Are you thinking about re-tiling your old kitchen or bathroom with new natural stone tiles, but don&#;t want to go through the task of removing all the old ones laid on your floor and walls? Maybe you&#;re wondering whether or not you can tile on top of your existing porcelain tiles to save time.
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Well, the good news is that you can definitely tile over tiles - however, it&#;s not always the right choice. There are several things you&#;ll want to consider before laying tiles on top of other tiles, or else you run the risk of your new set cracking, coming loose, or falling off entirely.
So, to help you decide whether or not you should lay your new tiles over your old ones, here is everything you need to know about tiling over tiles.
Why tile over your existing tiles?
When it comes to the question of whether or not you can tile over tiles, most experts would recommend against doing so, instead suggesting you remove all the old tiles beforehand to ensure you&#;re working on a smooth and stable surface.
But, with that being said, there are a few key advantages that make placing new tiles over old ones a tempting proposition:
Saves your time: tiling over tiles is a practical option for those looking to make changes on a budget. Using older tiles as your base surface not only saves you the time associated with removing them but also the energy and money you might spend ripping them up as well.
You already have a flat surface: if the old tiles were laid correctly, then you already have a perfectly smooth and flat base to work with when laying your new set, helping you get the perfect, unblemished finish.
A stand out feature: if done properly and in the right location, the increased prominence of the new tiles can stand out as an aesthetically pleasing, architectural feature &#; one that can catch the eye of guests while also helping to highlight other prominent areas of the room.
What do you need to consider when tiling over tiles?
So, with the above points in mind, you might be ready to start placing your new tiles over your old ones, but there are still several important aspects you need to consider before you get started.
Check the strength of your current tiles
For one thing, you need to check the strength of your existing tiles so you can be sure they&#;ll bear the weight of the new set. This is most important when tiling your walls.
To do this, gently tap your tiles and listen for a hollow sound. If it&#;s present, then these tiles are not suitable to be tiled upon. As a rule, any form of damaged tile is also unsuitable to be tiled upon, nor is any area prone to dampness.
Confirm your wall can take the added weight
On top of this, you also want to be sure that the surface your original tiles are bound to can take the added weight of another layer, as well as the additional grout and adhesive you&#;ll be adding for a proper protective seal.
This weight limit is often not a problem when setting out a single tile layer, but with a second added on top, it may push your wall over the limit, causing structural problems such as warping.
If you&#;re planning on tiling over your existing bathroom tiles, our suggested maximum weight of tiles and adhesive per square metre is:
- Gypsum plaster: 20kg
- Plasterboard (without skim): approx. 35kg
- Tile backer boards: 60kg
Think about the aesthetic potential
You&#;ll also need to consider the aesthetic potential for such a redesign. While the right tile set poking slightly further out of the wall could look stylish, double tiling is often very noticeable around the edge of rooms, at doorways, or if the room is half-tiled.
With floors in particular, you need to be careful that you don&#;t raise the floor level higher than the door frame and cause an unseemly trip hazard. Needless to say, thick tiles in particular are not a good choice when tiling over tiles.
Clean your existing tiles
Finally, you want to be sure that your existing tiles have been thoroughly cleaned before you tile on top of them. Any leftover grease and contaminants have the potential to affect the strength of the bond and leave tiles hanging. Once clean, we recommend a bonding agent is applied over the old tiles and allowed to cure. We recommend Kerakoll Keragrip Eco Primer as adhesive may not adhere to your old tiles.
Can you tile on top of wall tiles
As you&#;ve no doubt guessed, it is certainly possible to tile on top of tiles, but you need to think long and hard about whether or not your walls and old tiles can handle the new weight. Wall tiles are typically thinner and more fragile than floor tiles, meaning they&#;re more prone to damage and more likely to break under pressure.
You also need to choose the right adhesive, as only certain adhesives will work for tile-on-tile application, and the last thing you want are your new tiles falling off and getting damaged.
