Tips for tiling fragile brick walls

[terrlor]

Hey,

I've got old brick walls, they're plastered (original) but not level so want to use tile backer board over the plaster before tiling. Planned on using adhesive to level and screws with plugs & washers to manually fix

Problem is when I try to drill into the wall the plaster crumbles away and the brick either falls apart or the drill can't go through it (a guess that it's hitting small stones in the brick)

Anybody had this before and know the safest way to get the tiles on the wall? I don't have space to batten unless it was about 1cm, maybe 2

 

[stuart45]

It could be you need a better drill and bit. An SDS drill and decent bit will go into any brick. Sounds like yours goes into the lime mortar joints easily, but won't go into the bricks.

 

[Kearn]

Really depends on your bricks, our old stable block is built of immensely dry thirsty bricks, a night mare to lay and they’re also very fragile - chemfix may be your friend to ensure you don’t obliterate them as you try to force a fixing to hold.

 

[terrlor]

It could be you need a better drill and bit. An SDS drill and decent bit will go into any brick. Sounds like yours goes into the lime mortar joints easily, but won't go into the bricks.

Upon further googling I think I may have had the drill going the wrong direction so think you are on the money Thank you!

 

[terrlor]

Really depends on your bricks, our old stable block is built of immensely dry thirsty bricks, a night mare to lay and they’re also very fragile - chemfix may be your friend to ensure you don’t obliterate them as you try to force a fixing to hold.

Will give chemfix a Google, thank you!

 

[paulc]

Have a mix of really hard bricks, crappy soft ones, and some really friable blocks made out of what looks like clinker. The hard bricks are great for fixing in to, the soft ones not so much. Forget getting a secure fixing in the clinker blocks, and the same goes for mortar joints. Where I need solid fixings (toilet cistern, large radiators), I've resorted to resin fixing. The Rawlplug R-KEM usually does the job. If you use the stuff, drill most of the holes and work quickly injecting the resin and getting fixings in place. You only have 5-10 minutes before the resin starts to set. Also worth getting a pack of spare nozzles.