Tiles on tiles - advice wanted.

[mr]

As step one in the Great Bathroom Refit we have started removing tiles from the bathroom walls prior to installing a new basin and a new shower unit. The existing tiles are on a lathe and plaster wall. As the tiles come off the wall large lumps of plaster are coming away as well, in a couple of places exposing the lathes. The good lady wife has now decided that we shall stop removing tiles and instead make good those holes that have appeared and then tile on top of the existing tiles. Is this a practical thing to do? It leaves me feeling rather uneasy, I'm thinking the tiles should come off and then the walls be repaired and new tiles put up. The guiding factor I think in her thinking is that a plumber is due Monday to install a new basin and shower unit on to the walls where I was planning to remove the tiles and she doesn't want to cancel him.

Any thoughts anyone ?

Cheers Mike

 

[Mike.C]

Mike it is ok to put new tiles on top of old, just as long as you check that the old tiles are secure. Before you put the new tiles on clean any grease etc off the old ones using sugr soap. Also make sure the old tiles have been put on even.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Philly]

Yeah, I'd second that. As long as the original tiles are sound you can tiles over them o.k.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[mr]

Thanks both
Theres about a square meter patch where I've removed tiles thinking that it was going to be a case of re plastering before re tiling which I guess I'm going to have to re plaster that area and then put twp layers of tiles on. :roll:

Still if it saves agro... name's already mud around this house.

Cheers Mike

 

[Mike.C]

Mike one thing I forgot to mention is, make sure you do not put the joints of the new tiles over the old ones. Also not all adhesives are suitable so check the packet first.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Travis Byrne]

MR

If it was mine----I would take a belt sander and try to scatch the surface of the old tile to get a better bond.
Good luck with the job.
Travis

 

[jasonB]

How thick are your new tiles, a skimmed wall should only be expected to hold 20kg/m2, thats weight of tiles & adhesive. With the old thin crystal tiles that were only about 4mm thick you may have got away with it but with the current fasion for large format tiles that can be upto 10mm thick you will be pushing the limits for a skimmed wall let alone am old lathe & plaster one that has been bashed about trying to remove old tiles.

I would knock the lot off including the plaster, strip the lathes and replace with plasterboard, you could board over the lathes if you want. If any of it is in a wet area like shower cubicle then consider tanking or using a tile backer board like wedi/Aquapanel or both.

I do about a 10-12 bathrooms a year and would not do tile on tile.

Jason

 

[Woody Alan]

Mike

I am with Jason on this, personally putting tiles on old tiles is only ever going to be a bodge which you will always see... unless you cover the whole wall? even then? If you can live with it fine. I would say just go for it and replaster, skim put some board up or whatever but don't tile over. The issues as I see it are not really the cost of materials, do you need someone to plaster? you can use jason's board idea seems sound to me. The time you live with a solution is much longer than the grief to arrive at it. It has to be said women always go for the less mess answer, it's in their nature, you have to explain the long term benefit... and then duck

Alan

 

[Karl]

Mike

90% of my work is kitchen and bathroom fitting.

I would think carefully about laying tile on tile.

As Jason says, it may cause a loading problem for your wall(s).

The other consideration, as Woody points out, is that unless your walls are tiled floor to ceiling, what are you going to do at the point where your tiles stop - you will have an unsightly double thickness of tiles, which isn't easy to hide/disguise. Also consider door frames/architraves/skirtings.

But if the above problems can be resolved, no reason not to do it.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Mike.C]

Mike I live in a 300 year old house with the same walls as you and because the old tiles were from floor to ceiling and we did not know what the walls were like behind we tiled over them. That was 4 years ago and we have had no problems what so ever.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Mike

Have a look at this site.

HTH.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[mr]

Thanks all for your thoughts. Jason, Woody my thoughts were the same as yours. I've tried to explain my feelings about tile on tile but christmas looms, plumber's booked and the wife doesn't want to wait till Jan to get it sorted ( I have to say that we're at disaster levels in the bathroom we have one (hot) tap working in the bath out of sink bath and shower so I can see her point of view. If I take the route I imagine to be best I have till Monday morning to sort it. Not hopeful.

Cheers Mike

 

[jasonB]

If you can pick up the plasterboard today it should be doable, small sheets of 4x3 "handiboard" will do as a last resort.

There is no need to skim the board, just screw through the lathes into the studs with decent length drywall screws.

While you are at it fit any noggins to fix the basin and shower enclosure to as it will be easier than fixing to lathe/plasterboard. And check to see if the plumber needs to run pipes in the wall for the shower mixer.

Make sure the plumber spaces the basin off the wall to allow for it to be removed so you can tile behind and it then goes bavk in the same place.

Jason

 

[mr]

Thanks Jason. I am awaiting instruction from erself as to what she wants me to do. In the meantime I might go and take some pics of the disaster area for amusements sake.

cheers Mike