Last, but not least, you need to double-check for any wall gaps that could cause issues with debris and water affecting adhesive strength. These should be rectified if possible and grouted thoroughly once your new tiles have been set.
Can you tile over floor tiles
Tiling over floor tiles is a little different to wall tiles. For one thing, you don&#;t need to worry so much about the potential added tile weight, as there is no risk of your tiles falling off the floor and smashing. Again, we recommend a bonding agent is applied over the old tiles and allowed to cure. Before application, you simply need to clean your tiles and make use of a high polymer, modified adhesive to lay your new ones. There are also fewer issues with finishing edges.
What you do need to think about, as we mentioned earlier, is how high your new floor is going to be, which is why we recommend doing a dry run beforehand to see how your floor might look once your tiles are set down. If they&#;re too high, then it&#;s best to remove your old tiles and add in some new, thicker ones if you still want a slightly higher floor.
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Ultimately, whether or not you choose to tile over your old tiles is entirely up to you, and in many cases, it could be the ideal solution. However, if you plan to lay out your new tiles on a fresh surface but don&#;t know where to start, you should get in touch with the experts at Stone Superstore.
Our skilled team are on hand to answer any tiling and paving questions you may have, as well as provide their own recommendations on materials and best tiling practices. Reach out to us today to find out more and don&#;t forget to check out our tile installation advice for more insightful pieces like this one.
Are you tired of the outdated tiles in your kitchen or bathroom? Is it time to refresh your space but you are intimidated by the thought of removing the old tiles? Good news&#; sometimes you can tile over tile without the hassle and expense of removing the old tiles first! In this post, I'm covering when tiling over existing tile is a good option (spoiler alert&#;it usually isn't) as well as a step-by-step tutorial for how to do it!
When we were trying to figure out how to update the shower as part of Attley's bathroom makeover on a budget, I remembered that my friend Bre from Brepurposed tiled over existing tile in one of her bathrooms. Her father-in-law is a tile expert, so I was convinced it could be done well. But Bre didn't tile over tile in a shower, so I wasn't sure if the same method she used would work for us. So I did a ton of research and I'm sharing everything I learned in this post.
Can you tile over tile?Yes, it is possible to tile over existing tiles. We have done it and are thrilled with the results (more on our project later). But it is is not always a viable option or a good idea. You should only consider tiling over existing tile if:
And as with any DIY project, you need to make sure that you have the right materials, tools and techniques to do the job correctly. Otherwise, you should call a professional!
We installed this penny tile OVER outdated tiles in our daughter's shower.Is tiling over tile a good idea? Should you do it?Now that you know you can tile over existing tile, the next question is should you? I personally feel like the answer is usually no because in most instances, the existing tile surface is not optimal for tiling over.
Tiling over tile is only an option only if your project meets all of the requirements above. It might be tempting to tile over tile that doesn't meet all those requirements thinking it's a good &#;quick fix&#; for getting your house on the market, etc. But tiling over tile that is cracked, unstable or has any sort of leak or moisture issue is a terrible idea.
But if your tile is in great condition and has absolutely no issues, tiling over them can be a great way to update and modernize a bathroom without the expense and hassle of removing the existing tiles. I think tile over tile is a great option for things like a tile backsplash, a fireplace surround, and bathroom walls.
We installed tile over tile on the walls of our daughter's tub/shower combo almost two years ago and are very happy with the results. But I wouldn't ever consider doing it in our primary bathroom because the tiles in our bathroom are not perfectly level.
I personally would not install floor tile over existing tile because the double thickness would make for a very awkward threshold transition from the adjoining room. Note: We have installed a floating vinyl tile floor over a ceramic tile floor in our laundry room and that additional thickness was easy to manage with a threshold where the tile floor meets our hardwoods. And there are so many other cheap flooring ideas for updating tile floors that I would turn to first. For example, in both of our daughters' bathrooms we updated the tile floors with tile stickers!
What are the cons of tiling over tile?While tiling over existing tiles can be a cost-effective and convenient way to update a space, there are some potential drawbacks to consider.
