8 Tips to Tiling over Existing floor Tiles

Installing new tiles over existing floor tiles should be done with care and precautions should be also taken to ensure that new tiles will bond correctly with existing titles. There are some materials and products which should be used to get professional and new tile surface over existing surfaces. Following tips should be kept in mind while installing new tiles over existing floor tiles.

1. 1-    Before installing tiles to over existing tiles, existing surface requires reparation of cracks and voids. First fix all cracks with some crack suppression products. If you need installing new tiles over larger cracks, you would consider removing exiting tile section and poring a new slab. If you have concerns about large cracks, you would want to have an isolation system installed onto slab to isolate the tile from the slab. It is important to verify that there should be no chemical products that would act over existing tiles otherwise it will also affect new installed tiles. Chemical products can reduce the bonding of tiles over surface. Drip a few drops of water on existing surface will help to check the slab for presence of such a coating.
   
   
2. 2-    If existing tiles are made of wood then installing other tiles such as ceramic tiles over wood needs some knowledge and surface of wood should be structurally sound to support weight of ceramic tiles. There are some wood tiles such as chip board, tongue and groove and cushioned vinyl flooring is not suitable substrates which should install directly ceramic tiles over it. If surface tends to bend then tile will be broken as tiles are hard. We can make wood surface smoother if we use some suitable sand.
   
   
3. 3-    We should roughen the existing tiles surface before installation of new tiles on floor. Such as ceramic tiles, we need to roughen the existing ceramic tiles for producing a rougher surface over new ceramic tiles which will grip onto it. Floor should be sand with 80 Grit Sandpaper if applying new ceramic tiles over it. 80 Grit Sand Paper will clean and remove all dust particles and make it in better shape for applying of floor leveler product. Floor leveler product would fill in lines of grout and make the surface look level completely. Epoxy and latex type’s mortars are considered best choices for installing new tiles over existing tiles.
   
   
4. 4-    If you need to install ceramic tiles over existing vinyl floor, you would want to remove the vinyl floor and adhesive. If it seems to remove vinyl floor and adhesive, lay a backer board with thinnest. It will act as your new sub-floor material. You should make sure that all loose adhesive should be removed from surface and a good bond to substrate would be got. Thin set manufacturer’s mortar should be compatible for cut-back adhesive residue.
   
   
5. 5-    If your old existing tiles are worn and outdated, we can lay new tiles over old existing tiles and avoid tearing out of old existing tiles. It is assumed that underneath of floor is solid and that no cracks are available before applying new tiles. Surface preparation is very important factor before applying new tiles. First start making sure that tiles are solidly bonded to floor and then tam them using some wood mallet. Then remove and reset any loose tiles with thin-set. After then, use a level to find any high spots. Lastly use sand paper and then rinse the surface with clear water and make it dry by giving some time.
   
   
6. 6-    Installing new tiles over old existing tiles having problems can lead new tiles deteriorate early and soon which become cost expensive to install new tiles again. Make sure all damaged to old tiles such as cracks should be mended before installing new tiles.
   
   
7. 7-    New layer of tiles can add height that would cause issue with your passages of your room such as doors. Height difference should be checked and mended according to difference. Thin-set mortar also causes some differences in height. You will have to check how tile hits baseboard and other problems. If mixing thin set then it will fill all grout joints that will give a smooth and hard surface to work on. 
   
   
8. 8-    Subsurface preparation is a significant and important step for a high quality tile project. A mortar and sand mixture are used as a subfloor by many tiles setters. High and low spots are created in finished floor it subsurface is created improperly. Sometime, preparing the subsurface require long time as compared to lying of tiles.   

How to Lay Floor Tiles

Knowing how to fix the tiles on the floors is beneficial. It will help the home owner to save on the expenditure because there will be no need of hiring an expert. The process is easy and friendly to beginners. The stages are easy to understand and the customer will get the instructions clearly. The following is a simple outline on how to lay the floor tiles in the house.

Step 1 Mind your safety

It is important to wear gloves that have a hard material s to protect the hands from getting injured. Removing the old tiles from the floor can harm the skin, therefore, one need to put on gloves. Also, dust particles usually cause irritation in the eyes. For this reason, one should wear goggles and mouth masks to protect the parts from dust particles. As the client prepares the surfaces for tiles, they will be secure from physical harm.

