Laying new tiles on top of old ones. Is it possible to put new tiles on top of old ones at all? Floor tiles on top of old

Hello! We are doing repairs in the bathroom and have encountered a problem. The old tile floor is very durable, even and smooth. But the decor and color are absolutely not like the purchased wall tiles. Before that, the walls were just painted, but we easily scraped off the paint. But in order to knock down the floor covering, you will have to work hard with a punch, then re-level the base, and so on. It is time consuming and costly. We want to put new tiles on top of the old ones.

Tried looking for answers on the forums. Some participants argue that this is perfectly acceptable. Others recommend not to save money and solve the problem with a major overhaul. What do you say?

Answer

Good day! As practice shows, most homeowners prefer not to carry out dismantling work. In the case of tiles, this can indeed be avoided and here's why.

Tile as a floor material is a thin plate made of fired clay mass of high density and strength. The coating is available in a huge variety of sizes, but with two types of surface:


Laying tiles, according to the recommendations of the manufacturers, should be carried out using contact adhesive on a cement, less often - a polymer basis. Cement-containing dry mixes are produced by absolutely all manufacturers of building mixes (from Kreps to Knauf), since the composition is quite simple, but the quality factor of the material largely depends on the quality of the raw materials. Polymer products belong to a highly specialized series and are produced only by the largest concerns of the chemical industry (Eurocol, Uzin, Kiilto, etc.)

Tiles are most often placed on dry cement mixes. With their help, you can not only partially level the rough base, but also fix the floor covering well on almost any base of sufficient strength (at least 150 MPa) and rigidity.

The old ceramic floor can be safely attributed to just such floors. With one essential condition - a smooth glazed or varnished (enamel) surface has practically zero adhesion coefficient. But first you need to create a so-called adhesive bridge. Or, more simply, to roughen the top of the tile. This is achieved in several ways:

Any other non-absorbent primer may be used. They even allow for outdoor tiling and are suitable for a variety of challenging substrates including ceramics, stone, bitumen, asphalt, old adhesives and more.

  • Removing the surface enamel or glazed layer with a grinder with a special attachment for granite and stone. This method is used infrequently due to the formation of a huge amount of dust during operation. However, it allows you to put new tiles on the old ones with the guarantee that not a single element will "fly off" in the future.
  • Carving notches on the surface of the coating with any tool - an ax, a grinder with a diamond cup, etc. This method, in combination with priming, is considered quite reliable, moreover, it is time-tested.

Thus, it is allowed to glue new floor tiles onto old ones, provided the surface is rough. If the finish is not smooth, you can simply use reinforced tile adhesive.

Before starting work, be sure to check the floor for:


Next, you need to clean the surface, degrease, treat with a primer Betonkontakt or make incisions, followed by removing debris and dust from the floor. After that, tile adhesive is applied in accordance with the instructions and ceramics are laid.

If you want to remove the glazed or enamel surface completely, do not forget to thoroughly dust and clean the base, degrease and prime after removing the smooth coating. Only then can the tiles be laid with glue.

Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for their selection. Just send in the form below a detailed description of the work that needs to be performed and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and firms by mail. You can see reviews of each of them and photos with examples of work. It is FREE and non-binding.

Or do you just do not want to spend time and energy on it? The way out is simple. Provided that the old ceramic is held firmly, the new one can be placed directly on top of it. Read the basics of how to lay tiles on tiles carefully and you can get your finishing work done as quickly as possible.

In what cases is this styling possible?

This ceramic is not always possible. Let's figure out when it is permissible and when it is strictly prohibited.



Materials (edit)

Experts who have considerable experience and know everything about how to put tiles on tiles recommend the use of the following consumable mixtures:

  1. Primer Ceresit ST-19 betokontakt or a similar mixture of another company.
  2. Adhesive composition for Ceresit tiles CM-17 or CM-117. You can also purchase CM-16 or CM-115.

Why betokontakt? Because this acrylic primer contains particles of sand, cement and other additives that can roughen the glossy surface of the ceramic. Only when using it can a good result be guaranteed.


