Tiling on top of exsisting tiles???

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Aneles

Our bathroom is currently tiled with 6 inch square tiles we would like to replace these with larger tiles, would we have to remove all these tiles-they cover EVERY wall!! or is it possible to tile on top of the existing tiles sorry if this sounds stupid just want to ask before we start the mamoth task of removing the old tiles, thanks
 
As far as I can see, you can tile on top of these tiles. But you must ensure that the existing tiles are not loose, that they are level and free from grime/grease/dirt.

You must then score them to provide a 'key', PVA the wall 3:1 and use a decent wall adhesive to fix them. Or I would even go as far to say that you should use a flexible powder adhesive & grout for these little cherubs.....
 
Take the tiles off, ask yourself are the tiles fixed properly, (try and tap them with a coin to see if any sound hollow) is the background surface sound,Door thicknessess, are you exceeding the weight ratio of the plastered wall (20kg per mt2), probably. If you still want to go ahead do the same as the previous post, you can use type 2 (tub) AA adhesive
My advice take them off
 
When i did the PTS course they made a big point of never using PVA, but i read a lot of you on here suggesting to use it......

Could someone please explain what it's all about, is it just certain situations and jobs you should avoid PVA???

Thanks
 
PVA prevents the rapid suction of moisture from the adhesive, thus letting the adhesive dry slowly creating a good bond between wall and tile. 🙂
 
Most adhesives have priming agents already in them these days so you don't need to use them in all cases. I think the BS says about tiling on tiles.... ensure they are fully fixed, never tile directly over each tile copying the grout joints if the tile sizes are the same, key them with your Tile Scrive to allow the adhesive to bond to the backing of the tile and not just the surface, ensure the substrate is sound, so if it's plaster you'll probably find it can't take too much more weight, if it's plasterboard you should be ok to go over them.

I've always been lead to believe that you don't need to PVA much these days. If you use it when you don't need to, you're only creating an extra layer that you're hoping doesn't fail in the future. Providing you've double checked that the adhesive doesn't require a PVA layer to be applied firstly, don't do it.

Realisticly, if you take them off you will probably find that they are not fixed as well as they could have been, especially if they were done some time ago when adhesives lacked what they have today. The thing is, if you take them off, you'll probably find you're going to need to path up a fair bit of your wall, or dot and dab plasterboard over a couple of the walls, usually the external ones which are in most cases render and plaster, assuming it's not a modern newbuild.

You're fine using the Type 2 Class AA (oldskool term I think it's a D1 these days?) to go over tiles directly providing they are scored well enough. But really you're providing a guarantee to the customer that the existing tiles are fixed well, which you don't really know fully, even after trying the tap method on them and checking the substrate is sound etc.

Like Darren, I'd try to pull them off as best you can at least on the external walls.
 
Me too, you just dont know how well the originals are fixed. I never tile over tile, far better to remove and start again. Makes it even better on stud walls where the plasterboard and tiles can all be removed at once and renewed, gives a nice surface to work on. As for pva, i never use it as i always use bal products which specifically tell you not to except bal prime on the underside of plywood.
 
Sometimes though, the customer insists that the tiles stay.... Its one of them isn't it? 🙂
 
I always do my best to convince them the right way and 9 times out if ten it works:shades_smile:
 

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trevortine,
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Aneles,
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trevortine,
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