill

It seems it may have been put the wrong way around and tiles not put on it but hey ho that's what I've got to deal with.

So looking closer I don't think it's the hammer entirely that's breaking up the plaster especially but there's so much tile cement and no way of getting behind them or option to lever off.

I've tried scraping the grouting out but that makes no difference. This weeks problem is removing the tiles wit the least damage and making good.

I had thought about insulating but that's in the future.

Mutton_Geoff

You shouldn't really be hitting them head on with a hammer to remove them but using a wide bolster chisel side on to slice them off. You're going about it a very messy and more dangerous way.

twopenny

I did try a bolster chisel first but it makes no impact. The only achievement is to dig through the paper into the soft plaster.

I tried an old wood chisel which is thinner on the blade but that only helps if they are fragmented first.

I tried a paint scraper and stanley knife to see if I could loosen the edge but it's rock hard.

They are ablsoloutly welded by a lot of tile cement to the paper.

I do wear protection. The only injury was from sanding down the edge of paintwork when a splinter of paint went right in my nail - so gloves for that from now on.

ThisIsWeird

It isn't 'beyond repair' at the moment, but it will be by the time you've scraped off all that tile adhesive :-)

I guess you have three choices?

1) Keep going, scrape off all the adhesive, end up with a messed-up surface, and then make it good again! That could be done by sealing the wrecked surface with stabilising fluid or SBR, and then adding skims of filler, sanding it back down until you hopefully have an acceptable surface. Or,

2) Cut straight down that line (or even closer to the window) to cut right through the board, and hack away and fully remove everything to the right. Once you've exposed what's underneath - timber battens, dot and dab - we can advise how to replace it - eg ideally with insulated p'board.

Or,

3) Overboard it using a decorative bathroom/shower panel - but you don't want this? It would certainly be the easiest method - just glue the damned thing in place, and hide the horror :-)

twopenny

I agree that just sticking something over it would be the quick answer but it would be bulky at the edges - I'd have to get a smaller bath as the room is exactly right for one layer of tiles at each end and a full size bath.

I've never had a nice bathroom. I'd like classy, elegant and feeling bigger. In theory simple but I have to bite the bullet to get that.

A messed surface will do for the moment until I can get someone to do it properly. The weather is foul, I'm recovering from covid so have time on my hands with some good music and some medicinal Baileys. Hoping to get some workmen to do each stage for the technical stuff to make good then the fittings can go in.

Thanks for the tips, it all helps me know what I can/can't do. I'll look into the stabilising fluid or SBR.

Meanwhile it looks like just keeping going. Some of the board is fine, that supporting or getting damp from the seated fittings and glass surround is poor.