Step 2 Assemble all the needed tools

Before you begin the work, ensure that all the needed tools are present. Ask from the experts on the efficient tools to have so to work. Working on the floor will be easy when all the instruments are available.

Step 3 Prepare the floor

Get rid of the old tiles. Clean the surfaces and remove all the debris that could have been left behind. This is because the debris will prevent one from achieving a uniform floor. If the floor is not uniform, use the necessary tool to level it. Clean the floor with water and leave it to dry completely especially when it is a concrete floor. Concrete provides a firm base for placing the tiles because it is compact.

In this step, measure the length and the width of the floor. Calculate the area of the surface and project the area to the number of tiles needed. Buy the tiles at once and store them in the house so to reduce the time wastage of going back to the shop to get others. Ensure you buy the pattern and style of preference.

Step 4 placing the first tile

This is a very important tile and it is mostly referred to as key tile. This is because it is the one that determines the placement of all other tiles. This first tile is usually laid at the center of the room. Thus, one needs to get the exact center of the room by drawing diagonals on the floor. Where they will intersect will be the center of the room. Place the tiles when they are dry from the center towards the wall. Make the necessary adjustments on the center tile until when one will get a straight line.

Step 5 fixing the tiles

After getting the exact center of the room, begin fixing the tiles. Fix them systematically leaving the exit area. It is because the tiles should be left for about 24 hours before stepping on them. This period gives room for the tiles to be permanently held on the floor. It is advisable to use spacers for the tiles so to achieve a uniform look at the end of the placement. The tile spacers are of several sizes so the customer should buy the desired size. Do not forget to put grout layer before placing the tiles so that they can stick firmly. Use a spreader to achieve a uniform layer.

Step 6 cut the edge tiles

As the laying approaches the wall, small spaces are left that need the tiles to be trimmed. Measure the spaces left and adjust the cutter to the required length and width. Ensure that the cutter has sharp blades so to get accurate cuts. Mark the tile measure with a pencil that will be easy to rub. After cutting, apply the adhesive layer on the bottom of the tiles and fix them on the spaces. Ensure there is consistency of the space length so to make the floor finishing uniform.

Step 7 grout the tiles

After finishing the laying of the tiles, you need to grout the tiles. Take the grout and mix it with a suitable amount of water to make a paste. Spread the grout uniformly on the tiles and fix more on the tile spaces. Do it carefully, too much pressure may alter the placement of the tile. After grouting, clean the surfaces to remove the grout that is on the tiles. Leave it to dry and then wipe the surfaces again with a moist cloth. Allow the tiles to be compact and to dry completely before stepping on the floor.

How to Estimate Floor Tile Quantity

While looking for tiles to buy for decorating the house, it is important to know the exact measurement of the floor size. This is for the purpose of the buying enough tiles that will fit the floor that need to be tiled. Consistency of the flow of the pattern of the tiles is beneficial. It is because it will enhance the appearance of the interior surfaces.  Also, buying the floor tiles in whole sale helps in cutting on the expenses.

It is usually disappointing to carry on installation and at the end they will not fit. Colors usually differ within a short range and hence it can be difficult to get the exact color that you had bought before. The hassle of moving from one shop to another to look for the exact color is tiresome and sometimes one can miss to get. Therefore, the following is a simple procedure that a customer can use to estimate the floor tile quantity.

Step 1

Get the area of the floor that needs to be tiled. Take the length of the floor and the width of the floor. This can be done for all the rooms in the house that need to be decorated with the tiles. After taking the measurements, multiply the length and the width. Then, make a simple addition of all the gotten areas of the floor. Therefore the total are will be in square feet or any other unit that has been used to measure the lengths of the rooms.

Step 2

After getting the total area, it is important to consider adding the waste percentage. This is because some tiles can be spoilt during the fixation or others can break due to the transportation. The home owner needs to add the waste percentage that ranges between 5 to 7 percent for the rooms that have a relatively square floor. For the floors that have taken the rectangle shape the percentage can go up to 10 percent. For the houses that have several corners leads to more wastage due to the shaping of the tiles. Therefore, the waste space can go up to 15 percent.

