In the process of repairing their own hands, you have to face many difficult questions, the correct answers to which will determine the quality and durability of a new finish. One of these questions – is it possible to lay tiles on tiles? Let us consider whether it is possible to use the old tile as the basis for a new covering or it is still better to dismantle it in order to avoid possible problems.
What may require the preservation of the old tile
There are several good reasons that create a reason to think about how to abandon the dismantling of the old coating before laying a new one. Mostly these are economic factors, including:
- significant savings in time and effort spent on repairs;
- most likely, in the process of dismantling, it will be necessary to face the breaking off of individual pieces of cement-sand screed. This will entail additional work on its replacement or partial restoration. Also, in the event that a plasterboard and plywood leveling system was used, it will need to be replaced;
- in the process of work, dusting will be minimal, which cannot be said about cases when the old tile has to be removed. In this case, it will be necessary to completely free up not only the room itself, but also adjacent to it, since often the covering of furniture and equipment by polyethylene is not enough;
- retaining the old coating can avoid the need to engage in the removal of debris;
- It happens that it is impossible to wait for the time required for the complete curing of the new screed. In this case, it is also better to use the old tile as the base.
Thus, the reasons to keep the old coating can be found a lot. The main thing is to correctly assess whether it is possible to lay the tile on the tile in this case so that in the end the resulting coating is sufficiently durable and reliable.
In order to determine whether it is possible to lay a new tile on a layer of a similar coating, it is necessary to carry out a preliminary inspection of the ground. First of all, you need to make sure that all elements are fixed. It is necessary to pay attention to the presence of any, even the smallest chips, cracks and loosely fixed elements. To do this, each tile must be tapped with a rubber hammer. Badly fixed elements will rattle.
All elements that are not well fixed or have cracks are bound to break. To decide on laying a new tile on top of an old one is necessary on the basis of how large a percentage of the old tile is in good condition and is held securely.
Helpful advice! Pay attention to the existing floor level. As a result of mounting an additional layer, its height should not exceed the height of the threshold. If the thickness of the flooring is too high, then before laying it will be better to dismantle the old coating and put a new tile directly on the base.
The main difficulty faced in the process of installing a new coating over the old is the effect of gravity, because over time the tile will shrink, and the old foundation must withstand it. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the highest quality coupling between the layers. You must first take care of cleaning the seams, at least partially removing the glazed layer of the tile and purchase concrete contact.
Helpful advice! Concrete contact is usually applied with a spatula or trowel, carefully leveling it so that the applied layer is as even as possible. Consumption should be approximately 300 grams per 1 m ?.
If the laying of a new flooring is not planned, in the process of laying tile on the wall, the floor necessarily requires protection. Plinth and floor covering should be covered with plastic wrap to avoid the appearance of specific, and practically nothing to remove stains.
In case of working with the surface of the wall, the period of drying of the concrete contact must be at least 5-7 hours. It is better to give preference to a more dense synthetic modification.
The rest of the laying tile is carried out in a standard way gradually in small areas of the wall. This is due to the high rate of drying of the adhesive composition. Elements are laid out on the area of 1-1.5 m? and nestle with some effort. Until the glue hardens completely, some irregularities and imperfections can be corrected using a rubber mallet.
Thus, answering a question or you can lay tiles on a tile on a wall, the main attention is paid to technology and subtleties of this process. If you follow the recommendations of experts, the result of the work done will be more than satisfactory.
Making sure that the old coating will withstand the expected load and is in good condition, you can proceed directly to the preparation of the surface for laying the new tile. The first thing to do is to ensure that the surface can provide the necessary level of adhesion, giving the old tile roughness. To achieve the desired effect in several ways:
- removing the top glossy layer from the tile;
- using a special primer for surface treatment;
- making on the tile notches.
Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages. So, the easiest is to use a primer, but it requires financial investments. The other two do not require costs, but are associated with considerable physical effort and a large amount of dusty work.
