Tile on plaster wall

I am getting ready to put in a ceramic tile backsplash in our kitchen, which has plaster walls. The area where the tile will go is covered by a mixed bag of very old glossy paint (which has been covered by cabinets for 50 years) and newer latex paint which has been there for 10 or so years. I'm wondering what would be the proper was to prepare the walls for the tile cement to adhere.

 

Strip all of the paint off the plaster and start from there.

 

Concidered going over it with tile board so you would have something that will really hold the tile better?

 

How would you go about stripping off the paint, some mechanical process? I have brand new butcher block countertops that I can't risk harming with chemicals.

I am getting the feeling this is going to be painful. I had thought about using a dremel or a chisel or something to score the wall with little trenches.

 

Then you need to protect them with plastic or Masonite or something.

I like the products from Franmar, but anything citrus-based should also work, and minimize collateral damage.

There's a technique similar to that that can help remove wallpaper. It uses a toothed wheel. But if you do that to a plaster wall you might as well knock it out and replace it. Once you break the surface of the plaster and start turning the hard finish into dust you're fighting a steep uphill battle.

You could also cover it with backer board, as pporto suggested.

 

I'd just score it with a claw or blade of some kind. Maybe some good primer.
And, put some bonding agent in your thinset. Jamo or something.

I think your bigger problem is that the plaster walls are probably all wavy.

BTW, I'm not a pro.

 

The walls are sort of wavy, but there are only a couple of low spots. I am going to score the walls. They are backed by some funky drywall-type board, so they don't go to pieces then you crack them open.

I do need to fill some spots back to the backer board. What should I use for this and for the low spots?

 

I've tested stripping the paint and scoring the walls, and both are looking like long and tedious processes. There are many layers of paint. And I have gotten a little concerned with weaken the walls by scoring them.

I had completely forgotten that I used this type of underlayment when I installed marble tile in the bathroom in my old house, and I'm wondering if I could attach it to the walls of my kitchen with staples or nails instead of thinset: Tile Underlayment - Schluter Ditra - YouTube

 

Ditra is not an underlayment, it is a crack isolation membrane and will not work stapled to the wall.

The correct way to proceed with your project is to remove the plaster to the studs. Install needed nailing surfaces at the end runs of the counter. Fur out the wall so that the addition of 1/4" HardiBacker plus tile equals and even level with the surrounding plaster. You can use 1/2" Durock in your case, I usually am working with drywall so the 1/4" works great. Finish the ends of the runs and transition to plaster with a metal schluter strip.

Removing the plaster has multiple benefits. It gives you the opportunity to make adjustments to the electrical outlets. I usually drop them down and lay them lengthwise closer to the counter so that they do not interfere with glass mosaics and such that are going on the wall. It also opens up the wall for installation of undercabinet lighting (LED's are all the rage now). And it lets you transition nicely around windows and door casing (if applicable) in that you can "tuck" the tile under the molding. It also has a sleeker look as you do not have to end the run with bullnose tile that screams-"I simply put my tile on top of drywall".

The tiling is the easy part - the planning, the layout and the proper prep is the intricate part and what is paid for when you hire out a tile installer or general contractor.