Tiling DIY Advice And Tips Can I Tile Over Existing Tiling When Doing Tiling Jobs

Tiling DIY Advice And Tips - Can I Tile Over Existing Tiling When Doing Tiling Jobs?

Removing existing tiles can be costly when it comes to carrying out tiling jobs.  In particular, when the existing tiles are old they might easily pull off the wall plaster or plasterboard when they are removed, resulting in a costly plastering job and the hassle of involving even more tradespeople in your tiling job.  Worse still, you might be undertaking a full bathroom refurbishment and with every additional tradesman that you bring in you add days and sometimes weeks to the completion date of your overall job as one tradesman waits for another to complete his particular sector of the job.

One option is to tile over the existing tiling and whilst this is not something that a lot of tilers like to undertake it shouldn't cause too many problems if a few simple points are taken into consideration.

Firstly, make absolutely sure that your existing tiles are firmly adhered to your wall.  Its safe to say that however well your new tiles are fitted, if they are fixed over existing tiling which is hanging onto your wall by a thread, ultimately the old tiles will come off and pull your lovely new tiling job off in the process.  To check that the existing tiles are safely secured to the wall simply tap them.  If there is a hollow sound this is a sign that they are not 100% bonded to the wall and there is a danger of them bringing off the new tiles when they eventually fall off.

Make sure that the existing tiles are completely clean and clear of any contaminates which could prevent the 'curing' of your new tiling to the existing tiles.  Use a good quality cleaning product to clean the existing tiling thoroughly before even considering fixing new tiles to the wall.

Consider the weight of the combined existing tiles and the new tiles which you are proposing to fix.  Plasterboard, for instance, will only hold weights up to a certain limit so it is important to take this into consideration.  Also,  you might run into issues if you are attempting to fix large, heavy tiles to a surface which has very small or even average sizes tiles already on the wall.

Check that your tiling adhesive is the right one for fixing tiles over existing wall or floor tiling.  Always check the manufacturers packaging when buying grout or adhesive for tiling jobs in any event as the wrong products can ruin your job completely.

Before you make the final decision about tiling over existing tiles you should seriously consider the pros and cons.  There are of course the matters mentioned earlier which can arise when you remove existing tiles but there are also the aesthetic issues to think about too.  It is more difficult to achieve a perfect finish when tiling over tiles and problems can arise when tiling into corners and to external corners.  Existing tiling needs to be completely flat, as otherwise any tiles which are laid over them will magnify the imperfection in your tiling job dramatically.  Better to remove a few tiles which are not flat and pack out the area with adhesive to achieve a more uniform look.

Tiling over tiles should save you time and money if done correctly.   If undertaken wrongly it can cost you time and money in wasted materials and that plasterer that you didn't want to bring in could be knocking on your door sooner than you thought.

If in doubt, take the advice of a recommended tiler or three.  Tiling is something that you will do rarely as it is likely to be a bathroom refurbishment.  The average homeowner only carries out these jobs every few years or so, so it is important to take your time and consider every option.  If you are using a tiler rather than undertaking this job yourself always get three quotes from tilers and check tilers reviews on past jobs.  Accepting quotes on tiling jobs from the wrong tradesmen can prove costly and it is not as easy as you would think to get your money back due to the lengthy process involved in the Small Claims System and the subjectivity of home improvement agreements.  Better to find the right tiler for your tiling jobs in the first place.