I have read the threads on tiling on tiles - I have even contributed to them because I’ve done it. This is slightly different - tiling on a ceramic shower tray.
This 'orrible thing has got to go. but it can’t go by being removed [It really can’t. It would be a nightmare]. It has to ‘go’ by being covered by something else. My brilliant wheeze is to tile over it with mosaic, from wall to wall.
I reckon mosaic mat will take the curves, down from the outside, surrounding tiles, into the tray - it’s used that way in swimming pools.
The question is - what to do about the raised bits, supposedly there to give a secure footing but in fact more slippery than the flat bit?
I thought maybe to lay tile cement into the 'valleys, so that the end result is all at the height of the raised ribs. Then lay the mosaic on that. I do have the jollop recommended for giving tiles a surface better able to take another layer of tiles…
Whats wrong with it? Its a lovely colour…. We had 2 tone green, pink and brown shower trays when we bought our house/gites. No alternative (for us) but to rip them out. Never heard about tiling mosaic over the top, the tile cement will stick but it wont be easy to get a good finish around the curves.
I do appreciate that point, Mark. It won’t be easy but it might do, with care and attention …
I thought to lay mosaic sheets down from the wall tiles, across the grotty brown thing, up the other side, avoiding the corners. Let’s say from L to R. Then bring mosaics down across the edge tiles, top and bottom, to meet the L & R tiles. That would leave the corners to be done individually.
The big deal is to create a flat surface across those stupid ribs.
Given a budget, the ‘easiest’ solution is to rip all out and start from scratch. I just do not have the budget to do that.
What I intend to try to do is ‘una chapuza’. Una chapuza translates to Eng as ‘a bodge’. But una chapuza, for the Spanish, can be a bodge with a good outcome, not invariably a bad one.
The myth of replacing a fan belt with a pair of women’s tights is an example of una chapuza, a bodge, with a good outcome.
No myth… been there, done that… 1965 … and the car was a Ford Anglia (pale blue).
Phew, we finally got to the party safely, but I was very glad to accept a lift home from someone else, who had a more reliable car…
You need a coating that can he sprayed or painted on like a paint. I’ve got an idea plumbers used to know of something like that as you used to be able to recoat bathtubs to change colour or cover enamel chips. I think you’d have to be careful how you keyed the existing surface to take the new coating, riskier if not metaĺ.
A serious plumbers merchant in the UK like Jewson? would know the product.
Viewing it personally… what is the problem?.. the slippy shower tray ??
As there is “no budget”… I would sell my shoes to buy some non-slip-adhesive things one can buy for “slippy” baths/shower trays… cut them to fit the raised sections and leave it at that for the moment…
I certainly wouldn’t spend my non-existant budget on any more botching around than that … I’d save my pennies until I could afford to do a “proper job”
We have a fully-tiled walk-in shower with a central drain hole… and as I am now afraid of slipping/breaking more bones… we have put a length of sink-liner on the floor tiles and the water drains through the perforated material and down the drain it goes… glug, glug…
You might find that would work within your tray… it’s quite thick and perforated… just lay it over… we found one with a nice colour design which goes well with the rest of the bathroom scheme.
also, a couple of angled wall bars are useful for stability while scrubbing at whatever bits and bobs… and the gel etc hangs handily from one of them…
The shower tray doesn’t look big enough to do that. You will end up trying to shower in a tea cup.
You’re a photographer? You know colours….so get out your colour wheel and work out what colour you need to introduce to the surroundings to make it look fabulous.
I think that with care and attention to detail, your idea of mosaic tiling could turn out to be an outstanding and unique result. Personally I think it would be wise to abrade the existing surface in order to obtain a better adhesion of the tile cement. Perhaps an angle grinder and a good quality face mask and eye protective shield would do the job.
My research came up with this. One of the surfaces it is happy to be on is ‘ancien carrelage’. This shower tray is ancien and ceramic as per carrelage so I think we are in biz.
What I wrote was there is no budget for a total re-do, from scratch. I know perfectly well what ‘a proper job’ would entail. I have built quite a number of shower cubicles - complete bathrooms - in my time. But having taken down the wall that existed between the w/c - shower and the rest of the room - basin/cupboards etc - I know that it will be a re-do too far.
And the problem is not just the slippery surface. it is the hideosity of it. A rubber mat will keep me upright but I will still hate the tray.
Yes, good shout - I’d dialed that in. Just take off a couple of mm from the ‘ribs’ then apply the proprietory jollop, as above.
Thanks for your encouragement. I do believe you are right and I intend to make it so.
This whole house is a bodge. As per the comment months ago when I revealed that it was built in 1958, someone quipped, “Shoddy modern French building - where’s your sense of adventure, man?!” I am prepared to adventure just so far but not get myself into a real fankle dealing with bodges. I’ll just bodge round the existing bodges, hopefully como una chapuza - una buena chapuza.
And shoddy it defo is. The installation of the power sockets is beyond belief in its stupidity and dodgy safety. I have had the system updated to norms as far as the tableau and associated wiring. All new - €6k for a two bed plywood shack [bungalow] The partial 3-phase has been eliminated and I have a Linky - very pleased with that.
I want to deal wit the things that need doing now, so I can get on with the rest of my life. What pennies there may be are not for revisiting the reform of this house. They are to get me out and making more photographs.
That was an option. However, having inspected the setup with a plumber, the decision was to not do that - too much extra work resulting from the demolition. The shower tray sits on a concrete slab suspended between floor beams, visible in the under-build [cave].
The consensus was that to put H.Dumpty back together again would be a serious grunt and very expensive.
The one good thing about this shower is that is spacious. The tray on its own would be adequate but the tiles surrounding give an extra 200mm all round.
The mosaics are coming on Thurs. Watch this space!
Clean it thoroughly, the use a bath or sink re-new kit which is a roller on epoxy to coat and cover up the clour. If you need it non slip add some white sand to the mix or the grit you can buy for the job but that costs a bit more.
You would need a levelling compound to take out the ridges for mosaic and a shower constant wet tile adhesive like mapei epoxy tile and grout.
One of the reasons for going for mosaics is to create a bit of visual interest in a bland, not to say municipal-facilities-looking cubicle. The wall tiles are nobbut just this side of corporation standard issue.
With other things in the bathroom improved - floor tiles from burnt toast brown to dark grey, new basin in a black ‘mineral’ deck, white cabinets - I’ll live.
TBH Other than the colour of the shower tray, it doesn’t look that bad. I knew it reminded me of somewhere - the showers in the British Airways Galleries North Lounge at Heathrow. Your mention of the word ‘municipal’ triggered it
Yes agreed and every success, it was the bloody ridges that caused me to choose the finish I said and white seldom looks out of place but see how you get on.
