A lot of people will tell you tiling over existing tile is Taboo and should never be done "WRONG" You can if you qualify a few factors, and do things correctly! Check out what we tiled on this fireplace.
Verify original construction of the substrate is correct and solid
Make sure the previous tile guy did his job right and the existing tiles are well adhered preferably with Mortar
Prepare the surface of the old tile careful by removing glazing finish and cutting deep channels into tile with a grinder for mortar bond. You can also use a primer here instead of grinder, if so we recommend Mapei Eco-Grip Primer found locally at Lowes.
Choose the correct products. For tile over tile we use Laticrete Platinum 254 Mortar some of the best on the market. This mortar has a high polymer content that promotes adhesion. Found locally at Pacific Tile Supply
Verify the thickness and surroundings of total tile job. Sometimes adding tile over tile will cause problems such as extreme visual thickness, windows/doors not opening or closing etc... Make sure and play out your math and forecast if it will be an issue or not.
Preparing the Substrate
By doing tile over tile it saved us 1-2 days of labor on this job and the customer hundreds of dollars The result was a faster job and as efficiently economical as possible.
Materials :
Laticrete Platinum 254 Mortar
Ledger Stone MSI International from lowes
12x24 Porcelian Lowes
Lateicrete International Spectralock 1 Epoxy Grout
Lateicrete International Latisil Color matched caulk
Schluter Sytems white Jolly edge trim
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