Remove the top layer of tile, as well as make the necessary notches, it is possible only with the help of the grinder. These procedures allow you to create the necessary contact between the bottom layer of the new tile and the old coating. It is not necessary to remove absolutely the entire top layer. 60% of the tile surface will be quite enough. As for the notches, they are placed at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other.
A simpler and cleaner way is to use a tile primer. The composition, which is also called concrete-contact, is able to impart the necessary properties of any smooth and waterproof surface. This composition perfectly adheres to the glazed surface of the tile, creating a rough layer on top, which serves as the basis for tile glue.
The technology of laying tiles on an old tile implies the following sequence of actions:
- Using a cement-sand mortar, cover up all places of chips, cracks and irregularities in such a way as to maximize the surface. After that, it is necessary to wait for the complete drying of the solution and to clean the old coating, giving it all the dirt, lime and moisture.
- Using one of the possible ways to ensure adhesion, process the old coating. As already mentioned, it is easiest to use a special primer for this purpose.
- With a smooth trowel, tiled glue is applied on the back side of the tile, after which the composition is spread over the entire surface and special grooves are created on it using a notched trowel. Simply put, at this stage tile laying is performed according to standard technology.
Helpful advice! If we are talking about the partial removal of the glaze or notches, then in the process of work must be used personal protective equipment against small spalling particles and dust.
It is important to know that the full drying of the adhesive in this case will take more time. This is due to the low absorption capacity of the base. That is why all work related to grouting is best carried out no earlier than 3-4 days after installation. At the same time, the standard technology is completely retained, which involves the use of a special compound and a rubber spatula.
Before you glue the tiles, each owner wants to be sure that his work will not be in vain, and the new coating will continue to serve for many years. That is why you should first get acquainted with the recommendations that give experts. They point to those aspects that can interfere with reliable fixation of elements and serves as a warning signal, which is worth paying attention to:
- in the process of tapping tile preserves the integrity, but at the same time the sound, which is heard, is heterogeneous. This may indicate the presence of air voids under the tile, which may further lead to its destruction. The fact is that the old solution can not withstand the load and in the end both coating layers will disappear;
- most often the question arises whether it is possible to lay tiles on tiles in the bathroom or in the toilet. In this case, you need to pay attention to the size of the room, because these rooms are quite rarely spacious, which means that an additional layer of mortar and facing material will reduce the already small area of the room. So if you see in advance that this method will affect the size of the room, it is better to remove the old tile and put a new one in accordance with all the rules;
- A bad foundation is an old, cracked tile, the top layer of which has natural damage and is prone to chipping. If you lay another layer of tile on such a foundation, then it is likely that it will not last long, and in the near future all work will have to be redone. And this will entail not only a significant investment of time and effort, but also financial expenses;
- Before you lay tiles on top of a layer of old cladding material, you need to make sure that this does not interfere with free access to all communications and inspection hatches. Otherwise, the slightest breakdown will lead to the fact that for repair work it will be necessary to dismantle both layers of the tile at once. In this case, it is wiser to think everything in advance, so that later you do not have to face such serious problems;
- Do not lay tiles on uneven floors. No matter how hard you try, the situation with a slope will only be aggravated by an additional layer, so it is better to pre-dismantle not only the tile, but also the old screed. After carrying out repairs properly, you will be able to eliminate the existing bias as much as possible. You should also pay attention to this before laying tiles on an uneven wall.
Having considered all these recommendations, we can conclude that before you begin laying tiles on top of the old tile, you need to carefully weigh all the arguments. The risk that the old coating will not withstand the load and just fall off, destroying the new layer at the same time, there is always and it is better to think over all possible options in advance so that, if necessary, abandon this idea.
Thus, the answer to the question whether it is possible to lay tiles on a tile on a bathroom floor or even on walls is more likely affirmative. Of course, in the process of work you will have to follow many rules and recommendations, and the end result can almost always be unpredictable, but in principle, it is quite possible to do this.
