Hello,

i would like to redo the facade of my 80s fireplace (especially those rounded corners). the tile you see on the wall will have to come down (it was installed on top of other tile and it sticks out too much from the wall). I picked the tile for it (thin marble tiles/baguettes).

The problem i have is related to the tile i have on the bottom (hearth?).

As you can see in the photo it is set quite lower than the carpet (i will be installing click flooring soon and replace the "wonderful" carpet). I would actually like to have the hearth tile be set a little higher than the current one...I am wondering if it would be a good idea to just tile over the existing tile (without breaking it out). It seems pretty sturdy, not loose at all, it would save me some work and it would make up for the height i am lacking there. the thin crack you see is really a hairline crack (the house is 30+ years old, there's nothing loose there).

What do you think? is it a bad idea to tile over those few pieces of tile? should i rip it out?

How should i prep the area to ensure better adherence of the tile adhesive? those tiles are as smooth as glass...

Any suggestions in terms of a good tile adhesive and grout for this location (working fireplace)?

many thanks!