By Paul Bianchina
Q: I have seen some homes where investors have placed tile over existing tile in a shower. My home inspector said this was okay, as long as the original tile had no cracks or mildew. What do you think of this procedure? Also, can I put new flooring over an existing tile floor, or do I need to tear the old tile out first? -- Judy M.
A: I am not at all a fan of covering a problem -- or a potential problem -- with another material. You hit the nail on the head when you said "investors," since these are often people looking for the quickest, least expensive way to cosmetically improve a home for resale, without paying enough attention to potential problems down the road. I would strongly advise against installing ceramic tile over the top of existing tile in a shower.
As to the second question, it's best if you remove the tile first. However, if the tile is sound you can float a latex filler material over it to smooth it out, then install vinyl over the top of that. I would, however, consider this a less than ideal repair and would not recommend it for a long-term solution.
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