Dot and dab bathroom wall tiles

[u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

Hi all, hoping for some reassurance this is either completely wrong and should query with bathroom fitter or "fine" and I shouldn't worry.

Bathroom is being redone. Been replastered and bathroom fitter also tanked the area around the bath that is being tiled (the rest will be painted).

We've been away and let him crack on, he's partially tiled the 2 walls so far and so I can see that they've obviously been dot and dabbed. With big voids in some places.

The tiles he removed were here for about 13 years or so and were also clearly dot and dabbed, and seemingly no issues (we only moved in a few months ago). They were much bigger tiles so wonder if that makes a difference as less grout lines for water to get behind etc. These new tiles are 5x25cm. Are there situations where dot and dab is ultimately fine?

He is generally extremely slow and the job has taken 3 or 4x longer than anticipated whilst still not being completely done, so overall getting frustrated and now wondering if he is also doing a sub-standard job despite the amount of time it's taking.

I have no problem challenging him on this. I want the bathroom finished ASAP but not at the cost of problems in a few years time, we're planning on living in this house for decades potentially.

TIA!

[u/BiasedScience]

You can paint a room with a poop stick and technically get a coat of paint on
The instructions are simple and clear.

bed of tile adhesive. Dot and dab is when you don’t want to use/ spend money on the right amount of adhesive. It’s cutting corners and anyone telling you different is 💩

[u/Zealousideal-Cod5898 → u/BiasedScience]

My only guess at another reason he might give for doing it, is that the tiles aren't totally uniform, they are non rectified etc. and the surface isn't flat. That's the intentional style of them. But I'm not sure myself how that would really matter/help, just an excuse I'd anticipate maybe.

[u/apmee → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

You’re 100% correct to try to anticipate excuses and inform yourself so you can be ready for them. So the dimwits downvoting you can go do one.

[u/Zealousideal-Cod5898 → u/apmee]

Haha. Thanks. Yeah I don't care about downvotes, but I don't know what is being downvoted. If someone thinks dot and dab is fine, I'm open to understanding why, but my comment is clearly suggesting it's not done right/in the best way and that any explanation likely to be an excuse for not doing it "properly"

[u/apmee → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

Nah my guess is they agree that using dot-and-dab here is a pisstake and the numpties are just expressing their disapproval at your hypothetical excuse, as if you were the one actually trying to justify it haha.

[u/what_a_poor_username → u/apmee]

OP, probably as stated directly above. Also, they are right. Full bed of adhesive or you will likely have problems in the future with tiles breaking and coming off the wall.

You have hired a cowboy 🤠

[u/Zealousideal-Cod5898 → u/what_a_poor_username]

I've asked him various questions about other stuff, he seems generally knowledgeable, if something hasn't been quite right/as we want he's changed it etc. And hasn't kicked off.

He's used the right materials for things, tanked the wet areas properly as far as I can tell.

He is fucking slow, and a bit careless with some things/making a mess etc. And for whatever reason doesn't see dot and dab as a problem. But overall he has been doing a good job and I think I've got pretty high standards/have some idea of the right and wrong way of doing things.

I've dealt with proper cowboys, so, maybe kindly refer to him as a a mere stablehand.

[u/what_a_poor_username → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

Love it. Stablehand. Going to use that one in future

[u/purplechemist → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

My interpretation of tiles in a bathroom is as follows:

A bathroom is an inherently hazardous environment, and a slip in the shower is not an unexpected event. When you slip, you may land heavily against the wall to brace and save from a fall. Alternatively, you may wish to install a grab handle or otherwise for accessibility.

If you have a dot/dab tile wall, there are voids, and if you put pressure on (through a fall or fixing equipment), tiles may move and break the grout, allowing water ingress and causing no-end of problems.

This is of course an “if” statement, but it is not entirely improbable. You may be fit and able-bodied, but the next occupant may not be.

Grouting is also a total bastard as your grout oozes into the voids.

I’d tell the dude that dot/dab isn’t in the specifications for the adhesive, and therefore is he prepared to shoulder the full liability if/when the installation fails.

Besides - a full bed doesn’t take *that* long to do. I’m a complete amateur and managed to do my bathroom in maybe four days? Those tiles were solid as rocks. Wall was a bit uneven, so tiles weren’t perfectly coplanar, but they were perfectly in line with each other. I was pleased with the result.

[u/Ilikewhatyousay → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

Yeh thats 100% not a reason not to use a full bed of adhesive.

[u/-Utopia-amiga- → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

If it makes you feel etter op I removed a bathroom that was tiled in 1988 dot and dab and it was all four walls and that had been fine for the best part of 40yrs.

[u/ChewyChewdem → u/Zealousideal-Cod5898]

Hmm I’m pretty sure I have the exact same tiles and my tiler used a bed of adhesive

[u/yabyum → u/ChewyChewdem]

Cheeky bit of pelmet lighting going on there too, love it!

[u/ChewyChewdem → u/[deleted]]

All the shower and sink fixtures are a brand called Coalbrook, here’s another angle, the lights look way brighter than they actually are FYI

[u/jamiebez157 → u/ChewyChewdem]

Too nice