Nowadays, fortunately, some innovative materials can be found in the trade that allow new tiles to be applied to existing tiles. For experienced hobby craftsmen, it should not be a problem to do this work on their own.
Laying tiles on existing tiles - How does it work?
To ensure that the new tiles also find a secure hold, a particularly great importance emanates from the use of the right adhesive. In this context, it is recommended, for example, to use flex or cement-based tile adhesive, but ready-to-use dispersion adhesive is also suitable.
Cementitious flex adhesives contain plastic additives that ensure better adhesion of the new tile covering to the old tiles compared to conventional cement adhesives. The flexible adhesive can be used both on floors and walls.
Dispersion adhesives, on the other hand, are made from water-dissolved plastics. They are therefore processed without independent mixing. However, they are cured in the course of drying instead of cement bonding. They are characterized by their effective adhesive effect and are therefore ideally suited for use on smooth tiled surfaces. However, it should be noted that they usually require very long drying times and are not resistant to frost. For this reason, they can only be used indoors.
The respective primer for the grout and the primer is selected depending on the adhesive used. Ideally, both products should come from the same manufacturer. In addition, the individual package instructions must always be observed.
The step-by-step instructions: laying new tiles on an old tiling
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How to proceed in order to successfully install new tiles on an existing tile covering is explained in detail in the following step-by-step instructions.
Determining the material requirements
To determine what materials and how much will be needed for the work ahead, the first step is to define the areas that will be re-tiled. Your floor or wall surface must therefore be measured precisely.
A particularly individual design of the new tiling is possible by using special decorative tiles or borders. It is important that around ten percent offcut is always included in the material calculation. For possible future repairs, it is also useful to purchase an additional package of tiles as a reserve.
Testing and preparation of the substrate
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The substrate should be checked to ensure that it is stable, level, dry and clean, regardless of whether the tiles are to be laid on the floor or on the wall.
By carefully tapping the existing tiles with a rubber mallet, it is possible to find out whether they have sufficient load-bearing capacity. If wobbling or a hollow sound can be detected in the course of tapping, the tiles in question must be removed.
All unevenness should also be leveled by using putty. With regard to their drying time, the individual manufacturer's instructions must be observed. In addition, the entire surface must be scrupulously cleaned of dirt and grease residues. In some cases, it is also useful to use anti-mold agent to completely remove any mold residue on the old tiles before laying the new tiles.
Primer of the tile backsplash
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Before gluing the new tiles to the existing covering, it is also necessary to prepare the substrate appropriately. This preparation consists of applying quartz sand with a hardened adhesive primer as a primer. A foam roller is used for this purpose, which ensures that the primer is applied evenly. Again, the exact drying time depends on the respective manufacturer's instructions.
The primer then provides the tile adhesive with the necessary grip on the smooth tiles. The primer is only applied to the areas that are to be immediately fitted with the new tiles, as the adhesion of the primer decreases over time.
If it is still necessary to cut the new tiles to size, a special cutter with a diamond hole cutter attachment should always be used for the edge tiles. With the help of a tile breaker pliers or a drill with hole cutter attachment, round cut shapes in the tiles can also be realized.
Application of the tile adhesive
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To glue the tiles, there is generally a choice between flexible mortar and dispersion adhesive.
During the handling of the tile adhesive must not do without wearing protective goggles and gloves. The adhesive is applied directly to the substrate using a trowel or trowel. It is then smoothed with the help of a notched trowel, which should be held at a 45-degree angle.
It should also be ensured that only the amount of tile adhesive is applied that can be processed in a time of around 30 minutes. Depending on the individual working speed, this is approximately one to 1.5 square meters. After all, if the adhesive is already too dry through when the tiles are applied, they may not hold properly.
Bonding the tiles
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In the process of bonding the tiles, they are pressed into the adhesive bed with a slight twisting motion. To ensure that a regular distance between the individual tiles is maintained, tile crosses should be used.
Random checks should also be made during this step to ensure that the back of the tiles has sufficient adhesive. The back should be at least 80 percent covered. With the aid of a rubber mallet, the tiles are then lightly tapped.
To ensure that the finishing edges are neat and tidy, finishing and corner profiles or tile rails can also be used as an option for wall tiles. If floor tiles are laid, it is necessary to leave a gap of at least one joint width from the wall. In addition, when planning the tile covering, the respective expansion joint must, of course, be calculated for expansion joints in the screed. The expansion joint should also have the same width in places where the transition to other floor coverings or rooms.
Jointing the tiles
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Of course, the joints between the individual tiles also play an important role, as they serve as compensation for stresses and movements. Before the adhesive hardens - which takes about 60 minutes on average - connection, corner and tile joints must be cleaned with the help of a wooden wedge. After a period of at least 24 hours or complete curing of the grout, the flexible grout is mixed. Its consistency should be a creamy paste. With regard to the necessary maturing time, the individual manufacturer's specifications must be taken into account.
When working with the grout, rubber gloves should be worn. The mortar is then evenly distributed and pressed into the joints diagonally with the aid of a rubber rake or a jointing rubber.
If excess mortar appears in some places, it should be carefully removed. Any residues are removed after drying with a damp sponge. This should be done in snake-like motions to prevent the already cleaned tiles from being covered again by an unsightly cement haze. With the help of a dry and clean cloth, the last veils are then removed in the next step. This is followed by grouting with a permanently elastic sealant, such as silicone, in all connection, corner and expansion joints.
The correct technique and the necessary markings
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The laying of wall tiles is basically symmetrical. For this reason, both a horizontal and a vertical baseline is required, which is drawn in with the help of a spirit level.
The first row of tiles then begins on the horizontal line. If the tiling is not to be done at the full height of the room, this will be the upper limit. Tile laying is then continued at the vertical mark, forming the shape of a Ts. At the base line can be placed either the center of a tile or a joint. However, before starting work, attention should also be paid to the respective thickness of the joint: it is recommended to use a thickness of one millimeter for rectified tiles, three millimeters should be the thickness of pressed tiles. At outer corners is always started with whole tiles.
If new floor tiles are laid, it is necessary to determine the center of the front of the room. There then draw a line parallel to the side wall or lay a straightedge.
With an edge or the center of a tile, the first row is laid along the respective line. Along the front side, the laying is then continued in an inverted L-shape. The center of the room can be determined by laying out the tiles in a cross in the room as a test. There is then to stretch the straightedge, respectively, draw the line.
By the way, an expansion joint must always be planned if the floor is equipped with underfloor heating. However, this should be grouted not with a quartz sand-cement mixture but with flexible grout to prevent cracks from forming over time.
Photo: spa-ambiente.de
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Nowadays, fortunately, some innovative materials can be found in the trade that allow new tiles to be applied to existing tiles. For experienced hobby craftsmen, it should not be a problem to do this work on their own.