Tiling question - removing old adhesive...how and is it necessary?

[Participant]

Hi

I'm re-tiling our kitchen wall backsplash / sink areas and have removed the old tiles without issue. Only now I'm having a fun time scraping off the old adhesive.

It's coming away sort of, but I'm concerned about what I'm doing to the plaster and was hoping for some advice as to methods to remove it quickly and safely. I'm currently using a decorator's scraper, the kind that holds a Stanley blade at a flat angle. I really want to avoid paying to have it re-skimmed.

The replacement tiles aren't huge, 150mm x 150mm, so the surface doesn't have to be 100% perfect as such (though I'm going to get the orbital sander on it later), but I'd like to a) maintain the surface and b) make my life easy.

So...does anyone have any tips on the best way to remove old tile adhesive from a plastered wall? Is it even necessary or should I just sand it flat and get some new adhesive on? Thanks!

 

[Participant]

Thanks but I already am using a 'normal decorating scraper' as far as I'm aware.

I decided to remove the adhesive last night and I used a steam wallpaper remover, which softened the adhesive and made it easier to scrape off.

Now what I seem to have is a nice clear layer of concrete-based plaster...however I have another question...to what extent can tile adhesive be used as a filler for chips and gouges in the plaster? I have two choices now:

- Fill the small gaps with plaster repair / joint compound.
- Or just key the surface with my orbital, clean it of dust with a damp sponge, and begin tiling (preferable as I don't have to wait for the plaster filler to dry).

The chips and dents we're talking about are only a few cm on average and never bigger than half a tile width.

Opinions?