Cutting tiles in place....en-suite remodel

[Munchincocopops]

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.

 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, Munchincocopops said:

Multitool cutter or Dremel or?

Pretty much.

 

Then use a flat colour-matched trim to go from tile > tile to hide the cuts. Have the flag of the tile trim folded back over the cut (existing) tile if the cuts are 'less than great'.

 

Ceramic and porcelain are two very different beasts, so I hope the wall tiles you need to cut are ceramic. Caveat is that they shell at the edges much easier than porcelain, so good luck anyway, and cut slowly.

 

Do your first trail cut appx 10mm away from the actual line you are working to, so you can see how difficult they are to cut and what the finish is going to look like.

 

Your biggest battle will be, the removed tiles will want to take the plasterboard with them, so I think this is where your plan will seriously unravel.

 

If the tiles don't separate from the plasterboard, then prepare to re-tile the whole room. Don't buy tiles until you are ready to tile!!

 

 

[Munchincocopops]

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.

[Munchincocopops]

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

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, Munchincocopops said:

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

Yup. I felt sorry for you even attempting this, and was about to call you a tight-arse, thank goodness I didn't have to do that................  

[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.