If your existing tiles are not stable and firmly attached to the underlying surface OR if the existing tile surface is not prepared properly before installing the new tile, the new tiles may not adhere properly and will eventually loosen and/or crack. And if you ever decide to remove the tiles to start from scratch, you will have to demo two layers of tile.
The added layer of tiles will increase the thickness of the floor or wall, which may require adjustments to doors, trim, and other elements of the room.
We tiled over the shower tiles in our daughter's bathroom and couldn't be happier with our results. We completed our tile job on November 21, and I'm writing this post on July 13, . Everything is holding up perfectly and we have not had any issues whatsoever.
I waited quite a while to write this post because I wanted some time to pass first! If I wrote the post and the tiles fell off 6 months later, I would feel awful. But now that so much time has passed, I feel confident in our results!
BEFOREAFTERMaterials NeededIf you decide to go for it, you will need some specific products in addition to all the typical things you need to install tile (mortar or thinset, trowel, grout, etc.). This is because a smooth surface is not ideal for tile to adhere to.
You will also need something to finish the edge of your tile installation wherever it meets an adjoining surface. This is kind of tricky since your tile will be double the typical thickness. If you are installing tile over an existing tile floor, you will need to find a threshold that can handle the transition.
If you are tiling over a tile wall, you will need an edge trim in a size that will accommodate the thickness of your existing tile + 1/8&#; for mortar + the thickness of your new tile. The 1/2&#; size was perfect for us, but you may need a different size since the thickness of tile varies.
We used a Schluter 1/2-inch edge trim. They come in a variety of colors. We chose white to match our tile as closely as possible.
How to Tile Over Tile: A Step-by-Step TutorialYou can watch a short video that gives a good overview of this project below. It will play after a short ad.
Time needed: 2 days
This tutorial is going to walk you through how to tile over existing tile on shower/tub walls, since that is what we did.
Note that we generally followed this tutorial from a highly reputable contractor. But we did not apply a waterproof membrane like he suggests in the video. Why? According to our research, the membrane might prevent the bonding primer from doing its job. He explains in his video that the membrane is to provide separation from any moisture that is behind your existing tiles from your new tiles. Because we were certain we did not have moisture behind our existing tiles (again, use a moisture meter to check), we did not use a waterproofing membrane. And for what it's worth, if we had detected any moisture, we would have ripped the old tiles out and not tiled over them.
We used T.S.P. to clean our tiles first. Then we covered our bathtub with plastic sheeting and a plastic tarp.
Roll the ECO Prim Grip on your tile surface. Use a paintbrush to get in any areas the roller can't reach. This product is pretty runny, so be sure to protect any areas you don't want it to get on. Let it dry. Note that it is fairly translucent&#;it just adds a grayish haze to your tiles (see the photo below). That doesn't mean you haven't put enough on! If you run your hand over it after it dries, you will realize how gritty it feels. It's that grit that will make the mortar and new tiles adhere well and will support the additional weight.
In most instances, you want to install your tile edge trim at this point and then install your tile by placing the edge of your tile against the edge trim and working away from it into the corner. I would recommend this if you are installing any tiles with straight edges.
Because we were installing round penny tiles and wanted them to meet up in the corners a certain way, we chose to work in the opposite direction. We worked from the corner toward the tile edge trim, so we didn't install the edge trim until we were ready to tile up to it. Doing it in this order was absolutely fine, but if we had used straight-edge tiles we would have worked in the opposite direction.
This isn't intended to be a comprehensive tiling tutorial so I won't go into detail. At this point you simply need to install your tile and grout as you normally would.
After you are done tiling and grouting, caulk along any seams and joints as necessary. You can see my tutorial for how to caulk a bathtub if you need some guidance. We also caulked along where the Schluter edge trim met up with the wall for a nice clean look.
There you have it! If tiling over tile is a good option for you, it's a great way to refresh your space without the hassle of removing old tiles. I hope this step-by-step guide has been helpful in teaching you how to decide whether you should tile over your existing tile and in showing you how to complete the job!
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