Buy a little more new tiles than you need according to your calculations. Ten percent in excess is quite enough to eliminate the lack of a whole tile that occurs when cutting or splitting, as well as in case of errors in calculations.

Work progress

Before gluing tiles to tiles, be sure to prepare the base. This stage is the main one in determining the quality of the final result.

Preparation of the base

Make sure the old finish is strong. If any tile is chipped or cracked, remove it. Where sounds of emptiness are heard, you should also clean the floor of old tiles. Seal the resulting gaps and cavities with cement mortar under the floor level.

Then remove all dirt and dust. If cracked in old seams, it should also be removed. Opening the base with the above primer will create graininess on the surface, which will give additional adhesion to the new grout. The soil is quite expensive, but it allows you to do everything quickly.


There is another way out in the question of how to lay tiles on old tiles in poor adhesion conditions. To improve it, you need to remove the glazed layer from the old tile. This can be done using an ordinary grinder and an emery wheel. It is enough to scratch thoroughly and the adhesion of the glue will increase significantly.

Another option is to manually create scratches. You can also use coarse sandpaper or a sanding trowel with the appropriate attachment for this.

For better adhesion, you can make notches on the tile by removing not the entire glossy layer with a grinder, but only 60%. Notches can be made with any suitable tool. The distance between them should not exceed 20 mm. This is the slowest and most time-consuming method, which is why specialists rarely resort to it.

We put ceramics


  1. Only the base (wall or floor) should be lubricated with an adhesive solution.
  2. Please note that a more thorough preparation of the substrate is required for a conventional ceramic adhesive.
  3. When treating the base with soil, you can protect the surrounding objects with oilcloth. Please note that pipes and taps must also be covered.

These are all the basic rules for laying new ceramics on top of old ones. If the decision is made, then, following the above instructions, you will be able to do it very efficiently.

How to lay the tiles: 3 ways to replace the material

You can lay the tiles in the house yourself, without the help of specialists. In order to improve the walls in a bathroom, toilet or kitchen, you need to take the work carefully and read some advice from experienced professionals. An occupation of this kind can be useful, especially for those who live in a private house that needs constant improvement. The tile is able to solve not only the practical issue of hygiene, ease of use, but also create an original home decoration. Any room can take on a beautiful look if you approach the choice of tiles correctly.

Laying options or is it possible to lay tiles on old tiles

Sometimes during repairs, the question arises whether it is possible to put new tiles on the old tile. Removing old tiles is difficult and time-consuming, since the work consists not only in dismantling, but also in removing a large amount of heavy construction waste. That is why the question "is it possible to lay tiles on the old coating" very often arises. Experts say that this is possible, but subject to certain rules.

In order to understand whether the old coating will withstand the new tile, you need to check its strength. To do this, the tiles are inspected for damage or missing parts. If the tile visually holds firmly, you need to take a wooden mallet and tap on each individual tile. If you hear bounce, then this unit should be removed.

If you notice that most of the tiles need to be dismantled, then the entire surface will need to be cleaned, and the wall will need to be leveled.

If the condition of the old tiles is satisfactory, then you can lay the tiles on the tiles. Before work, the old material must be roughened, this will help to create good adhesion.


The tiles can be put on old tiles, but subject to certain rules

You can achieve roughness in several ways:

  • Wipe off the glossy finish of the tiles;
  • Create notches on the surface;
  • Primer the wall.

The first two methods are laborious and involve a lot of construction dust. In order to implement them, you will need a grinder. The third includes additional financial costs for the purchase of a primer.

We figure out how to put the tiles

In order for the tile to hold firmly, you need to carefully prepare the surface. To do this, you must first remove the plumbing so that it is not damaged during operation. Only then is the old tile removed. Experienced craftsmen recommend using protective gloves and goggles during the process to protect yourself from construction dust.

After the old coating has been removed and the debris removed, you can start leveling the horizontal plane. This type of work belongs to separate construction work, so we will assume that our surface is already perfectly flat and we can only degrease and prime it.


In order for the tile to hold for a long time and firmly, it is necessary to carefully prepare the surface.

