Tiling over versus tearing down existing shower tile
Arleen Schwartz
last year
I hate the tiles in our shower and want to replace with simple light grey subway tiles. Contractor says he can tile over what’s there or tear down. Any thoughts, also don’t want to replace shower floor tiles. Also ideas to replace vanity top.
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njmomma
last yearRelated Discussions
Tile Over Existing Tile Floor?
Comments (9)Bill - I suspect you are right about the floor. My walls (apt is also in NYC) have mud bricks in them, apparently, and one contractor told me that, in those days, the mud? was poured between the floor joists(?) and could now have settled so that the top of the poured mud is below the level of the joists. Do cracks preclude laying the new floor over the existing one? Also, the floor is slanted slightly. Even in the areas of the cracks the floor is very smooth. Another important thing you mentioned was the door. I am keeping the tub as it is a large, cast-iron j-tub, but I am not sure that the door would look right if it were undercut, and I'm not sure I want to do that anyway as I also like my original doors. Thanks for providing the grout information. My tile company wants to give me TEC unsanded grout with latex added but maybe I will need a different or an additional product. (I hope nothing happens to my downstairs neighbor's apartment during demolition. Worried.)...See MoreTiling Ceiling in Shower, is it Over Kill?
Comments (9)I've tiled a few ceilings in my day. Personally I don't like the look of tiled ceilings where the ceiling simply transitions from tile to drywall. I feel they look best when the tile is captured by a transom or header over the shower entry. Tiling a ceiling isn't terribly difficult. It helps to have staging so you're not continually going up and down a ladder. Even if the staging simply a few 2-bys set across a few drywall buckets with a piece of plywood over them, it helps. If you're working off a ladder, then a helper would be...helpful. If tiling a ceiling, I'll have backer board up on the ceiling instead of drywall. I burn a veneer of thinset on to the cement board. Then burn thinset on to the back of the tile. Then comb thinset on the back of the tile. If the tile is large, I'll sometimes do a ridge of thinset around the perimeter of the tile. Then when you set the tile in place and push it up on the ceiling, the thinset compresses and some describe it as "suction" holding the tile in place. For typical tile, I've never had a need for bracing or support to hold the tile up. A quality thinset will do the trick nicely. While it depends on the size of the ceiling, I usually use whatever thinset I used on the rest of the shower. If I was hanging a 3/4" thick natural stone tile, then I'd shift gears to a non-sag or some other mortar. But for "regular tile" a modified thinset will do the job fine. You can buy highly modified in a bag, or unmodified and ad liquid admix to it for better tack. If for whatever reason I think the tile might creep, I'll use blue tape across the grout line to tape one tile to another, to bridge grout lines to prevent lateral tile creep. Just a precaution. I do know a few that advocate using a "tie-together" system like TLS. But TLS, when it registers one tile to another, can pull a tile away from the ceiling. That's what you DON'T want to do, break the suction between the tile and the ceiling. Grouting can be more difficult than tiling. It's that thing called "gravity" that tends to get in the way at times. I simply use less grout on the float at a time, so there is more repetition of motion in terms of loading the float and applying it to the grout lines. You simply do less at a time. Same with cleaning. If you use a large tile on the ceiling like the 12x24s, they can work...the issue is pressing them into place over your head to compress the thinset ring (if you did the perimeter of thinset around the tile) or the thinset ridges (if you used the notched edge of the trowel to simply comb out the thinset). The larger the tile, the more force needed per tile. 1) will it be a problem to not tile the ceiling? If you have proper ventilation, "regular" materials can work fine. Add to that today's better materials; paperless drywall, for example, and non-tiled ceilings can work well. A fan on a timer, even better. 2) If I tile the ceiling is there a recommended size? Tile size isn't an issue, but the physicality of installing larger tile can be. With more surface area per inch of perimeter, large tiles, while they my seem more difficult to install, can be easier to install and there is less grouting. So overall, larger tiles are easier. 3) If I don't tile the ceiling, what do I use for the ceiling material? I'll usually use a version of moisture or mold resistant drywall for bathroom walls and ceilings. 4) We will be using a heating lamp and fan, all in one type,exhaust fan. Should I install another fan in the shower or just install the fan/heating lamp fixture just outside the shower (which I would prefer because of the smaller size of the room)? These days it's all about moisture control, and controlling it as best as you can right at the source. For non-steam showers. I prefer a fan inside the shower. If a fan is desired outside the shower and the bathroom is small, I'll install a fan with two ventilation grills, one in the bathroom and one in the shower. If the shower does not have a transom over the door, ie, the shower is somewhat open to the bathroom, then a single fan outside the shower can work. But I prefer to design showers so they contain moisture within that space, and that's why I prefer a fan within the shower. It can also depend on the users. Long, hot showers? Might be best to have a fan in the shower. Get in, get out? A single fan outside might be okay. 5) Can you paint over Hydroban? I never have, It'd be best to call Laticrete tech support and ask them directly. Or they night mention it in the HydroBan literature....See MoreIs it a bad idea to tile on top of existing shower floor tile?
