Is it possible to lay tiles on tiles: we understand a delicate issue. Can new tiles be laid on top of old tiles on the floor Can tiles be laid on top of old tiles

  • 27.06.2020

It would seem, why put new tile to the old one. However, there are times when this is simply indispensable: sometimes it is required by the conditions of the construction site. It also happens that this approach turns out to be more budgetary.

Old tiles can still serve

Before deciding whether to dismantle the old one, consider how expedient it is to remove the previous layer. Maybe the old cladding will save on preparatory work.

Justification of economic feasibility

If you yourself cannot answer this question, we offer you some weighty “pros” for using old tiles:

  • reduction of terms;
  • saving on materials;
  • labor costs are reduced;
  • the amount of waste is reduced.

Contraindications for work

On the other hand, there are situations when it is impossible to do without dismantling the old coating. Let's name the main cases:

  • the surface on which the work is to be done has a slope;
  • it is necessary to dismantle communications;
  • voids under the old layer;
  • the tile is too thin, contains multiple cracks and chips;

Important! If the percentage of damaged coating is more than 10 - 15%, dismantling should be carried out without fail.

Is it possible to put tiles on tiles on the wall: technological nuances

Before starting any preparatory work study the condition of the tile on which you plan to lay a new layer of tile.

The procedure for assessing the condition of the old coating

Make sure there are no visible defects or chips. Examine the coating for voids and dips. Indeed, in the absence of strong adhesion to the base, the lower layer can simply crumble.

Advice! The presence of voids can be checked by simply tapping with a fist or a rubber mallet.

Pay attention to the quality, cracks may indicate a poor-quality building mixture, in addition, it is important to check for a slope, in which case it will not be possible to lay evenly.

How to put a new tile on an old wall tile if the surface condition is found to be satisfactory

And now from theory to practice. Let's consider the process in stages.

Roughening the old coating to ensure the desired level of adhesion

Before proceeding to the tile, you should properly prepare the base:

Illustration Action Description
The first stage is degreasing the surface. You can just take soap and water and thoroughly wash the floor with tiles. If you accidentally stain the surface with glue or mortar you can clean the surface with a brush. In our case, we use a nozzle on a drill in the form of a brush. We pay special attention to the seams.

Important! During work, do not forget to wear a mask and a respirator!


With the help we align those surface elements that had to be removed. Let's use the rule. On the washed and pre-dried surface with the old tiles, we apply concrete contact to improve adhesion.

Installation according to standard technology

Installation work should be performed in the following sequence:

Illustration Action Descriptions

After our concrete contact has dried up, you can start laying a new one. Check in advance by level if there are slopes. The floor must be perfectly level. Glue of medium density is applied with a comb, trying to avoid gaps.

We apply the tile and gently press it. Correct the position if necessary. We remove the excess glue and shift it to the place where the next tile will be laid. The arrow indicates the angle along which we remove excess glue.

We continue to work, checking ourselves by level. The joints of the plates are controlled by limiters - crosses.

Is it possible to lay floor tiles on tiles: a professional answer to a burning question

Professionals do not exclude the need for such finishing work. As we noted above, this is essential, making it less costly and dusty.

Assessment of the condition of the old coating

In addition to the above points, which we talked about earlier, it is undesirable to put on the old tile, in the following cases:

  • if your home does not have high ceilings, in this case an extra layer can visually reduce the space;
  • sometimes there is a need to replace the old one.

Important! If the surface of the tile is smooth, its adhesion characteristics should be increased. You can clean the surface of the gloss with a special brush.


We suggest watching a video to understand in detail how to lay tiles on tiles:

Is it possible to lay tiles on old tiles on the street: let's figure it out together

Higher requirements are imposed on the performance that is laid on the street. Only in the case when the old foundation is strong enough can such work be carried out.

Checking the strength of the laying of the old coating

The first stage is to check the strong adhesion of the street tile to the base, if it was not possible to move the tile with a stick or mount, then it can serve as the basis for a new coating.

How to lay paving slabs on the street, if the strength of the old coating is satisfactory

How to properly lay tiles on tiles outdoors? This process has its own characteristics.


