Tile Over Adhesive

newbsauce · 09-25-2009, 04:11 PM

A precursor: This is my first time owning a home, flooring, etc.

Well, I tore up my laundry room this week as a fun little renovation project. I've never done a floor before, so I wanted to attempt it on the cheap. It had some horrible vinyl that I have since scraped up. Once I cleared out the old floor, to my horror I've realized there is ceramic underneath! Unfortunately, demolishing the tile down to the slab will cause my floor height to be lower then I wanted so that is out of the question.

So, I'm left with a level floor covered in a black gooey adhesive. I went to Lowe's to search for an adhesive remover and they told me to tile over it. Will this work? I feel like I cannot clean it properly because its almost impossible to sweep up.

Things I've purchased:
Tiles (16x16) on clearance - Woo!
Trowel, Bucket, Grout
Flexguard thinset (since there's tile underneath)
Spacers

So far my "budget" is sitting around 130! Here's some pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/BHiddeme...eat=directlink

jpcustoms · 09-26-2009, 08:31 AM

since you do not want to tear out the tile and since you have a gooey adhesive on top, you may try to skim the adhesive with a thin layer of thinset with a flat trowel. mix thinset(use a quality fortified thinset) and make it easily spreadable take care to not have trowel humps. let set a day, then scrape any irregularities, sweep and start tiling.

JazMan · 09-26-2009, 11:45 AM

The tiles are gone and she's left with a film of the old black (cut-back) adhesive. No problem.

I'm not familiar with that thin set, but if it says it's OK for over a thin film of cutback, you're good.

Those are large tiles for such a small room, does the floor have any slope at all? Hope not, you need a very flat floor. What size notched trowel do you have?

Jaz