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Archive for the ‘wall prep’ Category
Floating Brown
Mixing the same mortar mix were ready to float the walls inside the shower/tub area for tile. We chose a 6″ ceramic tile with butt joint’s or no grout lines. Placing them in line on the floor I can layout the exact dimensions for the float. IE a 60″ tub wall to start , 6″ tiles , 6×9=54″ and we need to end up with 58″ finish giving us 2″ to float or 1″ per side. That gives us 4″ in make up, so 6 tiles equals 54″ and 1 tile gets cut twice for a 2″ corner piece on both sides to make up the total flat level float of 58″. So we mark the top rim of the tub with tape and a line we can see and float straight plumb up, with an accurate level. Shim sticks or pads enables us to be accurate here for floating, using plywood or 2x strips sunk into the mortar mud and scrapping off across the excess with a straight edge until perfection is fruition.
Your mortar mix should have a slump strength of 8″ or so. Meaning it can sit in a pile about this high before it’s own weight will cave itself and fall. Too wet or not wet enough. Play with it a little and you can tell. Trowel it up and on then scape if off. Soon it will start taking shape and a smile will take over your face.
Scratch Coat
This application of cement mortar over wire and paper is essentially the same as interior plaster and stucco on a exterior wall. Difference mainly here will be the wire used, which in a tile mortar bed float the wire has 1/4″ diamond holes to hold the cement, where typical stucco covered wire a standard application is chicken wire type with 1″ voids. Using the same mortar mix and scratch coating as well as floating the exact same method.
This first coat is considered by most the scratch coat as to just cover the wire and to not get too thick at once because the cement has a tendency to try and dry from the inside out and will crack, so a 3 coat approach is the system. Scratch, float and finish but the tile mortar bed need only a floated flat and level 2nd coat.
Pre Tile wire mesh
After we cut and cover the tub with plywood to protect the finish. Installation of diamond lathe over the black paper to hold our cement float before the ceramic tile is applied has a important job here. So to get it right the first time lets cut and pre bend for the corners before it gets tacked on, also cut around all the plumbing and dry fit first. The float of mortar needs some teeth and this is the lathes vocation if you will. We typically hand nail using self furring stucco nails to hold the screen lathe away from the moisture barrier to allow the wire to get surrounded by the cement. This enables strength for our new tile bed.
The hand nailing is for two particular reasons, small enough job to do quickly and to make certain no holes in our Jumbo-Tex paper for obvious reasons. And one more, to be diligent as to not bang and rattle any pre existing situations were unaware of. A remodel instead of new construction. Otherwise a pneumatic stapler would surely do the job here. Be sure and check the local codes for any nailing schedules that may apply.
Hanging Board
Do it yourself drywall has generally been available in 1/4″, 1/2″ and 5/8″ thicknesses with the common size of 4×8 sheets in all the home improvement centers. As a rule 1/2″ and 5/8″ are the most used giving a square foot coverage of 32′ feet per full sheet.
When hanging a sheet take note of the framing members it will be covering, the best way to do so is by marking the floor or wall plates as to their locations before the DIY drywall installation is in place. These framing members is where the nailing or screwing has to take place and needs to be accurate. When the fasteners just graze the edge of a stud, this will come back to haunt us because it will work it’s way loose and pop the mud out to cause a repair after it has been completed. Be sure to check the local nailing schedules in your area.
Interior Patch
Once we have the new outlet in place and ready to be finished, it will require some DIY drywall work. Prepping the area in need of patching is a must. So clean out and around the hole with a shop vac or brush, get all the loose debris and dust off in, and around the surface.
The drywall mud has to be the consistency of a milkshake and free from any foreign particles. Use drywall tape to cover the edges (the fiberglass mesh tape works best in this type of application) of the new piece and existing surface, apply mud first then lay tape over the first coat of mud and knife smooth, let dry and add as many coats as needed. After some practice it will become quite easier. Some times a texture has to be applied, but often times the nap of the paint roller can be just right.