The device of a new pillow of soil, gravel and sand

It is important to ensure a tight compaction of the layer. The thickness of the "cushion" should not exceed that which was laid in the old layer. The composition of the mixture in the base may vary depending on the thickness of the tile and the load that will affect the surface.

Sometimes old tiles are firmly glued to the floor or walls, so that their dismantling is very difficult. Is it worth gluing tiles on tiles, when is it possible to do so, and when not? The article contains all the necessary information on this issue.

Why tile on tile

This method of installing tiles is not a popular solution, and opinions differ about this method. There are several reasons why installing a new tile on an old one is preferable:

  1. Removing old tiles is hard work. Sometimes the coating is attached to the base so firmly that it cannot be removed without special tools. Sometimes you have to call special services, which costs a pretty penny. Moreover, it forms a large number of construction debris and dust, which means wasting energy on cleaning the premises. We will have to free all the nearest premises from furniture, since dusting will be significant, and polyethylene coatings will not save.
  2. Going from the opposite, the installation of tiles on tiles will be much easier, and a lot of time will be saved.
  3. When demolishing the old coating, fragments may break off cement-sand screed. You will have to refill it and wait for the solution to harden.
  4. With this method, the consumption of materials is noticeably reduced: it is not necessary to level the surface. The preparation time is also reduced.

Is it worth installing a tile based on these reasons? Do not hurry. Other factors must also be taken into account.


Cons of the method

With some convenience of such installation, negative consequences are inevitable. What to expect from tile-to-tile fixing:

  1. Hiding precious centimeters, which will be especially noticeable in small rooms such as a bathroom. Old tiles and an additional layer of glue reduce the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room if the installation is done on the wall. If the tile is placed on the floor, then its level will rise noticeably - you will probably have to increase the height of the threshold, respectively, reshape the door leaf.
  2. Too thick coating looks unaesthetic.
  3. If there were defects on the old masonry, then there is a risk of damage to the new coating in the same places. The cladding will collapse due to the increased load if there were cracks and voids on the old tile.
  4. In order for the adhesion of the surface to the adhesive to be strong, porous and rough materials are selected. Ceramic tiles do not meet these requirements, respectively, the new coating is not attached very securely.
  5. Additional processing of the old tile will be required. She is different from standard work. Sometimes such preparation takes no less time and effort than dismantling the old tile.

When such an installation is categorically inappropriate

There are unequivocal contraindications for attaching a new tile to an old one. These include the following cases:

  1. The old tile keeps badly and has defects.
  2. A new layer of tile on the floor will exceed the threshold level. In the bathroom, it is recommended to make the floor 2-3 cm lower than in the rest of the house, or install a high threshold. This reduces the risk of water entering the room in the event of a leak.
  3. The base is composed of separate and not large enough elements, and the entire load will fall on the bonding coating between the old tile and the base. This is fraught with rapid damage to the new tile. The bearing function can only be performed by a monolithic tile coating.
  4. The surface has a large slope and needs to be leveled.


Advice! If you are concerned about at least one point that warns against installing an old tile on a new one, then it is better to abandon this idea. Indeed, in case of failure, you will have to remove two layers of tiles and spend money on the third option.

How to stick

The preparation of the base in the form of an old tile is carried out in a special way. The quality of the cladding directly depends on the choice of adhesive composition. Ordinary ones are also suitable for the floor cement mixtures. For walls, dense and elastic compositions are selected.

Quick-drying mixes are a good choice, as they will prevent the coating from slipping. The adhesive must have high adhesion and provide a strong base. On sale there are special adhesive compositions for mounting tiles on difficult surfaces, for example, Ceresit, Ivsil Profit.

Important! If you put a tile on a too thick layer of glue, the polymerization will take much longer, respectively, the risk of delamination of the masonry and slipping of the top coating will increase.


Tile installation: instructions

How to stick ceramic tiles so that the lining lasts for many years? First you need to do the preparatory steps:

  1. Inspect the old coating to see how firmly it is connected to the wall or floor.
  2. Carefully examine the tile for chips, cracks and other defects. Even 10-15% of the damaged coating is already a reason for dismantling. If the main part of the tile is strong, and there are damages in 2-3 places, then you can take a chance and install a new tile on top of the old one.
  3. If the old coating looks good, you need to test it: tap it with a wooden mallet. If cracks and rattling appear, the old lining must be removed.
  4. The seams between the tiles should also not stagger and fall out.

