When making a new repair, you don't always want to clean the surfaces of old decorative materials. This also applies to tiles. Knocking down all the tiles, cleaning the surface, then re-leveling and preparing for laying is a rather long process. It would be much faster to simply lay a new ceramic tile on the old one. And of course you can do this, but there are some nuances and requirements, which we will tell you about in this article.
What are the requirements for a surface with a new tile for laying on top of a new one?
- First of all, the surface must be solid and reliable. The old tile layer should hold firmly on the wall without any dangling.
- The second important requirement is the absence of differences in the old masonry tiles. Unacceptable differences are differences with a height of 5 mm or more.
Neglecting the first rule can lead to peeling off a new tile layer or to covering it with cracks.
Neglecting the second rule can lead to a very sloppy facing coating. The reason for this is the different thickness of the tile adhesive application and, as a result, the different degree of shrinkage.
If you have at least the slightest doubt about the strength of the old tile layer, it is better not to risk and remove it. If you are confident in the reliability of the old facing coating, then choose a high-quality adhesive material, for example, Teknofay 200 D2TE and feel free to get to work.
How to prepare the surface for laying new tiles on the old layer?
Since the tile is used as a decorative cladding material in rooms such as bathrooms, kitchens, balconies, terraces and other rooms with high humidity, much attention should be paid to cleaning the tiles and even more attention to cleaning the seams.
Before laying a new tile, it is necessary:
- Remove all dirt and grease from tile joints, as well as, if present, fungus or mold;
- Roughen the old tile to ensure better adhesion with the new layer. A grinding machine is used for this;
- Degrease the surface in any convenient way, for example, with ordinary soap and water.
With proper surface preparation and the use of high-quality materials, a tile layer laid on an old tile will last at least as long as laying tiles on bare concrete.
