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How to fill gap between benchtop and wall?

I just recently had my benchtop installed and I’m very disappointed with the quality. They didn’t scribe it too the wall in the slightest and has left me with gap one up too 20mm in a section, the plan was to tile a backsplash and I’m curious on how I could make it work with a bow like this in the gyprock without cutting a section out to shim out the gyprock, can I just pack out tile adhesive? Or lather plaster out to pack it out?

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JacobZ

Hi @smittyboi,

Thank you for your question, I'm sorry to see your benchtop wasn't installed to a high standard.

The best way to fix this issue is to scribe the benchtop to the wall, so I would start by contacting the installer to come and rectify their work. Scribing benchtops upon installation is a reasonable ask of a professional installer. I know in some cases this can be difficult, but ultimately, they are responsible for the quality of their work.

If this is not an option and you have to carry out the repair yourself, packing the wall out with tile adhesive is not advisable as there is no tile adhesive that is advised to be used with a bedding thickness more than 10mm. Lathering the wall with plaster is also not advisable as the plaster's connection to the underlying plasterboard would be supporting the weight of the tile and tile adhesive above.

My suggestion would be to install a sheet of 10mm Gyprock over the face of the existing plasterboard using screws through the existing sheet into the studs before tiling over the top of that. This would transfer the load of the tile and tile adhesive into the studs giving a much stronger connection between materials. You may need to get creative with how you finish the edges, so it is not obvious that there is an additional layer of plasterboard underneath. This could be achieved depending on your circumstances with tile trims.

Allow me to tag some of our helpful members for their thoughts, @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @TedBear.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.

Jacob

Dave-1

Good Afternnon @smittyboi

Wish walls were always even 😕 They never seem to be tho. As @JacobZ said I would contact the installer and ask for rectification as that is not an acceptable finish. If you cant or its not somewhere you want to go then the installing a sheet of plaster or I thought masonite and attach that to the wall to pad out the wall where you want tiles.

You could always put an edging along the rear of the bench (first thought was a square piece of timber trim sealed properly maybe 30mm by 30mm), Or Think along the lines of a stylish skirting board width and then tile above it? Or even go the route of the edging and then splashback sheet above?

Dave

smittyboi

Not really interested in stepping the tiles out and having such a big step there, it’s in one short span of about 300mm. Would it be possible to cut a slight hole and shim it out on the frame without destroying the gyprock pulling it from the glue?

Dave-1

Evening @smittyboi

Ahhhhhh Id say a strong no 🙂 Plaster glue (goop) is some pretty solid stuff. You could cut the plaster out and then step the new piece out and redo but that would be a fair amount of work and probarly over a larger distance to feather it in.

Dave

MitchellMc

Hi @smittyboi,

It might be worth checking to see whether the plasterboard has been glued on. If not, you could potentially shim it out and remove enough of this discrepancy that once the glue and tiles are added, they reach the benchtop. What thickness are the tiles you plan to use?

If you can't quite get the tiles out as far as the benchtop, a quad moulding can be used to cover small gaps between the benchtop and the wall.

Mitchell

smittyboi

8mm tiles, glue was used as I installed it but by memory not in the specific location due to it being around the window.

MitchellMc

At 20mm depth and 8mm tiles, you are coming very close to making it @smittyboi. Dunlop 2kg Tile-All Tile Adhesive has a maximum thickness of 8mm in one application. You'd be left with a 4mm gap that could be covered with moulding, but the tiling will look wonky in that section, and you'll be able to see the dip in.

You could do multiple applications of that adhesive, but 20mm is a large area to make up.

What's the deal with the last image showing the cut-out section? It almost appears they've removed it on purpose, creating this huge gap.

Mitchell

smittyboi

They happened to put a hole in the wall to offset it I think, absolute disgrace of an install if you ask me.

MitchellMc

I'd certainly follow up with the installers to ensure this is the quality of workmanship that should be expected, @smittyboi. Scribing the benchtop and cutting it to suit a depression that large in the wall might be outside their scope of acceptable adjustment; the wall really needs to be fixed if it is this far out. However, I can't see many reasons why the benchtop has had that very obvious section cut out of it, and the proud section pushed through the wall.

Mitchell

Nailbag

Hi @smittyboi first up as the rest of the team have mentioned, is the installers. On the surface this is appears to be a stuffed their end on the measurements by a long shot. Failing that resolve, I would keep it as simple and clean as possible and use square quad to cover the gap. Its likely you wont find one of the right size, so white gap sealant will be required.

Regards, Nailbag

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