Is Dot and Dab BS Approved for Wall Tiling?

Roger looks at the important changes to BS 5385-1 and how it affects the dot & dab technique.

The latest revision to the British Standard covering wall tiling includes a number of changes which the industry needs to be aware of.

We look at the crucial aspect of adhesive coverage and bond strength.

#Dot&Dab #Tiling #BS5385

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[tilerman]

Hi Roger. Is dot and dab approved for wall tiling? I think it all depends on who done the dry lining/prep work. Im a fixer with 35 years behind me and if you were to ask me do i dot and dab you would get a firm 'no'. With regards to plasterboard, if that in itself has been fixed to blockwork with dot and dab, it should be flat, plumb and level. If it has, a decent trowel, back buttered tiles with a quality single part flexi adhesive, you will be fine. If the plasterboard has been fixed to CLS studwork, thats different! As many of you know, CLS can be very twisted and if the plasterboard gets screwed onto it, you're going to get uneven walls. I also think that when people hear dot and dab they hear alarm bells, but it all depends how its done. If im using a large format wall tile, say 60x60, i will still trowel the wall with a heavy notch trowel, back butter the tile, and if necessary put extra 'blobs' of sticky where its needed to properley bed the tile. Would i put 4 blobs on each corner and push straight onto the wall. NO way! All the firms i work for know exactly what prep i want and they will do it. As a footnote, i recently ripped out a shower room in my own house which i built and tiled in 2003. Needed a change! I built that using plasterboard, no tanking, just a SBR primer coat, decent sticky, decent notched trowel, back buttered tiles and a decent grout, and there is no water damage anywhere, not in the shower, above the bath, none. Solid work. Sorry to go on!

[kenboon]

Their is No longer any standards in the building and construction industry, just look at the state of new houses being built and the standard of work being carried out by some tradesman even building inspectors are passing work that should be condemned !

[davidquirk]

Both of the two tiling firms I've used (couldn't get the first one back, he was too busy, so had to go with one recommended by the tile seller) and both firms applied adhesive to the wall with a notched trowel and back buttered the tiles. Superb job on floors and walls from both firms and happy to pay the premium price for a professional specialist.

[cameronbagley]

"Interestingly even though we have used the approve method of applying a tile..."

You havent, the tile should be back buttered and you are meant to move the tile perpendicular to the ridges, this collapses the ridges and you'll get better coverage.

[kirkpisarkiewicz]

Hi roger, dont dot and dab, we spread the wall and also spread the tile if walls are out, on my current job we are using 3 different sizes of notched trowel as the dips and bows are so varied, joys of pre fab internal wall, on another note keep up the good work, ive been watching your channel now for quite some time and after a hard days work on site theres nothing more relaxing than watching someone else work haha

[TheToolnut]

I'm a carpenter/joiner by trade but I have had some tiling experience. The flatness of one's walls is everything. On new jobs I use concrete board as my substrate. I wet the back of the tile, back butter it and then comb out the adhesive and then set the tile with twist.

[moedem]

I installed tile backer board and being a rookie I just eyeballed it thinking it’s gone on straight, bought a big spirit level and realised from the cement ledge lip I thought I was building out the backer board upwards it’s graduating to 10-12 mm out at the top, it’s dried on now with drywall adhesive so at least I can dot and dab the tiles going to top and will keep my spirit level by my side.. angry at myself but thanks roger for putting my mine at ease a bit with this clip 👌🏾

[LFBsmokealarm]

Very interesting video Roger. Planning on refurbing my kitchen next year so thanks for the info.

[stevendouglas]

Great advice .
That abucus board is marvellous.

[MNSTERmovies]

I feel this is quite a promotional video for the elements board, we get to see how the tile is wrongly layed onto the plasterboard, but we dont see how its put into the cement on the elements board. I do agree with the fact that it is a superior tiling substrate, but i would go for a 100% coverage nevertheless. The tile may hold up in strength but is compromised on collision strength. If you drop something on such a void, it will crack every time.

[MrSmid]

Aqua board tanked!

But!!!
I tanked a floor in a wet room on marine ply and some idiot broke a tile, when the tiler pulled up the broken tile the tanking hadn’t adhered to the ply.
Did what I was told.So in effect the tile was floating on the tanking.

[fatprawn]

I thought that it was 20kg/m2 onto a plaster skim and a paper faced plasterboard could handle up to 32kg/m2?

[lazylad]

As I've done a bit of ground work we don't even dot and dab paving stones. Just lay them butt upto each other and fill with brushing in sand. That backing board will become the norm in a few years👍. Thanks again rodge good video

[regibson]

4:15 You rocked the tile back and forth the wrong way. You did it in the same direction as the notches. You should have done it the other way. That would have gotten you 100% coverage.

[tadejfu]

I love how dupes in offices come with "standards", its all just theory. What you encounter in reality is that no matter how flat your walls are, tiles (modern large format elongated) are seldom perfect, to be precise they are bowed in the middle. If you go with the trowel and notch it all should be good and dandy, but when you go an put the tile on and take it off again you see the adhesive takes on low spots but is absent in the bowed middle spots. In practice the dot and dab method has more surface adherence because you can compensate for warped or bowed tiles.

[ebola]

Had a bathroom done in August 2022. Tiles are now coming away from the wall as our bathroom fitter used dot and dab. Might have to get the whole bathroom retiled thanks to him. Now off to see if I can get any money back from him. Doubt it though

[sanjbains]

I personally would Never dot & dab! Cover both tile & wall with adhesive. 🙏🏾

[tristanedwards]

You moved it up and down on the verticals adhesive lines

Move it side to side to collapse

[aninterviewwith...]

I HATE cutting backer board. Especially smaller cuts. Its so tough and if you dont get it perfect it cracks everywhere

[nickparis]

Hello Roger where do you get those long shower length boards from?