Major renovation in the bathroom it often begins with removing old tiles and installing new ones. Ceramic tiles - universal finishing material, suitable for most rooms, aesthetically pleasing, easy to maintain, durable. It is often installed when renovating bathrooms, kitchens, corridors, and rooms with high humidity.
Is it possible to lay tiles on tiles on the floor, walls, how to do it correctly? We will tell you how to do this kind of work to get the desired long-lasting effect.
One of the first jobs planned when renovating a bathroom and toilet is replacing the tiles. Well-laid tiles, even if they are several years old, strongly stick to the wall or floor. You can save on unnecessary work and the costs associated with removing old tiles. It should be taken into account that if you remove old tiles, which usually come off quite easily, you also need to remove the layer of old glue. This is a rather labor-intensive task; many specialists want to receive quite large sums for such work. An economical solution is to place new tiles on top of old ones.
Placing a new tile on an old one takes less time and work, but involves additional risks:
So it's worth considering whether it might be better to spend more time and money removing the old layer. If, however, it is necessary to cut costs, you need to carefully check whether the old coating adheres well to the wall. If you place tiles on an unstable surface, they will begin to fall off after a short period of time.
The installation process includes certain preparatory work. The work order is as follows:
Let's look at each stage in more detail.
It is necessary to check whether all the tiles are firmly attached to the wall. You need to make sure that each tile is firmly glued to the wall by tapping each one. Use a wooden hammer or a wooden hammer handle to tap the old tiles and listen to the sound. In those places where there is no tile adhesive, a characteristic dull sound is heard.
All plates that produce dull noises must be removed. You should also remove any tiles that begin to move away from the surface. If you glue a new one on it, there is a high risk that it will quickly fall off along with the old one.
The resulting gaps are filled with plaster mortar and the surface level is leveled. If a large number of tiles create a dull noise, placing a new layer on them is not recommended, it can fall off at any moment.
Before work, you need to carefully prepare the surface. In bathrooms, tiles with a smooth surface are often laid. Much less commonly used are coarse ceramics used on external surfaces - stairs, terraces. Therefore, the surface must be ground; various scratches and grooves can be applied to completely get rid of the glassy, smooth surface. This will increase adhesion. For work you will need:
If you skip this stage of work, the glue will not be able to tightly bond with the base, and the new coating will fall off the wall quite quickly.
Similar procedures must be performed on the floor. Before gluing a new layer, the old surface must be thoroughly washed. Needs to be completely removed greasy spots, dirt, reducing the adhesion of the base. Before starting work, it is necessary to thoroughly degrease the surface of the old tiles, remove the stone that collects around the taps and mixers. To work you will need:
The surface should be washed clean water, then dry thoroughly. Large defects and uneven areas must be filled with putty.
Sanded and washed plates must be primed. It's worth buying a more expensive one High Quality primer with additional fine aggregate particles. The primer should be enriched with an acrylic resin-based aggregate, which provides excellent adhesion and surface roughness. This will create an acceptable roughness of the wall surface, which directly increases the strength of the connection of the coating elements.
The primer is applied using a roller or brush. It is advisable to use a roller; it makes it faster and easier to apply an even layer of primer. Before treating the surface, thoroughly mix the primer in a container until it has a uniform consistency. After applying the primer coat, you need to wait 24 hours.
From this point on, laying the new layer is not much different from the traditional method of gluing on concrete base and plastered walls.
To complete the work you will need:
What is the best tile adhesive?
To apply new tiles, you will need a high adhesion epoxy adhesive (Ceresit CU 22) or flexible adhesive (CM 17 “Super Flexible”). If we choose regular cement mortar, it will allow us to reduce costs. However, this will happen at the expense of worse parameters (for example, lack of waterproofness, which excludes the installation of a shower stall in the bathroom). Other recommended adhesives are:
Ceramic tiles should be laid at temperatures from + 5 to + 25 °C.
To glue the tiles, there is no need to wet them; you just need to vacuum them well, completely removing any dust accumulated on the surface. There is no need to apply a layer of glue to the entire surface of the plate, this prevents the tile from being pressed well against the wall. Small grooves in the applied adhesive allow excess adhesive to spread under the plate without leaking out.
Elastic adhesive should be used to ceramic tiles with increased strength, it is applied to the primed surface in 2 stages:
The thickness of the adhesive should not exceed the limits specified by the manufacturer on the packaging. To improve adhesion, adhesive can also be spread on the top of the ceramic plate. 