The adhesive adheres well to the porous surface, penetrating into its structure. The tile, especially glossy, has a minimal ability to absorb moisture, that is, it has few pores. To facilitate adhesion, you need to clean the surface: use a grinder to make notches on the tile or remove the glossy layer completely. The bottom of the tile is water-absorbing. It needs to be at least 60% open. But this method is time consuming and dirty.


There is another way to make the surface rough: concrete-contact primer. She meshes well with top layer tiles and serves as a reliable basis for tile adhesive.

  1. The surface must be cleaned of dirt and grease and wiped dry, otherwise the glue simply will not work.
  2. Cover loose or unstable tiles cement mortar so that the surface is at the same level. Wait for drying.
  3. Apply the primer with a roller or brush. Setting time - 2-4 hours.
  4. If the method is chosen with the removal of the upper part of the tile, then when working with the grinder, it is necessary to wear safety glasses.
  5. Apply the tile adhesive to the dry primer with a notched trowel.
  6. Lay the tiles in the usual way.
  7. Due to the low absorbency, the drying time of the adhesive will be longer.
  8. Make a grout special formulations rubber spatula.
  9. Let the glue dry completely. Time of final polymerization - 3-4 days after installation.

Can you glue tiles on tiles? In conclusion, it is worth noting that this method of installation is sometimes preferable. But you should carefully inspect the old tile for defects, as well as carry out all the preparatory and basic work strictly according to the instructions.

When it comes to the installation of tiles, one of the main requirements is the careful preparation of the base on which the tiles are planned to be laid. According to building codes, the base must be cleaned of the old coating, checked for horizontality, leveled cement screed and treated with a primer that improves the adhesion of tile adhesive.

If for new housing this option is indisputable, then for already exploited it is a great difficulty and even a "headache".

Trouble removing old tiles

Nowadays, it is rare to find a bathroom or toilet where the walls and floors are not tiled. And the need to remove it depresses every owner of such housing.

After all, this process is associated with a lot of inconvenience:

  • Carrying out work is associated with the use percussion instrument, which means it will be very noisy, which cannot but cause claims from residents of neighboring apartments.
  • During the work, a large amount of dust is generated, requiring isolation of all premises adjacent to the repair site.
  • Removing an old tile can lead to a violation of the screed located under it, which will have to be repaired partially or completely.
  • It will be necessary to take out the fragments of the tile and the removed layer of glue.
  • To repair or restore the old floor base, new materials, effort and time will be needed, which leads to additional material and time costs.

Therefore, both apartment owners and repairmen could not help but be tempted to use old tiles as a basis for installing new ones. An unfortunate obstacle to the implementation of this idea is the low porosity of the tile surface, which does not allow for reliable bonding of the fresh adhesive layer with the old tile.

The ability of a solid material to absorb water is directly proportional to the number of pores in it. For tiles intended for finishing surfaces inside the building, it varies from 0.5 to 3%. The upper surface of the tile, including the floor, is most often covered with a layer of glaze, which ensures the water resistance of the tile layer, which is necessary for wet rooms.

In order for the adhesive to adhere well to the new finish old basis, it must penetrate through the pores into the base body. Therefore, it is necessary that its pores be open. Surface roughness is also important to improve adhesion.

How to achieve these goals in the case of old tiles?

To do this, you can use the following methods:

  • Remove the layer of glaze from the surface of the old tile with a grinder.
  • It is also desirable to form notches on the surface of the old tile.
  • Treat the old surface with a primer "Betonokontakt" enriched with sand particles, and even better - acicular quartz. After such processing, the surface acquires the necessary roughness, after which it becomes suitable for adhesion with tile adhesive.

The latter method allows you to save a lot of time and effort and reduce the time repair work. But if all three methods are used in a complex way, then it will be possible not to worry about the result of the work. However, this is not all the conditions under which you can use the old tile as the basis for a new sticker.

All of the above methods of preparing the base can only be used provided that there are no certain defects.