An excellent substitute for a primer can be clean cement, which was left after any construction work.

If you are using cement, then it must be brought to a consistency that looks like thick sour cream. Then the mixture is scattered with slaps over the area with slaps.

As for laying tiles on old tiles, this is not recommended. However, the work is quite feasible if the result is to be shown in a short time. In order to start this type of finish, you may need a special glue that will be able to fix the new cladding over the old tile.

Can wall tiles be laid on the floor

Very often, when purchasing flooring, buyers ask themselves whether it is possible to lay wall tiles on the floor? In order to answer this question, you need to familiarize yourself with all the characteristics of the wall plate that experts can tell you about.

The features of wall plates include:

  • Excessive fragility, which cannot be said about analogues;
  • The percentage of wear resistance is reduced;
  • Less resistant to damage of a different nature;
  • Very slippery.

Most often, when creating wall tiles, manufacturers prefer a decorative role, but not wear resistance.


Wall tiles are very slippery, so laying them on the floor is not recommended

Answering the question whether it is possible to glue such wall tiles for the floor, of course, it is possible. But another arises, is it necessary?

You will spend effort and money on laying this tile, but at one point all efforts will be in vain. The biggest disadvantage is not damage to the tiles, but what kind of injuries your household can get. Such a tile is absolutely not intended for movement on it, and if water gets on it, it will become a direct source of injury.

Based on these indicators, experts categorically say "no" to laying wall tiles on the floor. However, the choice is still yours.

Laying tiles on old tiles on the floor

If you have decided to lay decorative floor tiles on the old coating, then the most important thing in this matter is to properly prepare the base.

To begin with, you need to literally on your knees explore the entire old floor and carefully examine each tile. If there are slabs that are unstable, chipped or cracked, or squeak when pressed, they must be dismantled.


If you decide to lay tiles on old tiles, then initially you need to check the base for cracks and chips

It will not be enough to visually assess the old tiled flooring. In order to finally make sure of the strength, you need to use a wooden hammer, with which each element of the coating is tapped.

If you hear a ringing sound, this indicates that the plate has peeled off, which means that it will not be able to become a reliable base. Such fragments must be removed, and the free space must be raised with a mortar of sand and cement to the required level.

Please note that such work is carried out if only some of the tiles need to be replaced. If such a defect has affected most areas, without a doubt the entire surface should be subject to dismantling.

Based on the material presented above, we can conclude that you can put tiles not only on the prepared floor, but also on the old tile. All decisions depend solely on your wishes and capabilities. The main thing is to strictly follow all the rules for installation, since neglect can end in failure in the future work, and, accordingly, subsequent additional waste.

Sometimes old tiles are permanently glued to the floor or walls, making it very difficult to dismantle them. Should you glue tiles on tiles when you can and when you can't? The article contains all the necessary information on this issue.

Why glue tiles on tiles

This method of installing tiles is not a popular solution, and opinions differ about this method. There are several reasons why mounting a new tile over an old one is preferable:

  1. Removing old tiles is hard work. Sometimes the cover is attached to the base so firmly that it cannot be removed without special tools. Sometimes you have to call special services, which comes at a pretty penny. In addition, a large amount of construction waste and dust is generated, which means a waste of energy on cleaning the premises. We will have to free all nearby rooms from furniture, since dust will be significant, and polyethylene coverings will not save you.
  2. Going from the opposite, the installation of tiles on tiles will be much easier, and a lot of time will be saved.
  3. When the old pavement is demolished, fragments of the cement-sand screed may chip off. You will have to re-fill it and wait for the solution to harden.
  4. With this method, the consumption of materials is noticeably reduced: there is no need to level the surface. The preparation time is also reduced.

Is it worth installing tiles based on these reasons? Do not hurry. There are other factors to consider.