Important principle- never lay down new tile so that it completely matches the old one. If you use plates of the same size as the old ones, you should make a stripe at the bottom, for example from decor, to move the seams and prevent them from matching. Using decorative strips, you can shift the row between new and old by 3-5 centimeters.
If you decide to change the laying pattern, you can lay a new layer diagonally.
To achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to level the bottom layer. Using cross spacers, lay the next strip of tile.
It is recommended to lay tiles on the walls from bottom to top, but this is not a mandatory rule. You should follow this rule if you have no experience. It is especially important to dilute the adhesive to a suitable consistency, which prevents gluing too quickly or, on the contrary, too slow, with displacement of the floating tiles.
After installation you need to wait 24 hours.
You can start grouting on the second day after laying the tiles. All grooves should be thoroughly cleaned with a damp cloth, then grouted.
It is necessary to clean the surface around the seams as soon as possible before the grout hardens. This is especially important when the tile has a rough surface; subsequent cleaning is labor-intensive and requires the use of additional tools (wire brush). Rough, sharp tools should not be used on smooth tiles to avoid scratching them.
After approximately 48 hours, it is necessary to carefully check whether all the tiles are firmly stuck to the wall, for example, by tapping or pressing on them with your hand. If one of the plates begins to pull away from the surface, you will need to remove a few adjacent pieces to see what the cause is before gluing it back on.
Conclusion
Replacing tiles in the bathroom and kitchen is associated with dust, noise, and piles of construction waste. This takes a lot of time and can lead to deeper damage to the walls. Such work is especially difficult to perform in corners, along the edges of walls and floors. You can avoid problems by laying a new layer of ceramic on top of the old one. This will not significantly reduce the room, because instead of a thick layer cement mortar Modern adhesives that are highly elastic are used. Already a 3-4 mm layer of solution can hold a heavy plate. Thanks to new technologies, laying tiles today is much easier and cleaner than a few years ago.
Wide range offers on the market and new trends in interior design often make you want to change the finish of the bathroom or the backsplash in the kitchen. If the old layer of tiles holds tightly, when proper preparation base and choosing the appropriate primer and glue, you can safely lay a new one, completely transforming the appearance of the wall. Laying new tiles over old ones helps save time, money, and avoid an abundance of debris, noise, and inconvenience created during repairs.
It would seem, why put new tiles on old ones. However, there are times when this simply cannot be avoided: sometimes conditions require it construction site. It also happens that this approach turns out to be more budget-friendly.
Old tiles can still serve
Before deciding whether to dismantle the old one, think about whether it is advisable to remove the previous layer. Maybe the old cladding will save on preparatory work.
If you cannot answer this question yourself, we offer you several significant “pros” of using old tiles:
On the other hand, there are situations when it is impossible to do without dismantling the old coating. Let's name the main cases:
Important! If the percentage of damaged coating is more than 10 - 15%, dismantling must be carried out without fail.
Before you begin any preparatory work examine the condition of the tiles on which you plan to lay a new layer of tiles.
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 bottom layer may 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 this case it will not be possible to lay it evenly.
And now from theory to practice. Let's look at the process step by step.
Before you start tiling, you should properly prepare the base:
| Illustration | Description of action |
 | The first stage is degreasing the surface. You can simply take soap and water and give the tile floor a good scrub. If you accidentally stain the surface with glue or mortar You can clean the surface with a brush. In our case, we use a brush attachment on the drill. Special attention We pay attention to the seams. Important! While working, do not forget to wear a mask and respirator! |
 | Using this, we level out those surface elements that had to be removed. Let's use the rule. We apply concrete contact to the washed and pre-dried surface with old tiles to improve adhesion. |
Installation work should be performed in the following sequence:
| Illustration | Action Descriptions |
 | After our concrete contact has dried, we can begin laying a new one. Check the level in advance to see if there are any slopes. The floor must be perfectly level. Apply medium-thick glue with a comb, trying to avoid gaps. |
 | Place the tile and press it gently. If necessary, adjust the position. We remove the excess glue and place it in 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 on the level. We control the joints of the plates with limiters - crosses. |
Professionals do not exclude the need for such implementation finishing works. As we noted above, this is significant, making it less expensive and dusty.
In addition to the above points that we talked about earlier, it is not advisable to put old tiles, in the following cases:
Important! If the surface of the tile is smooth, its adhesive characteristics should be increased. You can clean the glossy surface special brush.