Step 3

After calculating the wastage range, add to the prior total square feet that you got from the house calculations. A customer may look at the waste factor as a way of spending more money but it is not the case. It will help save a lot of extra expenses in the future once the project of tilling has kicked off. You will be happy as the work continues smoothly while the materials are all available in the store

Step 4

Know the measurement of the tiles. Different styles of the tiles have different areas. Some are rectangular, others are perfect squares. The home owner should identify the desired style of the tiles then get to know their area. Take the total area of the floors and divide the number with the area of a single tile. If after dividing you will get a decimal quantity, round off to the nearest whole number.

Step 5

At this point, get to know how many tiles are packed in each carton. The customer needs to project the number of tiles to knowing the number of cartons that need to be bought. The client should know how many tiles are in one carton. Base the calculations on the chosen tiles that need to be purchased. Take the total number of tiles that was calculated in the prior step 4 and divide it with the number of tiles of one carton. The number gotten is the exact cartons that need to be purchased.

Step 6

If the home owner needs to mix and blend different patterns in the house, it is important to narrow down that calculation to the specific pattern. The general calculations will not lead to the exact amount. One should divide the total tiles with the number of different patterns of the tiles. With the mix and match, the customer will consider having an allowance of up to 15 percent because it has a higher range of wastage.

Step 7

The home owner should put the bordering aspect into consideration. The spacing is important because it helps the home owner to get the needed number of tiles. A tool that will be highly needed is the tape measure that is calibrated with the desired units. After getting the exact number of cartons need, the client can go to the shop and buy in whole sale. 

 Best tile adhesive for tiling over tiling

How to select the best adhesive for tiling over tiling is the top of the questions for flooring using tiles over tiles. There are two sides of the question. In technically it may be done but in practical it is avoided. This method relies on the condition of tiles are already installed. When this tiles are already worn-out and damaged by damp weather or have uneven areas the tiles over tiles can be advised. There are some other factors like weight and moisture absorption that can also make oneself to plan again and again.

At first inspect the current state and condition of the tiles which is being used already. This tiles need to be well sealed and bond with the base plane. If the current using tiles are well-laid and there are no gaps between the two tiles each and the base flooring can be laid the new tiles.

To check for tiles cavities are usually caused by the lack of tiles adhesive or its quality of bonding duration. The two tiles of each and the sub-flooring but can also be result of an earthquake vibration or a construction works nearby the tiles floors.

If base is form plasterboard let’s think the extra weight of two layers of using tiles. Plasterboard has a maximum weight limit per square inch and if you exceed the limit can cause structural damage.

No any type of adhesive may be applied for tiling over tiles. As a tile is made go through humidity and absorption the little amount of water possible but most tiles adhesive will not work better. When laying the tiles one should bear in mind that floor will be raised one to three centimeters. It means any door frame, kitchen appliance and furniture and bathroom should be fitted according to the height of the floor. It can be used that a door threshold to level or transition between two tiles upper and lower. It is planned to floor half of the room is more pleasant to remove the old tiles at first.

If anyone follows the proper requirements and there is no hollow sound in sound test it can be proceeded to lay the tiles over tiles. Before doing this practice please clean even spotless existing floor ceramic tiles.

This process is badly needed and rechecked again and again. It is not done properly it will show look ready but grease or dust will make unable the tiles adhesive to bond so make sure that spotless cleaning and grout is perfect too. It is found that the primary requirements are not fulfilled and the existing files have cavities or uneven parts or it is too heavy than removing the tiles is better alternate.

Depending on subflooring project there is different procedure of doing so. Usually the easy way is to remove backboard it has been used once. Certainly removing existing tiles is expensive that’s why many people decide to go through this method in the first place

In this fact many people having old ceramic tile which is worn or expired they lay new tile right over the old and avoid tearing out the old tile.

It assumes that the floor underneath is concrete and there is no crack in the existing tiles. Pros do it all the time indeed.

Surface preparation is important. Tap the tiles lightly with a wood mallet or a chunk of 2*4. At first hollow sound test is indication mentioned before. Remove the defect tiles and reset with one loose thin-set. Next it is to be used four feet level to find any high spot and grind those down by a right angle grinder with a masonry wheel. Then to sand all the tiles with a built or eighty grit orbital sander to scratch any surface glaze. Remove moldy loose grout with a rotary tool or carbide scraper. Vacuum the tiles and clean perfectly. Rinse the floor with clean water and let it dry for a while.

Mix latex modified thin-set in small batches. Complete adhesive coverage is critical twelve inches or larger sized and it is necessary when tiling.

Latex-modified grout mixes and be cleaned with water is perfect for any interior tile fitting.