Cons of the method

With some convenience of such installation, negative consequences are inevitable. What to expect from tile-to-tile fastening:

  1. Stealing away precious centimeters, which will be especially noticeable in small rooms such as a bathroom. Old tiles and an extra layer of glue reduce the area of ​​the room if wall-mounted. If the tiles are laid on the floor, then its level will rise noticeably - it is likely that the height of the threshold will have to be increased, accordingly, the door leaf will have to be redrawn.
  2. Too thick coating looks unaesthetic.
  3. If there were defects on the old masonry, then there is a risk of damage to the new coating in the same places. The cladding will collapse due to the increased load if there were cracks and voids on the old tile.
  4. In order for the surface to adhere to the glue, porous and rough materials are selected. Ceramic tiles do not meet these requirements; therefore, the new coating is not attached very reliably.
  5. Additional processing of the old tile will be required. It differs from standard jobs. Sometimes this preparation takes no less time and effort than dismantling old tiles.

When such montage is categorically inappropriate

There are also unambiguous contraindications for attaching a new tile to an old one. These include the following cases:

  1. Old tiles do not hold well and have defects.
  2. The new layer of tiles on the floor will be higher than the threshold. In the bathroom, it is recommended to make the floor 2-3 cm lower than in the rest of the house, or install a high sill. This reduces the risk of water entering the room in the event of a leak.
  3. The base is composed of individual and insufficiently large elements, and the entire load will fall on the bonding coating between the old tile and the base. This is fraught with quick damage to new tiles. The load-bearing function can only be performed by a monolithic tile covering.
  4. The surface is steep and needs to be leveled.


Advice! If you are worried about at least one point warning against installing an old tile on a new one, then it is better to abandon this undertaking. Indeed, in case of failure, you will have to remove already two layers of tiles and spend money on the third option.

How to glue

Preparation of the base in the form of an old tile is carried out in a special way. The quality of the cladding directly depends on the choice of adhesive. Ordinary cement mixes are also suitable for the floor. Dense and elastic compounds are selected for the walls.

Quick dry mixes are a good choice as they will prevent the coating from slipping. The adhesive must have good adhesion and provide a solid base. There are special adhesives on the market for installing tiles on difficult surfaces, for example, Ceresit, Ivsil Profit.

Important! If you put the tiles on a too thick layer of glue, the polymerization will take noticeably longer, respectively, the risk of masonry delamination and the top coating slipping will increase.


Installation of tiles: instruction

How to glue ceramic tiles so that the cladding will last for many years? First you need to complete the preparatory steps:

  1. Examine the old flooring to see how firmly it is connected to the wall or floor.
  2. Examine the tile carefully for chips, cracks, and other defects. Even 10-15% of the damaged coating is already a reason for dismantling. If the main part of the tile is strong, and there are damage in 2-3 places, then you can take a chance and install a new tile on top of the old one.
  3. If the looking old coating holds well, you need to conduct a test: tap it with a wooden mallet. If cracks and bouncing appear, the old cladding must be removed.
  4. The seams between the tiles should also not wobble and fall out.

The glue adheres well to the porous surface, penetrating into its structure. Tiles, especially glossy ones, have a minimal ability to absorb moisture, that is, they have few pores. To facilitate adhesion, you need to clean the surface: use a grinder to make notches on the tiles or remove the glossy layer completely. The lower part of the tile is water-absorbing. It needs to be at least 60% open. But this method is time consuming and messy.


There is another way to roughen the surface: concrete-contact primer. It adheres well to the top layer of the tile and serves as a reliable base for tile adhesive.

  1. The surface must be cleaned of dirt and grease and wiped dry, otherwise the glue simply will not work.
  2. Cover the fallen or unstable tiles with cement mortar so that the surface is on the same level. Wait until dry.
  3. Apply the primer with a roller or brush. The setting time is 2-4 hours.
  4. If the method with the removal of the upper part of the tile is chosen, then when working with the grinder, you must wear protective goggles.
  5. Apply tile adhesive to the dried primer using a notched trowel.
  6. Lay the tiles in the usual way.
  7. Due to its low absorbency, the drying speed of the glue will be longer.
  8. Grout with special compounds with a rubber trowel.
  9. Allow the glue to harden completely. Final polymerization time - 3-4 days after installation.