We suggest watching the video to understand in detail how to lay tiles on tiles:
The performance qualities that are laid on the street are more demanding. high requirements. Only when the old foundation is strong enough can such work be carried out.
The first stage is to check the strong adhesion of the street tiles to the base; if it was not possible to move the tiles with a stick or pry bar, then they can serve as the basis for a new coating.
How to properly lay tiles on tiles outdoors? This process has its own characteristics.
It is important to ensure a tight compaction of the layer. The thickness of the “pillow” 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.
Imagine a repair procedure that requires complete dismantling available finishing structures. Even an experienced craftsman, not to mention the average person, will shudder at such a volume of work - just removing old materials can take a week or two of continuous work.
Therefore, when remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, the question always arises: is it possible to lay tiles on tiles, or will you have to be content with the traditional method of resolving the issue.
The advantages of this method are obvious - put the material on a ready-made flat surface much easier, and you don’t have to pollute your home big amount dust and ceramic fragments.
However, you must also remember the disadvantages - you can only lay tiles on a very durable surface that is not subject to cracking and can withstand increased loads, otherwise after a while it will begin to collapse.
When working with tiles that you are going to lay on the floor, there is a lot of less problems than with a finishing agent that is designed to organize the surface of the walls.
The reason for this is quite simple - the force of gravity also acts on the wall tiles, as a result of which they pull themselves down on their own. It is possible to lay an additional layer of material, covering the old plane with it, but it is necessary to approach this issue with the utmost care and carry out thorough preparation.
This solution is most often used for the bathroom and kitchen - that is, those rooms where ceramic cladding, resistant to moisture and high temperatures.
First of all, you need to understand whether the builders followed the technology when laying the old tiles - to do this, it is better to take the smallest steel hammer and tap it on the entire surface, without missing a single square. If there are cavities inside, then the strength of the coating will be compromised - this will be reflected in a ringing echo that will come from under the ceramic layer.
As a working tool, you can also take a special hammer equipped with a copper head - it has better acoustic properties, which are important in in this case. If there are small chips or open seams and ends, try to understand what base the tile was laid on.
The best option is a construction mixture consisting of synthetic and 
mineral components - most professionals recommend laying tiles using a similar product.
Synthetic mixtures hold tiles made of materials such as well:
Now it is necessary to ensure the necessary adhesion properties, because finishing tiles in the bathroom often have a smooth glossy surface that is not capable of properly holding a large surface layer.
To do this you need to remove upper layer using a grinder or grinder with a special brush consisting of steel wire. In addition, the old surface can also be treated with an abrasive disc, creating cross cuts on it that increase the adhesion efficiency of the adhesive composition.
As a base to be placed under new material, it is better to use a concrete contact composition containing various synthetic components that increase the strength of the connection. It is worth adding needle quartz to it, which replaces sand if it is necessary to create especially strong concrete structures.
At the beginning of work, the seams should be additionally cleaned with a chisel to improve their filling mortar. Using a trowel or spatula, we place the concrete contact on the old tile, not forgetting to level it to achieve the maximum quality of the created surface.
The material consumption should be about 300 grams per square meter- this means that it should not be applied in a very thick layer.
In case of non-compliance such a recommendation the strength of the finish will be questioned. If you work in the bathroom or kitchen and not utility room, then the floor and furniture should be covered with plastic film - otherwise, ugly pink and gray stains will appear on all interior items and structures, which are almost impossible to wash.
After 5-7 hours, glue is applied over the concrete contact - it is best to select the most durable synthetic modification. It is worth remembering that, unlike the base, the glue hardens almost instantly, so further work is carried out in small parts of 1-2 square meters.
The tile must be pressed firmly against the surface and then released, checking the strength of its connection - in this way the entire treated area is laid out. While the glue has not yet hardened, you can correct the unevenness and adjust the depth - for this you should use a rubber mallet.
We must not forget that there should be a gap of 1-5 mm between the squares for expansion with temperature changes.
Unlike walls, tiles placed on the floor are not affected by gravity. However, another difficulty arises here - it is daily put under pressure by passing people, installed furniture and various fixtures, as well as transported equipment. That's why floor tiles need to be checked no less carefully than the finishing wall - for this, a similar method with a hammer is used.
In addition, you can find a heavy box or object with flat base- it must be dragged across the entire floor and ensure that the tiles located on it do not fall inward even by a few millimeters. However, the latter method is unlikely to be applicable for a bathroom with its limited space.