Comments (13)If I correctly recall your saga, you had a supposedly well built mud bed with supposedly well installed marble tile over it. Then you brought in a friend to seal it. After sealing is when you had the issues. If I recall, when the drain was later pulled, there was evidence that the sealer had percolated down into the mud bed. In a properly working shower, tiling over existing tile can be done. My understanding is your shower is broken. My understanding is that what forensic work has been done to your shower has not resulted in a cause of failure. It has only resulted in people pointing fingers at the other guy. The sealer guy points at the tiler. The tile guy points at the sealer guy. The GC shrugs his shoulder and points at you because you brought in the sealer guy on your own. You point at the GC and ask when will my shower be fixed? If no one can define the problem, how can they come up with a solution? They can't, so they all wink at each other and say "let's cover it up!" The only way to properly install new tile over bad tile that is on a bad mud bed is to completely isolate the new work from the old. There are three important points of contact: That means a NEW membrane has to be installed on top of your old work to prevent water from percolating down into the old work. That means that around the floor perimeter, the new membrane has to be tied into the wall's drainage plane or the wall's membrane that was installed behind the current wall tile. That means that the new drain has to be properly detailed into the old. So, what can you do? You can simply do what has been recommended. Simply cover over what you have. Bury it. Fingers crossed. Hope for the best. It's the easiest. You might have no further bad symptoms. Or the pan might start showing problems, 6, 12, or 24 months down the road. Or you can cover it up keeping the three points of contact in mind. Do understand that this route would require a conscientious and competent mechanic. Or go with the choice that over the long run will likely involve the least amount of labor, be the least expensive solution, and have the greatest chance of success: Have a competent mechanic remove the failed bed and install new. I wrote too much. (sigh) Good luck!...See MoreLaying high quality LVP over existing tile?
Comments (5)As G&S points out, the cost of leveling *might have to include grinding the tiles (lots of dust...no getting away from that) and then a quick coat of primer (even at $0.20/sf it gets expensive) and THEN you get to add self-leveler x THOUSANDS of square feet. In some areas the cost of doing the above (three step process and all the dust you were trying to avoid) can be MORE expensive than jacking out the tile. The SLC isn't cheap. And the labour to cover those thousands of square feet won't be cheap. If you have someone jack out the tiles for $2/sf you are probably $1,000 - $2,000 ahead of the game....See Morenjmomma
last yearCan you take pictures of the whole bathroom? The tiles on the shower walls are nice. Consider a teak shower mat to add to the floor. That will bring in a warm touch to the bathroom.
I can't see enough of the vanity to make a suggestion. Also what tile is on the bathroom floor?
Some inspiration:
Nordic Style Oiled Teak Shower and Bath Mat 31.4"x19.6" · More Info
Shower Bathroom and Outdoor Teak wood Mats · More Info
PROJAN MOYER
last yearlast modified: last year
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
last yearIf the shower is already waterproof there is absolutely no issue with going over the tile...........except because of the existing tile size, I would NOT go over with subway tile. I would select a larger format to span any irregularities in the surface of the existing tile.
Besides why would you want all those grout lines in a shower? Too much cleaning involved.
- PRO
JAN MOYER
last yearlast modified: last year - PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last yearlast modified: last year Arleen Schwartz
last yearnjmomma
last yearKendrah
last yearArleen Schwartz
last year
PROMint tile Minneapolis
last yearlast modified: last year
RedRyder
last year
PROCreative Tile Eastern CT
last yearlast modified: last yearAlthough Jan may dismiss me on the spot for the suggestion. There are situations. (financial /selling /rental / cost of removing a perfectly good mud installation/other.)
As Mint pointed out above. Technically it can be done. Photo #2 will show the product he has suggested.
Concerns - 1) Will the shower mixing valve have enough adjustment to reach the new tile surface? 2) How will the edge transitions be addressed? 3) Will the additional weight be of concern?
A custom wood profile will be used to cap the wainscot in the following photos.
Shawna
last year- PRO
JAN MOYER
last yearlast modified: last year 
Nancy in Mich
last yearlast modified: last year
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