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Hi, I am re-doing my very small kitchen in my unit. I have a tiled backsplash and am wanting to re-tile. I am in the process of removing the tiles and there appears to be different finishes underneath. It is a double bricked building. In some sections it looks like there is cement sheeting? I am wondering if I can get away with sanding that before re-tiling? In a higher section of tiles I am wondering if it was rendered and some of the render had come away with the adhesive? And whether I should render it again before re-tiling or whether I could use something else. And lastly along the window sill there seems to be some kind of gritty substance, some of which has come away when taking the tiles and adhesive off. It is also uneven where the two bricks join. How can I make this area smoother before re-tiling?
Thanks!
Hello @laurencot,
A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community! It's a pleasure having you here and I trust you've been finding the site a great resource for useful D.I.Y. advice and inspiring ideas.
Thanks for your question. Our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to assist once he's back online later today. In the meantime, let me tag our helpful members @Adam_W, @homeinmelbourne and @frugalspacemakr to see if they have any thoughts.
While waiting, I'd recommend reading the guide How to tile a splashback by experienced Workshop member @ProjectPete.
You may also find helpful tips in these Best Advice articles:
Keep us updated as your project progresses. We'd love to see the final result.
Akanksha
Good Morning @laurencot
You have done well to remove the tiles without going through the back! 
Something I have not been successful in doing.
I would think that removing all the loose bits and brushing the surface say with a wire brush to make sure nothing loose is left and then using the tile glue/paste to install your new tiles would be fine. With the Window sill you mentioned Id do the same with the wire brush and then depending on how uneven the surface is use that same tile glue (tile adhesive ) to smooth out the brickwork as you put the tiles down. I havnt actually installed new tiles yet but have been researching for years as I have had to replace splashbacks and also have yet to do my laundry tiles at the back of my bench.
Dave
Hello @laurencot
Thanks for sharing your question about tiling. It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Dave-1. I totally agree with his recommendation of cleaning the surface and not modifying it further. Although there are irregularities on the surface, it can be compensated for with the tile adhesive.
My number one tip for you is to make sure that the tile adhesive has completely cured before you begin to grout the tile gaps.
Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to tile a splashback
Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your splashback.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Thankyou so much for your advice, and also to EricL! I have finally managed to start tiling after changing my benchtop and it is working out really well considering I have never tiled before!
Hi @laurencot
it's looking very good. Please make sure to post plenty of updates so that our members can follow along.
Eric