Once you have checked the old tiles, you can begin work, generally following all the recommendations described for walls. However, the floor will require use mineral mixture With a small amount synthetic additives - it will provide greater elasticity and the ability to withstand significant temperature fluctuations.
In addition, the old surface does not need to be treated so intensively - it will be enough to walk over it with a metal brush. Before laying the glue on the floor, it is worth moistening the base so that it adheres to it better - this is not required only when using ready-made solutions, sold in large buckets.
Enough interesting question is whether it is possible to do this if you are laying paving slabs for creating outdoor structures - paths, platforms, terraces. The answer to this is much easier to find - you just need to check the quality of fit of the blocks and try to remove one of them using a solid, durable knife or pry bar.
If the paving slabs can be removed with considerable effort, then they are laid very firmly and tightly - otherwise they will move under the weight of the new surface, violating their integrity.
The process begins by pouring a new pillow on top of the material, consisting of loose soil, gravel and sand - each of these layers must be compacted individually. On top you need to lay paving slabs, to increase the strength of which you should use a small vibrating machine or a mallet with a large striker.
One of the most economical ways– laying tiles on tiles – may not be applicable in certain circumstances. These include the following:Attention! If the inspection reveals more than 10% floor defects throughout the entire bathroom area, then the old coating should be dismantled, the surface cleaned and glued new finishing. Laying tiles on tiles on the floor in this case is not practical.
When working with a grinder, you must use special glasses to remove glaze from the surface. This will protect your eyes from the smallest grains of ceramics and dust particles. The surface prepared by any of these methods is coated with a special adhesive composition intended for your coating using a smooth spatula. Using a relief tool, the coating becomes rough. New ceramics can be laid in any way in a convenient way. Experienced craftsmen It is advised to grout all seams after at least three days from the moment of installation, since the special glue for ceramics dries quite slowly. These are in demand adhesive compositions, like Eunice, guaranteeing durable and reliable coverage, which you can buy in our network of branded stores.
Attention! Laying new decorative ceramics on top of the old one raises the floor level by 3–4 cm. Therefore, the floor level should be less than the specified height. For practicality, it is recommended to install a small threshold at the entrance to the room, which in case of water leakage will protect the corridor from moisture.
Subject to the basic rules for surface preparation, lay a new ceramic coating It won't be difficult to use old tiles. It is important to conduct a thorough inspection of the floor before starting work, identify all defects and only then begin cleaning the surface and laying it. In terms of time and finances, this method is considered the most optimal, and with the right approach, the coating will be reliable and durable.
It is natural for a person to want to save money. Moreover we're talking about not just about money either consumables, but also about time, strength, energy. Such desires can result in a decision global problems. Or they can be much smaller and push a person to solve “narrow” questions. For example, can you lay tiles on tiles?
In this case, as in that catchphrase: “If you really want to, then you can.” Actually the answer to the question: "Can I lay tile on tile?" - depends on many nuances and details. And all of them must be taken into account, because otherwise the savings may turn out to be excessive costs arising from the need to redo the work done.
First of all, when deciding whether it is possible to lay tiles on tiles, you need to inspect every inch future basis. To do this, first carry out a visual inspection: see if the previous coating is well preserved. If cracks appear, chips or other defects are present, this is already an argument in favor of removing the old coating. Although the number of defective tiles is taken into account here. Regardless of whether you are faced with a dilemma: is it possible to lay tiles on tiles on the floor or not, or are you planning to do it on the walls, if the damage to the tiles is a widespread phenomenon, then get ready to dismantle the old layer. If not, you can still make do with a little pain and remove broken or suspicious pieces by covering the resulting holes with mortar or tile adhesive.
But that's not all. You should, armed with a hammer, tap each tile, clearly listening to the sound it makes. If your ear catches a rattling sound, too ringing sound, which means that there are problems of an “internal” nature under this place. This is where there are defects in laying the tiles. Instead of cement, there is air, so such tiles are completely unreliable as an initial covering. If there are quite a lot of such areas, then the question of whether it is possible to lay tiles on tiles will disappear on its own.
Their main difference is in the direction of the planes where they are located, and, accordingly, in the loads. If there's a big one on the floor mechanical impact from above, then the force of gravity acts on the walls to a greater extent, pulling the tiles down. Because of this, for many craftsmen the question is: “Can I lay tile on tile on a wall?” - is quite controversial. Some clearly give a positive answer, others do not recommend doing this, while others have doubts about how a large tile laid on a small one and vice versa will behave.
But most craftsmen are still confident that there is nothing wrong with the second layer of wall tiles. You just need to withstand all the necessary technological requirements and use quality materials. The preparation of the primary, soil layer is of primary importance.
All doubts about whether it is possible to lay tiles on tiles on the floor or on the walls are already behind us. It's time to get to work. And you need to start by preparing the old tiles to turn them into a ground layer. Since the tile is covered with glaze, care should be taken to increase its adhesive ability. To begin with, you should, armed with either a rag with a solution of caustic soda, or organic solvents (gasoline, acetone, etc.), treat the old tiles, removing dust, grease and other contaminants from them. The second method is faster, but more harmful to health. The right to choose what to save on is left to you. When processing, remember that most of the dirt collects in the seams between the tiles. Therefore, these places should be given special attention.
The main doubt when deciding the question: “Is it possible to lay tiles on tiles in the bathroom?” - high humidity of this room. But again modern technologies help solve and this problem. The main thing is to increase the adhesion force between the new and old layers. And to do this, after thorough cleaning procedures, you need to start processing the base.
There are two ways to do this:
The first one is quite simple. We take the grinder with diamond blade and scrape the glaze off the old tiles. Or, with another tool, we make notches, holes, grooves - well, as your hand fits. In short, we mock the old coating as best we can, just to damage the top layer. Because we remember - glazed tiles have a water-repellent property, but we need, on the contrary, for the adhesive base to be absorbed into it more firmly. Having finished the “act of vandalism”, do not forget to turn on the vacuum cleaner and thoroughly (you can even several times) vacuum the bathroom. Because dust is also the enemy of adhesive reagents.
If you don’t like dusty work, take gloves, a roller and apply a special primer to the cleaned floor - traditional for this method “Betonokontakt” or “Ceresit CN94” or less known for now Ivsil Basis-Beton, “Plitonit-Grunt-Superkontakt” . It is a pleasure to work with Betonokontakt. Thanks to its color, you can always see whether the entire surface is well and evenly processed. Having finished the exercises with chemistry, we go to rest for three hours, until the coating dries and begins to resemble sandpaper. By the way, before treating the base with reagents, carefully close the pipes and other places where the primer is not intended to be used. Otherwise, you risk getting an indelible stain on the reputation of your bathroom.
Puzzled by the question: “Is it possible to lay tiles on tiles in a bathroom on the wall?”, many are based on the expected savings in materials and, accordingly, money. But you should not save money by buying cheap adhesives for this work. After all, they must “work” under rather specific conditions. Durable fixation materials that can withstand increased stress in uncomfortable environments are more expensive than classic options. But it’s better to “plant” the tiles on them right away than to repeat them later this action repeatedly.
Good fame, thanks high level adhesion, gained tile adhesive Ceresit SM-17. It works great on smooth surfaces. And another bonus from its use is that tiles can be laid on the wall from top to bottom.
Experts say that when used glue mixture Vetonit Renovation does not need to worry about roughening the bottom layer on which the new tile is laid. Although this is exactly the case when reinsurance does not hurt, especially for non-professionals.
Ivsil Profit adhesive composition is usually used for laying porcelain stoneware. And since it is designed to withstand this heavy material, it will handle the second layer of tile just fine. In addition, its price is lower than that of the adhesive materials mentioned above.
It doesn’t matter which question is in front of you: “Can I lay tiles on tiles in the bathroom?”, “On the floor?”, “On the walls?”, the main thing is that you don’t need to forget about small nuances work. Well, firstly, you should choose the location of the new tile so that its rows do not repeat the old ones, so that the seams between the tiles are different from those on the first layer. This will give the structure additional strength.
Secondly, there is no need to try to lay the tiles on a thick, thick layer of glue. This can lead to increased drying time, shrinkage of the tiles and other troubles. Well, we should not forget about the final grouting of the joints.
The main disadvantage of laying a second layer of tiles is the reduction in the volume of the room. By the way, one of the reasons for refusing this action in the bathroom is raising the floor level after installation. In principle, it is possible to lay new tiles on old ones indefinitely, subject to technological standards and the use of appropriate materials. But, when thinking about whether it is possible to lay tiles on tiles in three layers, do not forget to measure how many centimeters your bathroom or kitchen will decrease.
