Repairing 1950's loose shower tiles

[troyce1]

We just bought a 1950's ranch house, and a few of the tiles "felt loose" after playing with them, quite a few starting coming off.

The wall behind the tiles is plaster and solid, with no "soft spots" etc.
Can we just clean the thinset/mortar off the walls, and apply thinset and set the tiles back?

I have rehabbed quite a few houses and am familiar with tiling, but I usually have my contractor do the tile, so I just wanted to make sure I was doing it the right way, and also since this was repairing old tiles, not new installation.

Also some of the quarter round tiles that are on the bottom edge of the tile where it meets the tub have come loose. These tiles are set on top of the 4x4" white tiles, do I use mastic/thin set for these as well?

Any advice / input is appreciated!

[jondon]

If you have no soft spots then I would just scrap the plaster walls good and thinset the tiles back in and grout. The quarter round do the same thing. Since they are dry behind the tiles weird that they have come off so easy but maybe mastic was used and it dried up. Use some modified thinset

[cx]

Welcome back, Terry.

I think it was a typo on Jon's part to tell you to scrap the walls, but I think you should be doing some serious planning to do just that in future.

If that's a typical old style installation with mastic over non-cementitious plaster and no water containment system at all, and if the shower will now be seeing regular use, I think you're not looking at a long time before failure.

But I been wrong before, eh?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[tilejoe]

In my book, that's more than a few loose tiles. It looks indicative of a long term problem.

Most old mudset tile is very well bonded, and I have yet to see cement that color. Looks like mastic that has given all it has.

I'd be inclined to follow the gospel of CX and look to scrap the walls entirely.

[troyce1]

So we ended up ripping all the tile out of the tub surround and bath walls, down to studs. We plan on installing cement board.

My question is how do i properly install a vapor barrier? I am not clear on how to attach it at the top along the plaster/drywall and the bottom at the tub flange.

Advice is appreciated.

Thanks
-Terry

[bbcamp]

The moisture barrier does not have to extend to the ceiling in a regular shower. You can stop it just above the shower head.

The moisture barrier is draped into the tub and left long until the backerboard is installed (it over laps the tub flange, BTW), then you trim it flush with the bottom of the backerboard.

[Houston Remodeler]

like this

[java]

Where does the water go if it makes it to the vapor barrier and down over the tub lip and then pools behind the sillycone dam?

[Davy]

Hi Jason, there won't be standing water back there. For there to be standing water, the CBU would have to be saturated and there just isn't that much moisture that gets back there.

[java]

Yeah I know but someone was gona ask that question so I thought I would keep it close to the picture.

Nice diagram of an often needed example.

[Houston Remodeler]

Jason,

Time for a Big Bang explanation;

Water always moves from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. There is also gravity, but that is less of a consideration than the capillary forces in the CBU and thinset.

Make a long story short; any water that gets behind the tile and grout will disperse itself evenly and not puddle behind the caulk.

With a properly built shower, if you have standing water behind that bead of caulk you have a much larger problem than a leaking shower and I'd look out the window.

[troyce1]

My contractor just put up Durock cement board around my tub area, and I was going to purchase it and coat it tonight, so its ready for tile tomorrow, however I have not been able to find much regarding the dry time, and I have also read stories about it soaking back through the grout? Is there something I am missing regarding this, or anything I should be concerned about? depending on the tile/grout used?

[Shaughnn]

Hi Terry. You will need two coats (minimum), applied perpendicular to each other. When the first coat has turned to a bright red, including the corners, then you can apply the second coat. I generally apply the first coat in the morning and the second coat before I leave for the day. Your results may vary.
Remember to pre-treat the corners before rolling over the field with a 3/8" nap roller. I use a cheap disposable 3" chip brush from Home Despot for my pre-treating.
Best of luck,
Shaughnn

[Houston Remodeler]

deep red like this:

[troyce1]

Thanks guys for the info.

I found some info online finally, looks like about 2 hours between coats. About how long after the second coat goes on can you tile, another 2 hours/ until red?

Edit:
Also, what is the coverage area? I notice its sold in 1gal and 3.5gal containers. I need to do a tub surround, then a 3x5 walk in shower. Hoping I don't need more than the 3.5 gal.....