Tiling over Amtico - possible?

[Gez]

My daughter wants her kitchen, hall and WC, which is currently Amtico, to be replaced with high gloss ceramic tiles.
The Amtico is all in good condition and laid onto a concrete base so no movement.
Can I lay the tiles direct to the Amtico, maybe with scoring the surface first for extra adhesion?
If the recommendation is NO, then how easy is Amtico to remove and what condition of surface does it tend to leave behind?
Thanks for your advice.

 

[Deleted member 49260]

I pulled up Amtico when we combined two rooms and it came up easily enough once I got it started as it then peeled along the 'plank'. It didn't leave much mess and any residue came up with a scraper. I'd have left Amtico and matched it if I could have as it's much warmer underfoot. Not sure a gloss floor is too practical?

 

[Flintstone]

Deffinately not direct to the amtico. If it was a timber floor you could overboard but with it being a solid floor, your gonna have to take it up:

 

[LM]

Amtico most probably will be laid in either a Pressure sensitive or acrylic adhesive. If it’s in pressure sensitive adhesive it will pull up ok, then ‘kill the adhesive residue with the likes of Ardex NA levelling cimpound.
If it’s laid in acrylic adhesive that could be a different matter altogether and you may find getting it up a very difficult in which case I would decrease it then prime with the likes of Ardex P4 and then level over with Ardex NA as you may find the floor may be uneven as soft flooring needs the substrate to be smooth rather than flat and obviously for tiling it’s more important that the floor is flat rather than smooth.

 

[John Benton]

You could use the heat of a hairdryer to soften the adhesive underneath the Amtico to help lift and then as above

 

[MarshallTile]

If the Amtico will not come up without a fight you can use an orbital sander with coarse grit pad to remove the pur coating ,then prime with mapei grit bond. I would then use a screed such as Ardex na at a minimum of 3mm then your good to go. Have done this a few times with no problems. A word of caution though if there is under floor heating the Amtico must be removed.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I pulled up Amtico when we combined two rooms and it came up easily enough once I got it started as it then peeled along the 'plank'. It didn't leave much mess and any residue came up with a scraper. I'd have left Amtico and matched it if I could have as it's much warmer underfoot. Not sure a gloss floor is too practical?

Glad we don’t all agree with @neilrj as there wouldn’t be any need for real tilers!

 

[Glynn]

If the Amtico is firmly bonded? de-grease, gritty primer and a good quality S1 adhesive would be my recommendation. I am not allowed to say which one though. 😉

 

[Perry]

Glyn glad your still giving sound advice.
Pete James.

 

[Gez]

Thanks Glynn, shame your not close to Didcot!

 

[Perry]

Ring these they may stock it. Prime & Grip.
CPT | Oxford Showroom - http://www.cut-price-tiles.co.uk/showroom-oxford.html

 

[Gez]

It's too complex for me as a DIY'er, but if you or anyone has recommendations of a good tradesman in the Didcot area let me know.

 

[Qwerty]

It's too complex for me as a DIY'er, but if you or anyone has recommendations of a good tradesman in the Didcot area let me know.

Advertise in our 'find a tiler' section

 

[Pauline Grant]

If the Amtico will not come up without a fight you can use an orbital sander with coarse grit pad to remove the pur coating ,then prime with mapei grit bond. I would then use a screed such as Ardex na at a minimum of 3mm then your good to go. Have done this a few times with no problems. A word of caution though if there is under floor heating the Amtico must be removed.