This is my bathroom in my new house at the moment.

The bit to the right of the window will have the sink in the same place and a bath a bit further to the right.

I’ve taken the old tiles off and the adhesive used with them is like concrete. I could get it off but it is very very solidly on there so I would be ok to tile back on BUT there are gaps.

I was going to board over the top but that’ll leave a step at the top and the amount of tile board I need will be expensive.

I’m thinking of filling in the gaps in the old cement type adhesive with bonding or one coat plaster with a little bit on top to even it all out.

Any other ideas?

BTW if I put a level on the wall the top of the cement adhesive is level with the painted area above. Or within a mm or two anyway.

I would have knocked the adhesive off but have just had my bathroom refurbed into a wet room and the builders filled in the gaps with cement. For added protection they mixed in some sika waterproofing liquid in with the cement.

Them they mixed up more sika with cement powder and painted on the mixture, but that’s for a wet room so a bit ott.

Saved loads of time and waste, but I do have a small step at top of tile line.

I did notice they chipped off any loose cement first, but it was all solid.

I’m a tiler and if presented with that, and assuming you’re just retiling to the existing height, then I’d just skim the gaps with a bit of cement based tile adhesive and over tile. You can do this as you tile, it doesn’t need to set 1st. Don’t use hardwall or bonding as it doesn’t give enough strength for tiling on to. Use the flat side of a trowel to fill the gaps then the combed side over the lot.

The key to it will be the tile adhesive, the spots you have on the wall already are cement based, so ideally your tile adhesive will be too. a non rapid setting floor adhesive would work. Try not to use ready mixed adhesive as A – it’s not very good, and B – It’s gypsum based which doesn’t like cement backgrounds.

Prime it 1st with tile primer or SBR, NOT PVA.

I’d probably take the plaster right off, replaster and then retile to make it perfect – but then thats me. I have recently redone two bathrooms. One tile is 1mm out of line and it bugs me

I’d probably squirt some no more nails over the full wall and just stick some of that plastic wet wall stuff on. But I’m a lazy bastard.

Blazin-saddles – is this what you’re suggesting?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-floor-wall-tile-adhesive-grey-20kg/4367d

If you cba to remove. Skim the old tile wall with thinset like Blazing says and use a larger format tile and run it past the original. Use an edge profile for a thicker tile than you are tiling with.. e.g. for a 10mm tile, use a 12.5mm edge profile and your gap is addressed. E.g. schluter jolly.
Personally, id skim first and allow to dry then tank,particularly if you are adding a tub shower. At the very least i’d be looking for a bath with an upstand/tiling flange.

I’d tile to the ceiling, no step, more modern look.

If you’re fitting a straight bath to tile down to (like the basin is), then for the sake of a day I’d be removing the adhesive and working from there

If I removed the adhesive I’d have to build it back up about 2cm.

I’ve probably got to tackle this soon. 😥 not sure why the image has rotated like that.

Hope this makes sense

The red is where I need to infill to bring it up to the same level as everything else. If I remove the old adhesive I’ll have to bring the level back up again anyway.

Gotcha, missed the spirit level bit…

Blazin-saddles – is this what you’re suggesting?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-floor-wall-tile-adhesive-grey-20kg/4367d

Yes, that would work fine. It’s grey however so could be a bit of a PITA if you’re using light coloured tiles. Keep a sponge and water handy to clean up as you go, keep the joints as clean as you can, you don’t want adhesive in your groutline as it will show once grouted unless attended to.

The cement based stuff and the spots on the wall are all going to be waterproof so tanking is un needed IMO but normally a good idea. Looking at your picture it looks like the bath will butt against a pretty solid row of dabs, just make sure you silicone between bath and wall before tiling to give a secondary defence fro water leaks.

It will be quite hard work and messy like this so……

To be sure of water tightness (and is good practice), skim the holes with the adhesive and allow to dry, silicone between wall and bath then tile and silicone tile to bath joint later once dry. Leave a 2mm joint between bath and bottom tile, don’t place them hard down on the bath, this gives somewhere to silicone rather than just a smear on top.

No need to go smashing it all off, just to replaster the bottom half which won’t be waterproof at all by then.

I’m not tiling it myself as I’m getting a pro into do that, I just need a smooth level surface for them to work on. Does that make a difference?

Blazing saddles where are you based I am after some tiling work in London if you are interested, 2 bathrooms. Flat will be empty so you can stay, maybe end Feb 17 if there’s a changeover.

Hey Poolman, cheers for the thought but I’m in Leicester. traveling not normally a problem but I’m already fully booked to Easter!

OK well done, no worries, I brought my own labour last time from Spain…might not be able to do that soon.