How to prepare brick wall for tiling?

squeakysim

Hi! 
I’ve got some tiling to do I my bathroom and I’m trying to work out the best way to prep these wall before tiling.

They obviously needs smoothing over to make waterproofing and tiling easier. Can I just put and sand and cement mix over to level and tile straight on top?

In the first photo you can see the dark grey area are adhesive, but then the area where both the plaster and the cement layer is damaged. But to the right where the paint is will also be tiled, so I’m not sure the best way to get it level without going across the whole wall.

 

MitchellMc

Hi @squeakysim,

Your next step really hinges on what your waterproofer and tiler require. Since you're about to waterproof, the most important thing is creating a stable, continuous surface that the membrane can bond to properly.

If the wall is too uneven, patched with different materials, or flaking, it can cause the waterproofing to fail down the track. A sand and cement mix isn’t usually the best option in this situation—it can be tricky to get a smooth finish and may not bond well across varying substrates like adhesive, plaster, and painted brick.

If there’s no room to batten out and install new fibre cement sheeting like Villaboard, patching the surface with a cement-based coating would be your best bet. Still, I’d strongly recommend checking in with your waterproofer and tiler first. They’ll be able to tell you exactly what kind of prep they need for their work to stick properly. That way, you’re not wasting time or materials doing it twice. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell