Most people find it hard to change their floor covering because they think they have to remove everything. Not so! It is possible to lay tiles on tiles. Easy and practical, if you’d like to find out more, we tell you all about this method in this post.
Materials and tools for laying tiles
Before you start tiling, you’ll need to have a number of materials and tools at your disposal. This will save you endless trips to the DIY store. Of course, if you’re a DIY enthusiast, you can do it yourself, but not without the necessary arsenal.
The materials
In addition to equipment such as gloves, boots and suitable clothing for personal protection, you’ll need the following materials:
- Bonding primer (primer or undercoat);
- Joint mortar ;
- Adhesive mortar;
- Braces;
- Tiles;
- Glass mesh 4x4cm
Tools required
As working tools, you will need :
- A tile-cutting machine
- A notched spatula
- A grease pencil
- grout and grout container
- Squeegee or rubber mallet
- Adhesive mortar and a container for its use
- Cloth and sponge
- Trowel and pliers
- Special tiling bat
- A mason’s ruler
- Trimming pliers
- A chalk line
- Trough and bucket
- Tile roller.
Laying tiles on tiles
Laying tiles on tiles is very easy when all the required steps are followed to the letter. You can, of course, call in a professional or, if you’d like the satisfaction of doing the job yourself, we recommend you get some training. Explain your project to a professional to benefit from quality advice, or book an appointment with Style-carrelage.fr for tailor-made assistance with your tiling project.
Before tiling
First of all, make sure that the thickness of the tiles and adhesive does not exceed 10 mm, otherwise you risk creating an excess thickness during installation of the new tiles. Next, check that the old tiles are still strong by tapping them with a rubber mallet. Remove any faulty tiles, scrape off the old adhesive and re-glue. Seal any cracks with adhesive mortar. Wipe away any adhesive and mortar debris with a damp cloth, then leave the tiles to dry for a few minutes.
Once the tiles have dried, you now need to wash the old tiles thoroughly. Using an abrasive pad, carefully sand the joints to facilitate the application of the primer. Remove dust and rinse with clean water.
Wait until the floor is completely dry, then apply an adhesion primer using a wool roller. Wait at least three hours.
Steps to follow when laying tiles
Whether indoors or outdoors, there are adhesives to suit every location. It’s best toopt for an adhesive that can be used on both walls and floors. For tiles smaller than 500 cm², simple gluing is sufficient. Simply apply the adhesive to the base. For larger tiles, double glue. Here, the adhesive is spread over both the surface and the back of the tile.
With certain types of adhesive, you can dispense with the need for an adhesion primer. If you opt for the latter, use very thick coats to avoid failures as much as possible.
To lay the tiles, spread your adhesive over an area of about three tiles and lay them gradually. To spread the adhesive evenly, keep the spatula angled so as to make even furrows.
Then lay each tile in the required position. Use a mallet to beat each tile into its bed of adhesive. Place spacers at the corners so that the tiles are well aligned and evenly spaced. Don’t forget to remove them before the glue takes effect.
Once the glue has dried, close any gaps with grout. You can clean the surface of your tiles with a damp cloth. Wait at least 24 hours for the adhesive to dry completely before using the space again.
When laying tiles on parquet
It’s perfectly possible! The steps to be taken before installation are as follows:
- Sand the floor to remove any traces of varnish or wax;
- Check the strength of the floorboards (if they are unstable, secure them further with a screw);
- Scrape out any gaps between boards;
- Then vacuum the entire floor;
- Use an elastomeric sealant to fill any gaps;
- If the floor is not straight, apply a levelling compound to correct any defects.
For bathrooms, don’t forget to waterproof. Once these prerequisites have been met, you have two options for preparing the floor for tiling.
First, you can use a wool roller to apply the bonding primer. Wait until it is sufficiently dry. Next, use glass mesh to cover the floor. Finally, apply a thin layer of mortar-glue to the floor.
Secondly, using mortar-glue, lay a base coat over the parquet. To prevent the tiles from being compressed against the walls, install a bead to secure the edges of the room.
For the adhesive, we recommend using a tile-on-wood adhesive specially formulated for this type of work. The first rule of DIY is to adapt each product to the given situation.
Laying tiles on tiles or parquet may seem a daunting task, but once you’ve got the tools and materials you need, and the right method, all you have to do is follow the steps. You don’t need to be a professional to get started.