Can tiles be glued to tiles? In conclusion, it is worth noting that this installation method is sometimes preferable. But you should carefully inspect the old tile for defects, and also carry out all the preparatory and basic work strictly according to the instructions.

The complex microclimate of the bathroom, characterized by high humidity, sharp temperature changes and difficult circulation of air masses, makes it possible to use only moisture-resistant materials for the repair of this room. Tiles are usually placed on the walls and floors.

It is long and difficult to glue the tiles correctly, since this work requires careful preparation of the surface and dismantling the old decorative coating from the wall. Therefore, many homeowners are wondering if it is possible to put tiles on tiles that have already fallen into disrepair. In this article, we'll cover the pros and cons of this controversial technology.

Possibility to use

A lot of homeowners have anxiety about bathroom renovations. This position can be understood, because finishing work in this room is associated with high financial costs and a huge amount of construction waste. To properly glue the tiles to the walls or bathroom floor, you must first dismantle the old tiles, which takes a lot of time and effort.

Experienced finishers believe that it is possible to glue a new coating in a bathroom onto an old tile in the following cases:

  • The wall or floor covering is in perfect condition, the tiles are firmly layered, the tiles do not stagger, and the grout does not fall out of the joints.
  • Dismantling the old bathroom cover can cause complete destruction of the wall due to the fragility of the base.
  • Plumbing equipment was installed in such a way that it cannot be dismantled without causing harm.
  • When the decorative coating is completely removed, the floor level will be significantly reduced together with the screed.

If you remove the old tiles in the bathroom before gluing the new tiles, you will have to fill the floor with a screed, and re-cover the walls with liquid waterproofing. These factors lead to an increase in the duration of the repair and an increase in the cost of work. Old tiles, if in good condition, can be considered an excellent waterproofing layer and new tiles can be laid directly on top of them.

Note! If you glue the new ceramic tiles onto the old flooring, the floor level will rise by a few centimeters. In the bathroom, it must necessarily be 2-3 centimeters below the level of the rest of the premises. A small sill can be installed at the entrance, which will prevent overflow of water when leaking into the corridor.

Foundation revision

Putting tiles on tiles, if not staggering, crumbling or falling out, is in no case possible. If you stick a new coating on an unstable surface, it will be uneven, sloppy and will not last long.

To understand whether it is possible to use an old tile to lay a new one, you need to correctly revise its state:

  1. If you are going to glue tiles on an old ceramic coating, first carefully examine the surface of the walls or floor. Pay attention to any cracks, dropped tiles and other visible defects.
  2. Feel the walls and floors with your hands to find and mark loose trims.
  3. Pay attention to the condition of the joints between the tiles, they should not fall out or crumble.
  4. Use a hammer to tap the old bathroom trim. If, when tapping, a ringing sound is heard, most likely, the tile has peeled off from the warp, which means that you cannot glue a new decorative tile on it.
  5. Using the building level, you need to check the location in the space of the floor or walls. If there are strong irregularities or a slope to one side, it will be problematic to level the surface with tile glue alone.

Important! Experienced finishers believe: if, during the audit, the condition of the coating revealed that more than 10-15% of the area has defects or needs to be removed, it will be correct to dismantle the old finish and glue the tiles on a surface cleaned to the base.

You can glue the tile to the old flooring, if the elimination of defects is required in several places. Otherwise, strengthening the base will take more time and money than dismantling the old tiles and creating a waterproofing layer from scratch.

Preparation of the base

Laying tiles on tiles without careful preparation of the substrate would be a big mistake. Although this technology shortens the repair time, it does not completely exclude the preparatory stage. The main snags that can prevent the tile adhesive from "grabbing" are the glazed surface of the tile, as well as ordinary dirt.

To ensure that there is sufficient adhesion and adhesion between the new ceramic tile and the old tile to be installed, the following operations must be performed correctly:


Important! After applying the primer, the surface will become rough and grainy, like sandpaper. It is necessary to glue the tiles using high-quality glue designed for particularly difficult or durable substrates, for example, for porcelain stoneware.

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