Best ways to fur out walls to get them flat and plumb for tile?

[tileman1986]

Whats your best method for getting the walls plumb and flat before putting up your wall board? We all know how much easier it makes the tile job.

Do you use wood or other methods?

I use a combination of wood, strips of ditra mat and thinset. Really depends on the different situation.

Any and all tricks/methods are appreciated.

Have a good evening.

[jwmezzanotte]

I was floating for a while, and still do sometimes. But lately I have been plumbing/flattening walls with kerdi board.
Put a bit of thinset on the studs (or on the board where the studs will be for exterior walls) and then tap the boards plumb and flat with level and straightedge.
Tack it with a few screws. Next day (or use rapid set) tighten all the screws.

Nice and easy.

[dhagin]

Excellent question tileman1986 John.

I'm gonna move this over to the Pro's Hangout for now...

[grhmw]

I am not a pro, but I just had to do that myself for the shower I am doing in my master bedroom. Mine were really bad. I had to do a combination of plainer to plain the studs sticking way out and using drywall shims for the studs that were recessed back. Had to do it to all 3 walls of my shower. After all flat I then put up Kerdi Board and it is as flat as can be.

[Eschbach]

I use same method as John with Kerdi Board.I use either Kerdi fix or PL and come back and screw.

[cx]

Originally Posted by John

Put a bit of thinset on the studs (or on the board where the studs will be for exterior walls)

I certainly hope our readers don't try to do that at home, John.

[Just In Tile LLC]

I'm all about the float, but Johns way sounds soo sweet for the back. I'm no carpenter but I've seen drywallers run a skil saw a quarter way through a stud a couple times through the crown and screw in at and angle to flatten out bowed out studs, and use those thick paper drywall shims for bowed in studs.

[Davy]

The old fashion way. I mud it.

[jwmezzanotte]

Why not?

Its not much different than the spot method you can find in the Schluter manual for bonding kerdi board to masonry or concrete walls. Only difference is that in this case its not there to bond anything. Its a shim.

The thinset becomes a shim. It works excellent. The thinset is bonded to the board, so it cant fall away. It wouldnt anyhow with the compression of the screws holding the board to the stud.

As always Im open to constructive criticism from another view poInt. Even if I dont agree

[Just In Tile LLC]

By the way Davy are you a L-edge guy or a feather edge guy? I've seen guys use L edges exclusively with L facing up, and also worked with a guy who always had it facing down. Facing down he could take off mud and reapply it, and when he needed to unload he made an X pattern on the mud board dumping the two ends separately with a quick flick.

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

Originally Posted by tileman1986

Whats your best method for getting the walls plumb and flat before putting up your wall board? We all know how much easier it makes the tile job.

You've asked a question that nobody is supposed to ask.

The fact is that there really isn't a lot of "approved" options. Most of the time you'll be bombarded with people telling you all the things that you aren't supposed to do. However, those people don't have any suggestions on what you should do.

You're not supposed to shim out the studs with PL premium or thinset.

You're not supposed to use thinset on the face of the wall.

You're not supposed to use thinset to build out the tile.

At one point, I was experimenting with the feather finish flooring products, like CBP Silk and Ardex Feather Finish. Guess what? Not supposed to be used in wet areas.

So what are you supposed to do?

Those things I listed above that are no-no's? That's what most guys do. That's the dirty little secret of our industry.

[rant over]

[dhagin]

We typically fix the frame. New studs, sistered studs, power plane, ripped shims, etc... But we're usually the ones doing the framing, so it's not a big stretch for us.

I don't like the idea of thinset between studs & backer boards. I've never done it and never demo'd one that had it, but seems to me that it could break up & fall out leaving a void under the board.

High quality sealants like polyurethanes or Kerdi Fix, OR premium construction adhesives seem like they'd work fine and not fall out if that's the way you'd like to go.

[Davy]

Justin, I have the typical L edges up to 6 ft. I bought a second set and cut 6 inches off each one to give me 2 1/2, 3 1/2, etc. I do have the feather edge type from 6 1/2, 7 and 8 ft.

I don't slap mud on the wall with the straight edge. I'm not in a big hurry these days. One thing I can say, my walls are flat, plumb and square with one another.

[tilemanct]

Who wouldn't love to mud. That is the best but...very few will pay for that option. Lets admit its damn hard work. One great option is to use engineered framing material. My favorite is made by the Trus Joist folks. Super straight and flat walls are the result. If you cant use that option, a power planer is your next best friend. Also 1 1/8" plywood ripped to 2 1/2" strips for inward bowed studs. Just sister them on.

[Davy]

It's all hard work, Dave. But we knew that from day one. We all make the walls the best we can, different ways to do that of course.

I'm not saying mud work is for everyone but in my opinion, if a guy (or gal) is going to be in the tile bidness, it's a good idea to at least know how to do it. It's another tool in your tool box that you might need some day.