laying stamped concrete over old tile

Kimmarie · 11-12-2007, 04:06 PM

We have very unattractive tile flooring in our house. Instead of removing all of it and laying new tile, we were wondering about pouring concrete over the tile and then embellishing the concrete with stamping or different colors. Has anybody done this before? Thanks for your help.

**joasis** · 11-13-2007, 08:40 PM

More information needed, but basically, this is not a good idea. The correct action would be to remove the old tiles, and grind the concrete, then possibly acid stain, use a template and stain, or other options. Do a search on acid stained concrete floors and see what you find.

Kimmarie · 11-13-2007, 10:34 PM

Thank you for your response - I was hoping to take care of my problem with an easier solution!

**joasis** · 11-14-2007, 06:06 AM

Removing the old tile isn't as big a deal as you might think....but yes, it is work. What you can do after it is gone will be determined by the condition of the concrete under the tile. You can rent a small grinder that will leave a nice finish, after you have all the thinset or mortar removed...then, no problem.

One trick with existing concrete, is to use a small tile saw, the hand held type with the 4 inch blade, and cut line in the floor, an 1/8 inch deep...just a scar line. Then you can acid stain these lines with a dark color, like walnut, and then the floor in a mocha, and presto, it will look like a perfect tile job. The possibilities with acid stain and concrete are endless.

Joanne_08 · 03-09-2008, 02:20 PM

I have a lot of square feet of tile and don't want to have to remove it all. Can I put stained concrete floors on top of the tile? It has been in this house for 20 years. Thanks, Joanne

Bondo · 03-09-2008, 02:59 PM

Ayuh,....

Joanne,... The answer is the same as it was 5 months ago,.....

Quote:

More information needed, but basically, this is not a good idea.

DepotDweller · 03-09-2008, 03:59 PM

I was told when we got some wilsonart laminate flooring put down in our front room that should we ever want to, we could lay the stuff directly over our tile floors. If that's true, why not do that? We have the interlocking panels. We didn't do it, so can't tell you how it works, but just thought I'd throw that atcha.

concretemasonry · 03-09-2008, 05:26 PM

Hdepot dweller -

Your are confusing a concrete overlay witha something over afloating laminate floor.

A laminate floor is temporary and not permanent, so why put a permanent surface over it?

DepotDweller · 03-09-2008, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by concretemasonry

Hdepot dweller -

Your are confusing a concrete overlay witha something over afloating laminate floor.

A laminate floor is temporary and not permanent, so why put a permanent surface over it?

nooooooooooo, she wants to cover her existing tile so she doesn't have to remove it. I suggested she put the laminate flooring over the existing permanent tile. didn't i ?

maybe what was confusing is the front room is laminate flooring and the rest of the house is tiled.

blanca · 08-16-2008, 02:10 AM

Tell me what did you do about the tile? Did you put the stain concrete over? I'm in the same situation.
Let me know, please
Thanks

**joasis** · 08-16-2008, 08:07 AM

Sometimes, I get the idea you DIY'ers don't take our advice seriously....so let's try this plainly. It is not acceptable to place concrete/cement/portland or any other mortar based thinset or floor leveler over tile/wood/laminate/linoleum/carpet or other floor covering. There are modified polymers and mastics that would, in theory, work for this, but why would you want to go to that expense? Sometimes, you have to expect that there will be some sweat in a project, and those of us who are pro's expect this, and know it has to be done correctly. Being a DIY'er should not mean cutting corners and knowingly doing slip shod work...do it right.

PrestonMagic · 02-09-2009, 11:34 PM

I'm am in a similar situation and have some ideas regarding the subject. My idea is to put the concrete over the existing tile and stain it, but it depends on how the tile was installed. It is possible to tile over existing tile if the tile is well secured to the concrete(no hollow spots, thick mortar bed, etc), in theory, this should work the same way. It is certainly a bad idea to put any static flooring over a moveable subfloor (tile over laminate wood, concrete over carpet, etc), with the exception of 2nd floor installations where the subfloor may possibly move. The subfloor moves and cracks as a whole, and properly installed ceramic tile is actually more durable than concrete itself. My worry with removing the old tile, if it is difficult to remove, is harming the original subfloor. And it may be that the condition of the original concrete will require additional work(buffing, sanding) to remove any other old covers(glue from laminate flooring, etc). Also, mortar will often stay on the floor in small bits, and the only way I have found to remove it is with an air hammer, which is easy to damage the original concrete with and time consuming. In theory, this should work as long as the new concrete will bond with the old tile, which may require sanding, shipping, or acid etching, and the subfloor (including the tile) is solid.

So, in my view, the way to go about this is to first check the tile for hollow spots by knocking on it. If there are hollow spots then it needs to come up for sure. The best way to do this is with a sledgehammer. Wear protection, chipped tile is sharp and will cut you. Don't forget ear and eye protection. Small shards of tile will sit in your ear and cut you up. Using an air hammer is another way but it is usually too rough and hard to control. It can also burn out your compressor.

For putting concrete over the floor, first check the level of the floor and then apply the proper grade concrete over it. In this case, I would opt for the expensive kind, there are different kinds for sure.

Any additional ideas and thoughts regarding this would be appreciated.

**joasis** · 02-10-2009, 07:34 AM

Read post #11. We try to be polite, but what part of this isn't clear?

bwalley · 02-10-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrestonMagic

I'm am in a similar situation and have some ideas regarding the subject. My idea is to put the concrete over the existing tile and stain it, but it depends on how the tile was installed. It is possible to tile over existing tile if the tile is well secured to the concrete(no hollow spots, thick mortar bed, etc), in theory, this should work the same way. It is certainly a bad idea to put any static flooring over a moveable subfloor (tile over laminate wood, concrete over carpet, etc), with the exception of 2nd floor installations where the subfloor may possibly move. The subfloor moves and cracks as a whole, and properly installed ceramic tile is actually more durable than concrete itself. My worry with removing the old tile, if it is difficult to remove, is harming the original subfloor. And it may be that the condition of the original concrete will require additional work(buffing, sanding) to remove any other old covers(glue from laminate flooring, etc). Also, mortar will often stay on the floor in small bits, and the only way I have found to remove it is with an air hammer, which is easy to damage the original concrete with and time consuming. In theory, this should work as long as the new concrete will bond with the old tile, which may require sanding, shipping, or acid etching, and the subfloor (including the tile) is solid.

So, in my view, the way to go about this is to first check the tile for hollow spots by knocking on it. If there are hollow spots then it needs to come up for sure. The best way to do this is with a sledgehammer. Wear protection, chipped tile is sharp and will cut you. Don't forget ear and eye protection. Small shards of tile will sit in your ear and cut you up. Using an air hammer is another way but it is usually too rough and hard to control. It can also burn out your compressor.

For putting concrete over the floor, first check the level of the floor and then apply the proper grade concrete over it. In this case, I would opt for the expensive kind, there are different kinds for sure.

Any additional ideas and thoughts regarding this would be appreciated.

I would just get some regular concrete and mix it up kind of soupy and pour it over the existing floor, this way it will self level.

ccarlisle · 02-10-2009, 09:04 AM

Kimmarie: We work with the stamped concrete industry and do acid staining and overlays - both inside and out - but the one thing you need is a concrete base. Not a wood floor. Not a good tiled floor. Concrete.

Look at it this way: take our advice and remove the tiles. Don't take the advice of making a soupy concrete mix. Do it right the first time.

Cut corners and you'll end up regretting it. Unless, of course, you can live with a crumbly, cracked floor that looks like hell. If that's your standard, then we can't help you.