Any alternative to taking up old tiles?

[confusedyouwill]

I want to lay some new, probably terracotta, tiles on my kitchen floor. Problem is, there are ceramic tiles which I laid about 12 years ago on it. It's a fairly large area, 25sqm, and as they would have to be chisled up by hand, is it imperative that they come up? Is there no alternative? I know they are very firmly stuck down, getting them up would be a nightmare.

 

[Dan]

You can tile over them sure, as long as there are no height issues etc.

Remember that they'll only ever be as stuck as the original tiles though.

When setting out, make sure you don't match the grout joints if using the same size tile. You want one new tile over as many old tiles as possible (if that makes sense).

 

[confusedyouwill]

Thank God for that! I know what you mean about placing the new tiles over the old, a bit like brick bond. The old tiles are fairly worn, sort of satin finish now. Do they need to be primed and if so, with what?

 

[Andy Allen]

i would rip them up, use an sds gun with a chisel blade, and you'll have them up in 4/5 hours...

 

[White Room]

As above, my preference would be rip up.

 

[confusedyouwill]

No sds drill, that's the problem, I'd have to do it by hand. If I had an easier way of doing it, I would. And before someone says "Hire one", I can't afford the extra expense, on a very tight budget. So, again, do I need to prime?

 

[bugs183]

Hiya C.
If you leave them down and you tile with terracotta, you just need to check all around the room to make sure your appliances will fit under the units etc. You will be gaining a lot of hight using these tiles. Also check the door ways, are you able to cut any doors down, they may be fire doors, and you may need specially machined door bars leading into any other rooms.

 

[confusedyouwill]

Hi Bugs, Whole new kitchen, no doors to worry about, plus the skirtings are coming off, so the rise in floor height isn't a worry. So, any primer needed?

 

[bugs183]

Thats cool then.
Primer wise there's some different views here. Some chaps would put and additive in the adhesive to get it to stick to the tile, but this will stick to the face of the terracotta and be a nightmmare!
Some guys would use rapid set adhesive and mix it with SBR primer and slurry that onto the old tiles..
There's a great product made by Mapei called Eco Prim Grip. Clean and wash down the old tiles, leave to dry overnight, then rioller this product over them, it sticks like nothing on earth and can be tiled on in about 4 hours, fab stuff.

 

[confusedyouwill]

Yipee! That's exactly what I need to know. Thank you!

 

[confusedyouwill]

Ok, change of plan...

The sample of the terracotta tiles I intended to buy didn't live up to expectations. As an alternative, we've been given enough reclaimed old multi stock bricks to cover half the floor. They are free of old mortar and have been pressure washed. So, essentially they are like old flooring bricks, just thicker (2.5 inches).

So, bearing in mind that the old tiles are still down (had a go at lifting them by hand yesterday, no go. Didn't even crack when hit with a hammer), how would you go about laying these bricks. Thick bed adhesive or sand and cement? Can I still use the Mapei Eco Primgrip? Or do the old tiles really have to come up?

 

[Dan]

I'd listen the the lads above over me to be honest they're a lot more experienced. One of them is 124 years old too.

What would you use on the other half if you use those on one half?

 

[confusedyouwill]

Hi Dan, yep I've bit the bullet and tomorrow I'm gonna buy a chiseling SDS drill to get the old tiles up.
Undecided about the other half. I'm keeping my eyes open for some more old bricks. I may end up buying some reclaimed ones, or even go for reclaimed floorboards. Don't know how I'd manage the join with floorboards though. Hopefully I'll come across something suitable soon, but no rush really. The kitchen end is my priority.

Now I just have to decide on laying with 4-1 sand/cement or tile adhesive.

 

[Dan]

Is it concrete underneath then?

 

[confusedyouwill]

Yes, cement screed.