How To Dry Out Wall Behind Tiles

Let the wall dry thoroughly.

How to dry out wall behind tiles.

Scrape away any loose or peeling paint or wallpaper. Not sure how long it will take to dry the wall out any. Hold the float at a 45 degree angle to the wall to push the grout into the joints between the tiles. Remove any remaining dust oil or grease with tsp tri sodium phosphate or an ammonia based cleanser.

Sand with a medium grit sandpaper to create a uniform surface that s not too smooth. Start by removing any molding switch plates outlet covers and other hardware attached to the area being tiled. All tiles need to be removed from shower area walls inspected for moisture penetration mould. An extractor or a dehumidifier or good airflow which includes the window plus another point of entry would do.

The source of the damp is definately the tiles themselves we havent been here too long and when we looked some of them they are mosiac tiles were virtually falling out where the bath joins the wall and just n the spot where the shower falls onto them. You then need to remove the damp air. Use the rubber mallet to tap the head of the putty knife to pop the ceramic tile from its place. Let the grout dry.

If plaster board is behind tiles then this should be removed and replaced with cement board which will not absorb moisture like plaster board. Tap a rubber mallet on the head of a small chisel to remove the grout in the tile joints. If they are solid walls then allowed to dry out and once dried sealed with sbr primer ready for re tiling. You want the tile adhesive to have something to grab onto.

Seal the walls with a skim coat and let it dry thoroughly. I am running a fan for a few more days to try to dry out behind the tile. Thoroughly vacuum the area and give the wall a once over with a damp sponge or cleaning cloth. Its quite an old flat c1900.

Step 2 place a wide putty knife under the ceramic tile parallel to the floor. Turn the float to 90 degrees to remove the excess grout from the tile faces. However remember you must not have portable electrical appliances in a bathroom.