I am considering a quarry tile installation in a basement (concrete floor) bathroom and bar area. The current floor has high quality (sic) linoleum installed. Is it necessary to remove the linoleum before proceeding with the tile installation?
Thanks,
Peter
Replies
Thinset ain't gunna stick to linoleum, Pete. Either remove it and scrape the slab down removing all the residue of mastic (cutback) or pour some SLC over it. I would recommend a membrane, the membrane won't stick to the linoleum either.
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
If you pour SLC over cutback adhesive, I recommend flat troweling some modified thinset over the cutback adhesive first. SLC doesn't stick very well to cutback. It may stick for a year or two, or maybe more, but it's not worth the risk of separation.
Billy
Not a bad idea, Billy.Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
I'm doing it myself tonight, before a SLC pour this weekend.
I jackhammered off most of the cutback so I'll use the thinset on the spots that I missed. Many people don't realize that the oil-based cutback cutback actually soaks into the slab like a sealer. When I look at pieces of the slab that I chipped out, I can see the cutback penetrating into the concrete about 1/8 inch. Because I'm putting in heat under the tiles, I don't want the SLC popping off the slab during the heat/cool cycles.
Billy
Thinset will stick.
Tile we laid in my Dad's entry about 17 yrs ago is still looking fine .. he went right over the existing "real" linoleum ... probably 80 yrs old at the time.
Not that I'd recommend this on a customers job ... but I'd try it again in my own home in a heartbeat.
This was before we learned the beauty of modified thinset too ... can't remember if he mixed in any liquid latex.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry