Tiling over travertine tile

XSXS

Hello!
Newbie here and I am looking for a little advise please so here is the problem.

I have an out door kitchen and the tiling job is bad and it was just installed by the contractor.
I am wondering if I can just tell him to do the tile over by just laying new travertine over the existing travertine?

How hard would it be to have him just pull everything up if he is willing?

The travertine is on a poured concrete bed using custom blend standard thin-set mortar.

Thanks!

joecaption

They just laid the tile and messed it up, now you want the same people to do it again.
Is it really the way it was laid, or is it you do not like the look?
Not the tile I would have chosen for that job, to poris.
Both ways would be a whole lot of work and materials.
Post some pictures so we can see why you think it's messed up.

XSXS

Not really, I can do tile better than these guys any day, just have little time to do stuff myself.

To be honest I am trying to figure out my options, Ideally I would have them rip it up and do the work myself and get some credit. I really don't want anything to get ugly with the contractor, I dont like confrontations.

When I get home I can take some pics, lets put this way, the tile itself is nice. It is the quality of work, i.e. uneven grout lines (space wise), cuts not straight since they did not use a tile saw. They free handed it the cuts using just a plain hand held masonary saw. A couple of other things too.

So basically I am hosed?

oh'mike

A bit more info needed---

Where are you? Does it freeze there?

If the Travertine is well set--no voids or hollow tiles--then yes--maybe--

Has it been sealed with a anything?

Does ti rain and freeze ?

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XSXS

I am located in Phoenix AZ, so just hot weather and rain. They just did the work last week and they still need to complete everything so they are still at my house. The travertine has not been sealed yet.

I am not sure if there are any voids, I guess I could check for hollow sounding tiles but I don't think I would truly know if there any voids in the thinset.

oh'mike

Rap the tiles with a screw driver handle--if hollow---junk the old work--

If nicely set--then you could tile over it--use a modified thinset---

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TRUEPRO

I hate to hear about these nightmare contractors that bid super low because their either really desperate to get some work and do a lousy job because they know their not gonna make any money on the job

or

The contractor has limited experience (a.k.a. NO F*****clue) and makes cuts with a circular saw. Anyone can stick tile to a wall. Few can do it the right way it seems these days.

Use a latex or epoxy modified thinset to tile over tile. Very do able project for the tenacious DIYer

XSXS

Update, the contractor is willing to fix a few tiles but I doubt he will want to all the areas, hopefully all goes. I took some pics but they aren't very good.

Another question, is okay to lay flag stone over travertine? I have some bench seating on my fireplace that has travertine and I think it looks funny, so just wondering if I could slap some flag stone on top of it and be good? or should I pull up the travertine tile first?

TRUEPRO

I would def pull up the travertine and set the flagstone in mortar. You need at least 6 inches of concrete below that for a solid footer.