Tile On Concrete Block Wall

Milhaus

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year to you all.

My plumber threw a question at me the other day that I could not answer. I have some experience with tile, but I'm no expert. He just bought a house and is planning on finishing the basement. He was wondering about tiling directly onto concrete block. With mortar joints and uneven surfaces, I didn't think it would be advised. Anyone have any advice on this? He was considering studding up a new wall on the interior, throwing durock on it, and then tiling that.

Any help is appreciated.

mark

kevjob

If he has the room I would frame insulate with unfaced and then denshield then tile. Allows you to make walls flat and square and the tiling will go a lot easier.

__________________
Kevin
Basement Finishing Highlands Ranch Colorado
Littleton Colorado, Basement Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling Denver

Bud Cline

I would whole-heartedly agree with that.

I have tiled many many block walls over the years and that has to be the biggest PITA there ever was. It can be done but a lot of grinding is necessary, a lot of grinding.

cleveman

I prefer the denshield as well.

I wouldn't be afraid to lay on the block if the block was laid nicely and the joints were hopefully cut instead of struck. If it is an exterior wall, you may as well fir it out and insulate. I don't think you find many block partition walls anymore.

Which brings us to the studs and specifically the flatness of the wall. I've done this on bowed walls and it results in lippage. How to solve this? Use straight studs, put in a lot of blocking, use smaller tile, use steel studs? I'd be willing to try any and all of these.

kevjob

use shims to achieve flatness and plumb

__________________
Kevin
Basement Finishing Highlands Ranch Colorado
Littleton Colorado, Basement Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling Denver

Bud Cline

Milhaus

Thanks for the input. I was leaning towards framing new walls myself. I don't know if he has the room to spare or not, or the actual condition of the walls. But, I can only imagine the PITA it could be.

mark

bwalley

Are the concrete walls currently painted or have any other finish on them?

You can mudset the walls using No-sag thinset, if the walls were previously painted they will have to be stripped and a bonding agent added to the thinset.

You can get the tile perfectly plumb with no "lippage" this way.

BirmanBuilders

Framing a wall would be easiest but if theres no room could he plaster the wall instead to get a flat surface then tile?

__________________
If at first you don't succeed hit it harder!

Bud Cline

MattCoops

You could always install a moisture barrier, fasten lath with masonry screws, and screed a portland mix.

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more