There are quite a few ways to prepare a block wall for tile including direct mortar cement board kerdi board and a layer of liquid membrane.
Tile over cement block.
First chip the bumps cracks and dents on the concrete wall with a hammer.
For application over an uneven concrete surface a lightweight waterproof construction board must be used as an alternative to concrete board in a tile installation.
Mix surface bonding cement with water to a pasty consistency.
Clean debris off the wall with water and a sprayer.
Nail 3 4 expanded metal lath to the blocks with 1 1 2 to 2 inch concrete.
Kerdi board building panels can be used to create a ready made flat and plumb surface on the cinder block wall.
Clean the surface of any dirt or debris with a ph neutral cleanser and a sponge or scrub brush.
Use a flat scrap of wood to even and smoothen out the surface and let this dry for a few hours or overnight.
Rinse the cleanser away with clean water.
But we had to install 1 2 inch tile backerboard to bring the tile up and over the tub lip.
Once the cement is dry apply the bonding agent that should give the surface a rough texture.
The backerboard provided a smoother surface to tile on.
The easiest product to use on a cinder block wall is.
How to install ceramic tile over painted block walls for a shower.
Ceramic and porcelain tile are so frequently installed at or above grade level on a cement board underlayment or directly on plywood that it almost seems novel to install tile directly on concrete.
If the paint comes loose so does the tile.
You could set your tile right on the block if it is flat enough some block work i ve seen has convinced me that the masons were drunk on the job and there is no paint or other coatings that thinset would have a hard time bonding to.
Wet a section of the wall again to.
Then flush and fill the areas with cement.
Had to chip off all the thinset with an electric chisel.
Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material.
They are screwed into the wall and are waterproof and thermally insulating.
You should either strip or bead blast the concrete and thoroughly clean it.
Construction board panels are extremely light and easy to cut but they provide a very strong durable and waterproof surface on which tiles will be installed.