Epoxy tile grout is well compatible with epoxy adhesive but is quite difficult to maintain.

It is also not appropriate for some types of tiles especially porous stone. It has many characteristic which has made it one of the best options for tiling over tiling. The tile council of north America recommends to use the highest quality adhesive for porcelain tiles for tiling.

Ceramic tile absorbs more water in daily use will grab hold of the adhesive and it is easy to use. But since porcelain does not recommend epoxy or latex modified thin-set. Whatever adhesive agent you select porcelain needs extra help if it is laid it on wall. But plastic spacers can do the thick magically. Best tile adhesive can be selected through checking the components of adhesives and its guidelines to use for particular type of tiles and its application with maintenance directions.

 How to install Engineered wood flooring over tile

Engineered wood is made with 3 to 5 layers of hardwood. Every layer is stacked in a very cross-grain configuration and secure along beneath heat and pressure. Engineered wood flooring is a smaller amount doubtless to be laid low with changes in humidness and may be put in any respect levels of the house. The best built wooden floors are designed having 3-12 multiple ply layers that are cross bedded, affixed and ironed along.

 Why we use engineered wood in flooring over tile:          

The advantages of engineered wooden built floors embody a lot of resistance to higher wet levels that adds to their attractiveness to use in damp basements or in regions of the country that have higher ratio levels. Also, built flooring (excluding the newer Click Lock flooring) will be direct glued-down over concrete slabs higher than or below grade or pinned down over a wood subfloor.  There are a mess of built floors on the market these days that are created victimization the simplest raw materials on the market, for the possible emptor WHO needs a high quality product for his or her home.

 Way to use engineered wood in flooring over tile:                    

Engineered wooden floors area unit factory-made 2 ways in which, one, wherever the highest surface wear layer is Sliced/Sawn cut from the log like solid wood flooring is. Designed hardwood flooring that incorporates a Sliced/Sawn cut wear layer shows the more true natural look of the wood and finer wood graining. Sliced/Sawn cut designed flooring conjointly permits a thicker wear layer.

How it will be done:

Engineered wood flooring is straightforward to put in. Firstly, it needs abundant less preparation work, and also the planks themselves are additional versatile. The built wood is nailed over joists, and no laminate sub-flooring is needed earlier. Plus, because the high layer has been sanded and sealed earlier, once the ground is down, you'll be able to walk on that quickly. Alternative floor sorts need finishing, therefore you have got to attend to truly use them, which may cause inconvenience.

We may go thronging some process to install engineered wood flooring over tile.

- At first its need to Marge the area of subfloor for installation and now fill prevailing cracks or holes with wood putty or concrete combine and then reckoning on the fabric.

-Determine what quantity material we would like by measurement the length and dimension of the area. Multiply these numbers along, and then add V-day to the present range to account for future repairs, broken planks, or installation mistakes. Designed flooring is obtainable at the most home improvement stores or from your native flooring contractor.

-Foam can create the ground softer to run on whereas serving  to deaden the sound of footsteps.

-Begin like egg laying your built wood planks on the longest encloses the space. Leave a 1/4-inch gap between the plank and therefore the wall to account for growth of the fabric.

- Snap consequent row of planks into place mistreatment the tongue and groove connectors on the sting of every piece and faucet the sting of every panel.

- Use a power saw to chop items to suit every row.

-Leave another 1/4-inch gap as you reach the ultimate row to permit for enlargement on either side of the space. It’s going to be necessary to chop the planks length-wise to accommodate this spacing.

-Install baseboards or trim round the perimeter of the area to finish the project.

        In case of stair, Determine the stairs are clean or staples and free of protruding nail heads and there is no nosing. If there is any of them then it need to remove .Then start work slowly and carefully and clean up the dust and mess. Then cut the designed wood planks for the steps. live the items with a activity tape then cut them with the miter saw. Rip the last row of planking for every step on the table saw. Cut all items of wood before gluing them down.
  Need to know:

All Brands of built floors have variations in quality. Their edge may even be off and their end quality might be poor. In this case we'd like to remain far away from names we tend to ne'er detected of and solely use Name whole hardwood flooring from makers that are around for an extended time. They're going to typically stand behind their flooring if one thing ought to get it wrong.

        If you would like real wood, the simplest selection is designed flooring. This sandwich of wood veneer affixed to layers of pine or ply board appears and is incredibly stable.