Munchincocopops

Thanks for that - was thinking it would save money and hassle....but thought easier to rip out and start again...though a conundrum... The ensuite is approx 3.6m x 1.2m. 2 of the walls are internal and I will be using moisture board, the other 2 walls, one finished in browning which was done 15 years ago, the other just high density blockwork. The 600x300 brick pattern tiles came off browning reasonably easy....wish I could say the same for the plasterboard walls...though I always replace the plasterboard as it always get damaged removing tiles. Anyhow, I will be fitting a new 1200 x 900 shower at one end. Luckily the 1200 wall at that end was not covered with browning and the tiles were fixed directly to breeze block wall (not aerated blocks but the heavy dense concrete blocks). My question....I am trying to avoid (if possible) taking all the browning off. I could skim it but I need the width to fit the 1200 tray and more importantly the 1200 wide frame for the shower door. Before I removed the tiles the gap was on the bottom limit for the new frame at 1170mm but now with tiles off and one side browning the other needs plasterboard but gap is 1200mm. I could plane back the browning so it could be plastered or at worse remove it altogether and redo with bonding and skim. But as its been ok for 15 years could I treat it with SBR or Bal C1 or Febond Blue Grit https://www.toolstation.com/febond-blue-grit-plaster-bonding-agent/p37806 or all 3 one on top of another (of course allowing for drying between coats) before sticking tiles to it? I've bought Bal C1 so far. I'm trying to avoid any lengthy delay by replastering with bonding etc. Oh new tiles are 300 x 600 and I plan to fit vertically - 600 side going up to the ceiling ...any advice on what adhesive to use would be appreciated too. Thanks for any advice.

New plan......pull whole lot out and start a fresh.😬

Thanks for that. Just thought I could use a flat carbide grit hacksaw blade - cut a slit in celing so I can saw through the last bit of the tile. I'm expecting door frame is fixed to vertical stud wall framing and so will cut through tile and then multitool wood blade to cut through plasterboard to wall framing. I might need to try and cut tile adhesive off back of tile with multitool too and break tile off in bits carefully...will see. Normally I just replace all plasterboard as tiles I remove typically damage plasterboard, so I plan to replace.....maybe with tile backerboard as most tiles I see these days are porcelain though I will look for ceramic as I think easier to work with .....I do have a flatbed water table diamond tile cutter as I've done a few bathrooms and kitchens walls/floors for myself and family.....serious DIYer but no expert tiler so always happy to learn. Current tiles are ceramic on plasterboard. Yes plan to do a test cut & use flat trim. Good tip - do not buy tiles until ready to tile. Thanks again.

Hi - I plan to remodel our en-suite. New shower tray, new floor tiles and to avoid retiling the whole ensuite I'm planning to make shower (900x1200) area a contrast tile. Shower area has a small tiled stud wall along the 1200 edge which I will remove and the existing wall tiles up to the stud wall will be fine to tile from into shower area some 900mm plus stud wall thickness. On the opposite 900mm wall this runs back to a door. Plan is to cut tiles in line with the door frame so to tile into shower area from that. But....how do I cut tiles in position from top of door frame to celing. I can remove door architrave and use a small rotary cutter with diamond blade and spray water on it but there will be a portion of uncut tile as i cannot cut right up to ceiling. Multitool cutter or Dremel or? Thanks for any advice.

Thanks for the great replies and thanks for clarification of sarking. Lead that split is original as per house built in 1989 and south facing no more than 1.5m or I think & one piece. Valleys above extension over garage are much longer but are fibreglass valleys, again in lengths - cant recall what length...but was a kit from well known builders merchant at the time so I guess ok. These valleys themselves are not leaking but I do see signs of damp on sarking/membrane so water getting in somewhere over the years and in this constant rain....so plans to replace. As I mentioned .....just got it into my head now to replace all with Lead on top of Classicbond as I want belts and braces.....do it once and forget it for rest of my life anyhow. Thanks again. Kind Regards

If I can ask some more questions. I was thinking sarking is the correct name for the felt fitted under the tiles....but I think I'm wrong? I've been in the loft today and can see somehow with this constant rain water has gotten behind the tiles and is staining the roof felt/sarking under the tiles on the larger valleys. So a question.....can I use Classicbond instead of the sarking/felt when the valleys are redone. I realise sarking/felt allows air through and rubber will not so is this an issue? The larger valleys are an extension above the garage which protrudes from the front of the house hence 2 valleys. These valleys meet at the ridge of the house whilse the other 2 pairs of valleys of the original house meet before the ridge. The roof is Marley Bold Roll dry verge installation. Looking at the felt in the loft it looks like water is getting in at the top and also lower down. Lower down could be valley pointing I guess, but at the top? It will last the winter but needs doing this year. Thanks for any advice. Kind Regards.

