# Tile on Concrete block wall



## Milhaus (Feb 11, 2007)

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year to you all. 

My plumber threw a question at me the other day that I could not answer. I have some experience with tile, but I'm no expert. He just bought a house and is planning on finishing the basement. He was wondering about tiling directly onto concrete block. With mortar joints and uneven surfaces, I didn't think it would be advised. Anyone have any advice on this? He was considering studding up a new wall on the interior, throwing durock on it, and then tiling that. 

Any help is appreciated. 

mark


----------



## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

If he has the room I would frame insulate with unfaced and then denshield then tile. Allows you to make walls flat and square and the tiling will go a lot easier.


----------



## Bud Cline (Feb 12, 2006)

> If he has the room I would frame insulate with unfaced and then denshield then tile. Allows you to make walls flat and square and the tiling will go a lot easier.


I would whole-heartedly agree with that.

I have tiled many many block walls over the years and that has to be the biggest PITA there ever was. It can be done but a lot of grinding is necessary, a lot of grinding.


----------



## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I prefer the denshield as well.

I wouldn't be afraid to lay on the block if the block was laid nicely and the joints were hopefully cut instead of struck. If it is an exterior wall, you may as well fir it out and insulate. I don't think you find many block partition walls anymore.

Which brings us to the studs and specifically the flatness of the wall. I've done this on bowed walls and it results in lippage. How to solve this? Use straight studs, put in a lot of blocking, use smaller tile, use steel studs? I'd be willing to try any and all of these.


----------



## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

use shims to achieve flatness and plumb


----------



## Bud Cline (Feb 12, 2006)




----------



## Milhaus (Feb 11, 2007)

Thanks for the input. I was leaning towards framing new walls myself. I don't know if he has the room to spare or not, or the actual condition of the walls. But, I can only imagine the PITA it could be. 

mark


----------



## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

Milhaus said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Happy New Year to you all.
> 
> ...


Are the concrete walls currently painted or have any other finish on them?

You can mudset the walls using No-sag thinset, if the walls were previously painted they will have to be stripped and a bonding agent added to the thinset.

You can get the tile perfectly plumb with no "lippage" this way.


----------



## BirmanBuilders (Aug 24, 2005)

Framing a wall would be easiest but if theres no room could he plaster the wall instead to get a flat surface then tile?


----------



## Bud Cline (Feb 12, 2006)




----------



## MattCoops (Apr 7, 2006)

You could always install a moisture barrier, fasten lath with masonry screws, and screed a portland mix.


----------

