Priming a wall for tiling

My partner is planning to prime the plaster wall with PVA before tiling. I think he should use a proper primer but he says it's a waste of money as we already have some PVA in the house. Who's right?

Asked by Karen on 13th Nov 2022
Expert Trade Answers
"Hi, a good quality tile primer should be used like a SBR primer, pva is for plastering not tiling !!!"
Answered on 13th Nov 2022 - Member since Aug 2020 - report
"No necessary , Just if you wanted i never put on the wall primer"
Answered on 13th Nov 2022 - Member since Aug 2022 - report
"If its a newly plastered wall,Then prime it with pva will be ok to use mix it 50/50with cold water...."
Answered on 13th Nov 2022 - Member since Oct 2022 - report
"PVA is more than enough for primer you don’t need to use any other type of primer. I would definitely recommend using PVA though because the plaster will suck the moisture out of the adhesive."
Answered on 16th Nov 2022 - Member since Aug 2021 - report
"It depends, Prime the walls to seal them. If you are tiling a wet, damp, or moisture room, I recommend using an SBR based primer. For walls in dry environments, you can also use PVA. This will create a good bond for the tile adhesive and prevent potential issues with overly porous or non-porous surfaces."
Answered on 13th Nov 2022 - Member since Sep 2022 - report
"Hi,

You can apply PVA to any new drywall or plaster walls before painting, tilling. We mix 50/50 with water."
Answered on 15th Nov 2022 - Member since Nov 2022 - report
"If it's freshly plastered walls, and it has a Matt finish to it almost then PVA is absolutely fine, but dilute with water at a rate of around 50:50...
If the plaster has a shine to it, ie polished plaster finish then PVA at the same dilution will work but wouldn't permiate into the plaster as well and may possibly fail at some point...
Correct primer for tiling, would adhere, dry quicker, and most are guaranteed against mechanical failure. They also have an additive to assist in quicker cure / set times for tile adhesives and are worth the small cost for peace of mind!...
So if you have a rough finish plaster then PVA mixed with water at half and half will be perfectly fine as there's a sufficient "key" to attach to, but if a polished plaster finish, then tiling primer is by far your best and safest option!...
Hope this helps and good luck with your project..."
Answered on 13th Nov 2022 - Member since Mar 2022 - report
"Along as the PVA is watered down then it will be fine. If its out on neat it will create a barrier and will ultimately peel causing the tiling to fail"
Answered on 22nd Nov 2022 - Member since Jul 2021 - report
"He’s right you can use ova you have got it is right one"
Answered on 22nd Nov 2022 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"All depends on the type of plaster boards that have been used etc blue or green ."
Answered on 18th Nov 2022 - Member since Jan 2022 - report
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