Tiling onto existing tiles - Tile Advice

[Plumbing Tiler]

Hi All!,
Wow, I only joined yesterday and already I find myself needing your advice, I went out last night to do a quote for a bathroom, the customer has recently had a new bathroom fitted and now has decided he hates the tiles (ceramic black marble effect), it does make the room look very small and dark, so he wants it tiled again over these as he says he cannot put up with the mess and dust etc from removing the tiles.
I have never tiled onto tiles before, always stripped them off, so I wanted to know if it is acceptable to do this, and if so what preparation is required, and most importantly, what you experts feel about this practice and if you would do it?, like most people I really do need this job and would like to do as the customer wishes but not at the expense of my reputation or my guarantee!, also the new tiles are fairly large in size 600 x 300mm so weight could also be an issue?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Gazzer]

No way should this be done IMO.

 

[Stewart]

I wouldn't do it either.....

 

[garybadger]

Need to strip the lot off and start again.
The weight off the 60x30 tiles on top of the wall already tiled is too heavy per m2 for the wall.

 

[josephjohns]

Plaster bonding agent its a red gritty stuff, you just roller it on 24 hours before tiling used it loads of times. just make shaw the tiles your tiling on are solid, and you wipe it of his new bath before it dries because you won't shift it when it does

 

[nybor62]

strip the lot off, and i wish tilers on here would stop advising people how to tile on tiles its not the right way of doing things, i understand it being done on some commercials jobs which is still bad practice , but deffo not on domestic with 600x300 tiles as a substrate

 

[swanman]

Well said nybor62

Very good advise i hope he takes it on board

And dosent get bullied by the customer to over tile

 

[patrick horisk]

Its all about cost at the end of the day!! If the client can't or won't pay for the original tiles to be stripped and replastered then what you going to do turn the job down?? Anyway tiling on tile is easy as long as the surface is sound then prime it and crack on as normal!! Not a big problem at all! Down to the client at the end of the day! All you can do is advise them which i agree with on not tiling on tile but if there happy with it then so be it

 

[nybor62]

i could,nt disagree with you more, so is it easier to tile on tile than it is plaster board, or any other suitable surface
im not saying it cant be done , but it should,nt be done imo

 

[macten]

I'd never personally tile on tile on walls but accept that it is done, but putting 60x30's on top of wall tiles is madness!

 

[White Room]

As above, you don't know how well fixed the existing tiles are...

 

[jay]

Your call,

Your name

 

[kilty55]

there seems to be a fair few people condoning tiling in tile and it doesnt seem to matter what its onto or what the tiles are,,,things are hard enough out there workwise and your making it even harder by condoning these methods in view of the public on here!

 

[jay]

Makes it harder when the tile retail outlets are pushing it '(yes you can tile on tile it says so on the bag ):mad2:

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Plaster bonding agent its a red gritty stuff, you just roller it on 24 hours before tiling used it loads of times. just make shaw the tiles your tiling on are solid, and you wipe it of his new bath before it dries because you won't shift it when it does

Hi Joseph, we are aware of these products, but as stated above, (and many times on this forum) it is not the ability of the adhesive to key to a tiled surface. Rather how well bonded are the tiles, you are tiling to. Very bad practice imo. Each to their own, I hope i can sleep soundly knowing my tiles are fixed correctly.