Covering tiles in bathroom - the options

sundula

I was looking at a mates bathroom this afternoon to plan a diy job. He wants to re-tile but doesnt want to remove the existing tiles. The existing tiles are about 7 years up and are on plastered block walls. They seem sound and secure. They could be hard remove and then there is the mess and the need to find some where to dump the debris

Would it be possible to fit a cement type board over the existing tiles and then tile on that ? Or what are the options ?

slimjimmc

If you plan to tile over the existing tiles you'll end up with a thicker wall. Have you considered how that will work with the toilet, sink and bath/shower? For example, if you want to tile behind them do you have enough slack in the plumbing to accommodate the thicker wall?
If that were me I'd take down the old tiles, I doubt they be difficult to take off once you get a bolster under them.

sundula

We looked at the thickness issue, dont think it will be a problem. He was to take side off the bath this evening and see the plumbing and look for potential problems. There is no tiling near the toilet and only a few sitting on top of the sink, which I presume he will hack off.

ctrl-alt-delete

People often decide to tile over tiles, it has its obvious advantages.

There are some things to consider though, as has been pointed out already you have to consider the depth you are bringing the wall out, and how this will affect things like plumbing and how it looks visually against door frames or windows if it comes to such.

You will need to inspect the quality of the work already there, tap the tiles and listen for any hollow sounds, tiles might already be loose and may never pose a problem until you decide to hang other tiles onto them. If you find any, it may be better to remove such tiles and fill with something suitable.

In relation to the weight you will need to consider the weight of the tiles going on, in addition to the weight of the tiles already there, and what these are bonded to. As far as I am aware there is a certain hanging weight per square metre. Plasterboard holds more weight than plaster.

You will need to clean the tiles thoroughly first if intending to bond direct to them, sugar soap will be good enough - just to take off all the grime etc.


It would be better to use a cement based adhesive rather than the ready mixed stuff, also ensure you allow the correct drying time before grouting especially considering the tiles underneath will not disperse any moisture. It would also look into priming the tiles with a suitable primer.

sundula

Would the installation of WBP ply or a cement board - screwed through the existing tiles into block wall not overide the need to ensure existing tiles are sound?

I just wonder if you went a head and strip off the existing tiles then maybe you would have to go a fit sheets on the wall to cover damaged plaster etc.?