I’ve got an elderly couple that want a quick, inexpensive spiff-up of their kitchen. He’s 94 yo and she is 87yo. They just want to look at a spiffed up kitchen space for their remaining few years and not want to spend alot of cash. One of the issues is, at a previous time in years past, another tradesman instaled a new P-Lam countertop in the kitchen. On the wall above the countertop was existing ceramic tile. He apparently did a not so swell job of scribing the new countertop to the tiled wall and to make up for the deficiencies he caulked the sometimes large gaps and it looks like crap frankly and I’m surprised they let him get away with it and paid him. So in an effort to keep their costs down I’m proposing to just add another layer of ceramic tile over the existing tile to serve as a backsplash to cover up the odious gaps in the caulk that was left by the other guy. Wadda ya think?
My question is will new tile adhere to old tile successfully? What should I do to make sure they stick to each other besides the obvious tile mastic and grout?
Thanks
BjR
Replies
Clean the old tile up well, and maybe scuff it up a bit with a sander/grinder.
I think you can use RedGard, but I use a similar product called Tec Hydraflex.
I use them for shower membranes, but the "uses and Instructions" on the container recommend their use for tile over tile as you describe.
These materials (water cleanup) set up pretty fast. Once they're set, you can thinsit your tile down right away. (The RedGard or Hydraflex provide a bonding surface for the thinset).
The Tec stuff costs about $75 per gallon and will cover about 50 sq. ft. in a shower (2 coats) but for your needs, one coat might be enough in which case you'd get a bit more coverage.
You'll probably have to order the stuff from a good tile store.
Just use your orbital on it. 120 grit or lower. The wall tile should stick just fine. Watch for inconsistancies in surface, though - bumps... On a floor I've used floor leveler - could be used thick on the wall as a skim coat, maybe.