Hi Nick – thanks for the reply. Yes OSB3….I should have been more specific. I was thinking OSB 9mm should be suffice as no-one will walk on the valleys unless your comment which has me at a loss “This should form the sarking” refers to 18mm OSB profile? So I will use 18mm OSB 3 and I was thinking Classicbond glued to OSB, then sarking(felt?) running along roof from left to right is overlapped the valley and 2ft or so to the other side and again from right to left and overlapping the valley and beyond 2 ft or so. Then the code 6 lead on top of this. I know there is a maximum length (I need to check) in which case overlapping is required (again I need to check how much). Reading your comment again and thinking about it I will run in sarking first over the valley then install Classicbond over the top of the sarking then lead on top of that in which case any water that manages to get behind pointing will not wet the sarking but run down the rubber to the gutter….Thanks for the advice. I was also thinking of running eves comb filler under the tile down the valleys as my tile is a bold roll and it will give something to point against with 3:1 sharp sand:cement ……also thinking of maybe pea gravel concrete…..it just need to last another 30 years and I’ll be gone! LOL. Thanks again for the advice and any further comments. Kind Regards.

Hi – I am looking to replace lead valleys as one failed (split) and I did not know until it bowed the bedroom ceiling. Anyhow leak is temporary fixed but now I have decided to replace all 6 valleys. I noticed the wood valley probably needs replacing and am thinking of 9mm OSB….is that ok. Currently it looks like flooring T&G. Also I expect the water got in as there is nothing below the lead on the valley. So I’m after “belts and braces” solution and am thinking of new 9mm OSB valleys, new sarking underneath on top of 1.5mm Classicbond rubber running down the valley OSB and 2ft or so either side, then code 4 lead on top of that. I’d appreciate any comments on this and can anyone recommend a good quality sarking. The house was built in 1989 and the sarking is that bitumen based product that rots as it reaches the gutter. So I plan to fit new sarking under the old as it meets the gutter too. I’m no roofer but I am a serious DIY who has bult a large garden room and I used Classicbond on OSB for that roof as it’s a 7 deg slope. Thanks for any advice.

Yes forgot....I have 2 ensuite bathrooms without Trv's and a main bathroom with cast iron radiator and trv.....all permanently on...i.e no motorized valve in circuit.

flow to manifold and return has me confused....ok my15 deg return is a guess...its warm but not as hot as flow at 60 deg....its a lot cooler. So I'm still wrong about "heat exchanger" manifold...still learning....I agree boiler pumping to dead end does not seem right....but at a loss where the heat is going...the boiler runs for quite a few minutes. I'm thinking with buffer tank boiler runs for longer than I see now (in my quick investigation) and stays off for a long time as it takes for the UFH to cool the buffer tank (ok plus heat losses). Anyhow.....will give boiler some radiators to heat as well as UFH and see if its better. Thanks for the replies.

I think I got it.......basically hot water from boiler is going to a dead end and only mixer valve consumes the water and only excess return water from UFH to manifold that is not recycled is returned to the boiler? Up to now I thought manifold was like a heat exchanger with a mixer valve to take hot water as required.....my mistake. Blimy - ran like this for past 2 years! Think I will pull CH relay and manually open CH motorized valve. Buffer tank looks like a good idea. OK 4 min or so run but boiler will cycle much less I expect.

I understood the mixer would not take much hot water so I was expecting the return to the boiler to be the unused hot water mixed with a little UFH return.....so to heat up as hot water is delivered to the manifold and "most" returned to boiler? I can reduce boiler temperature and see if its any better.....as I watch it for a while.....later in the week. And (?) for the moment pull CH relay and manually open CH motorized valve so CH comes on when UFH demands heat.....is that worth doing?

Early days and not spent much time on this yet but just been in garage for about 20 mins and boiler cycled 3x. UFH only is on and I turned up stat to ensure it asks boiler for heat when I'm in garage. What I find confusing is that the boiler heats (thought it was set at 70 but its set at 60 deg c) up to reading of 60-64 deg C and stays there for a while but return temp is about 15 deg c (read with chatty ir gun....it also reads output as 45 dec C but it feels hotter....but 15 deg c feels about right). As this is only feeding UFH manifold (CH & HW turned off) and pipe to UFH manifold is about 15ft or so I was expecting hotter return? Anyhow....return feels 15 deg or so when boiler is running then when boiler shuts down it does not take long for the boiler out temp (was reading 60 deg or so on boiler temp guage) to drop to about 38 deg at which point boiler fires up again. Return still feels like 15 deg or not much less (skin meter). I'm waiting for a new multimeter with temperature measurement so will pull insulation box around manifold kit once I get it as I have to move a lot of stuff and shelving to get to it so not a 5 min job. Will spend an hour counting cycles and timing on off maybe later in the week though would be nice to do when I get my temperature meter so I can record temperatures too. Just thought...I did have CH on but turned it off and I know its was off as relay was off in garage. But I guess CH mororized valve could be leaking and allowing pass through so return water to boiler is being mixed with return water from UFH? Will look at this again ensuring CH is off. Thats my update so far.

Thanks for the guide on what to do it is really helpful. I realise these systems are complicated to understand and get the best out of them and I'm no expert in this area but the comments and advice will help me understand better. I will follow your advice, it will take me some time too. Really interesting that you reduced gas consumption by over 50%, that is impressive and of course you know what you are doing. I'm not hoping or expecting anything like that but just wanting to make the best of what I have if at all possible and if (as it appears) I have 2 conflicting requirements of a boiler, then if savings would be reasonable I'm open to spending a bit now to save long run...not too long run as I'm an OAP...LOL. Thanks for all the comments and help everyone. Looks like I have some work to do....I wonder if I can fit a radiator next to the boiler to keep me warm when looking at this...LOL.

Which cheap system boiler to run UFH? Just something to think about.... Thanks for the help and advice.