  • The floor is uneven, that is, its surface differences are more than 4 mm per 2 m of the lath applied to the surface. If less, then the primer and glue will be able to level the differences.
  • The old tile is covered with cracks, in which many years of dirt, grease, and possibly mold have accumulated.
  • Tapping the surface reveals voids under the layer of the previous tile. If there are many such places, the floor will have to be completely dismantled. In the case of individual places, the tiles are removed here and the surface is leveled with a screed.
  • When installing the old tiles, low-quality glue was used and the tiles “dangle”.
  • During the last repair, communications were laid under the floor, but inspection hatches were not provided. The floor must be completely dismantled.
  • When sticking a new tile, the floor level rises so much that it becomes above the threshold. This will not allow you to freely use the doors. In addition, the floor level in the bathroom and toilet is usually lower than in neighboring rooms. This is done so that spilled water cannot immediately and freely drain into neighboring rooms.

A very important condition for this is the non-coincidence of the seams of the old tiled coating with the seams of the newly laid one. Therefore, during the preparation of the tiles for work (cutting to size), you need to draw a plan of the room with all its inherent features. Then a new tile is laid out on a dry one - in order to place the cut pieces in inconspicuous places, taking into account the overlapping of the seams of the old floor.

Then the work is carried out as follows:

  • The crumbled seams of the old tiles must be cleaned with a chisel and filled with tile adhesive or cement mortar.
  • Old tiles must be thoroughly washed from dust, first with just water, and then with soapy water. Grease spots can be cleaned with baking soda. After that, the entire surface is washed again with clean water.
  • The cleaned surface of the base must be treated with a primer with additives for roughness. To do this, you can use a brush or roller. Material consumption is approximately 300 g/sq. m. Based on the area of ​​the new floor, it is not difficult to calculate the required amount of primer.
  • Tile glue is applied to a small area of ​​​​the floor. Please note that it dries quickly, so the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site should not be more than 1 sq. m.
  • Next, with effort, we plant the first tile in place. While the glue is fresh, its position can be adjusted if necessary. Next, glue the following elements, which should be located next to it.
  • Do not forget to leave expansion joints between the tiles. If necessary, use special crosses.
  • A day after the installation of a new tile, you can fill the joints with a grout or polymer composition.

Thus, under a number of conditions, a new coating can be laid on a layer of old tiles.

But its quality and durability entirely depend on how conscientiously the old coating is examined and how carefully it is prepared.

If there is even the slightest reason to believe that the old tile is poorly laid or does not hold firmly, it is better to completely dismantle it and lay a new floor according to the usual technology.

When repairing an apartment, a situation often arises when, instead of the old tiles you need to put in a new one. Work on the dismantling of old tiles is hard work, associated with the need not only to remove the tile itself, but also to take out large volumes of construction debris, level the floor or walls. Therefore, the question "is it possible to put tiles on tiles" arises in such cases very often. Is it possible? Yes, subject to certain conditions.

Inspection of old tiles

To find out whether it is possible to lay a new tile on an old one, it is necessary to examine the strength of its attachment to the base. To do this, the tile is first inspected in order to detect cracks and chips, falling off fragments. If the tile looks strong, it is tapped with a wooden mallet, and if there is a rattle or cracks, a poorly fixed tile is chipped off. If most of the tile does not hold well, and there are voids under it, you will have to dismantle it, level the floor or walls, and only after that lay a new tile.

It is also necessary to find out whether the floor level will become higher than the threshold level of the room. Too much thickness of the coating on the walls also does not look aesthetically pleasing, and in this case it is also better to remove the tiles.

Laying tiles on tiles

If the condition of the old coating is satisfactory and it is decided to lay tiles on tiles, it is necessary to roughen the old tiles, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve good adhesion of the new tiles. You can do this in several ways:

  • Remove the glossy top layer from the tile;
  • Make notches on the tile;
  • Treat its surface with a special primer.

The first two methods are laborious and involve a lot of dust. The third method requires additional material costs to buy a primer.

Removing the top layer, as well as making notches, is performed using a grinder. This is done in order to create contact between the tile adhesive and the bottom moisture-absorbing layer of the old tile. The top layer of the tile can be removed incompletely, while the contact area of ​​​​the adhesive with the tile should not be less than 60%. Notches are applied at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other.

