Surface preparation

Make sure that walls are smooth, any cracks have been filled and the
substrate can support the weight of the chosen tile finish.


Substrate	Prior to tiling

New concrete	Leave for 6 weeks.

Existing ceramic or vinyl tiles	Check tiles are firmly adhered to the subfloor and are free of dirt and grease.

Wooden floors	Check floors are stable, rigid and capable of supporting the additional load required. There are a number of methods for tiling onto wooden floors, one of the most common is to overlay existing timber floor with WPB or marine grade plywood at least 15mm thick, fully screwed down at 300mm centres, then seal the edges and under edges of the board with BAL Bond SBR. Shower floors should be waterproofed by using BAL WP1 Tanking System and grouted with an epoxy grout.

Tongue & Groove floorboards	You may tile direct without overlaying, providing BAL Fastflex is used and that all boards are stable and are firmly screwed or screw nailed to the supporting joists at 300mm centres. Leave new boards for 2 weeks prior to tiling. Prime with 2 coats of neat BAL Prime APD before tiling.

Floating chipboard or plywood floors	Ensure that WPB, marine grade plywood or moisture resistant chipboard is used, then seal the edges and under edges of the board with BAL Bond SBR. If required, overlay with 15-18mm plywood. Use BAL Fastflex for tiling directly onto the plywood/chipboard.

All floors must be level and free of any movement when walked on. Check the floor tolerances using a straight edge. Lay at various points around the floor. Ideally, there should be no more than a 3mm gap under a 2m straightedge. The maximum tolerance is 6mm. Uneven solid surfaces should be levelled with a levelling compound such as BAL Acrybase (except timber floors). Surfaces must be smooth, flat and free from any dirt or grease.