A more modern way to roughen smooth waterproof surfaces is to treat it with a concrete-contact primer. This primer has excellent adhesion to the glazed top layer of the tile and creates a rough surface on top of it, on which the tile adhesive fits perfectly.

Technology of laying tiles on tiles:


The tile laid on top of the old one can serve faithfully for many years, but there are situations when this is not recommended. Laying tiles on tiles is undesirable if:

  1. When tapped, the tile is not destroyed, but the sound is non-uniform. This indicates the presence of air voids, and the tile laid on top of such a coating will create too much stress on the old mortar, causing the tile to fall off along with the old one.
  2. A room, such as a bathroom, has a very small area and poorly aligned walls. In this case, laying tiles on top of old tiles and a thick layer of plaster greatly reduces the useful dimensions of the room, and it is better to remove the old coating and do the cladding in accordance with all the rules.
  3. The tile is very old and prone to the formation of small cracks, chips, destruction of the top layer. Tiles laid on such a base will not last long, and everything will have to be redone.
  4. Old communications are laid under the old tiles without the device of inspection hatches and access to pipes. If it is necessary to replace pipes, it will be necessary to carry out large-scale dismantling work and remove both layers of tiles at once. It is more rational to spend a little more time and money on dismantling and laying new pipes and tiles.
  5. The tiled floor is uneven or has a sufficiently large slope that needs to be leveled. In this case, it is better to remove not only the tiles, but sometimes the old screed, and repair the floor in accordance with all the rules.

Or do you just not want to spend time and effort on it? The exit is simple. Provided that the old pottery is held firmly, the new one can be placed directly on top of it. Read carefully the basics of how to lay tiles on tiles and you will be able to complete them as quickly as possible. Finishing work.

In what cases is this installation possible?

This pottery is not always possible. Let's see when it is permissible, and when it is strictly prohibited.



materials

Experts who have considerable experience and know everything about how to lay tiles on tiles recommend the use of the following consumable mixtures:

  1. Primer Ceresit ST-19 betokontakt or a similar mixture from another company.
  2. Adhesive composition for tiles Ceresit CM-17 or CM-117. You can also purchase SM-16 or SM-115.

Why betokontakt? Because this acrylic primer has particles of sand, cement and other additives that can create roughness on the glossy surface of ceramics. Only when using it can a good result be guaranteed.


Get a little more new tiles than you need according to your calculations. Ten percent over is enough to eliminate the lack of a whole tile that occurs when cutting or splitting, as well as in case of calculation errors.

Work progress

Before gluing tiles on tiles, be sure to prepare the base. This stage is the main one in determining the quality of the final result.

Foundation preparation

Make sure the old finish layer is strong. If any tile is chipped or cracked, remove it. Where the sounds of emptiness are heard, the floor should also be cleaned of old tiles. Seal the formed empty places and depressions with cement mortar under the floor level.

Then remove all dirt and dust. If cracked in old seams, it should also be removed. By opening the base with the above primer, you will create a grain on the surface, which will give additional adhesion to the new mortar. The soil is quite expensive, but it allows you to do everything quickly.


There is another way out in the question of how to lay tiles on old tiles in conditions of poor adhesion. To improve it, you need to remove the glazed layer from the old tile. This can be done using an ordinary grinder and an emery wheel. It is enough to carefully scratch and the adhesion of the glue will increase significantly.

Another option is to create scratches manually. You can also use for this sandpaper coarse grit or a sanding grater with an appropriate attachment.

For better adhesion, you can make notches on the tile, removing with a grinder not the entire glossy layer, but only 60%. Notches can be made with any suitable tool. The distance between them should not exceed 20 mm. This is the slowest and most time-consuming method, therefore specialists rarely resort to it.

We put ceramics


  1. Only the base (wall or floor) needs to be lubricated with adhesive solution.
  2. Please note that for normal adhesive mixture for ceramics, it is necessary to prepare the base more carefully.
  3. When treating the base with soil, you can protect the surrounding objects with an oilcloth. Please note that pipes and taps must also be covered.

That's all the basic rules for laying new ceramics on the old. If the decision is made, then, following the above instructions, you can do very high quality.