I'm going to be tiling the top of a small kitchen island which is currently Formica. There is no sink and it won't be exposed to a lot of water. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on what surface to put the tile on, and everyone seems to agree that I shouldn't tile on the existing Formica. However, I've seen it done by a professional and it has lasted for years (on a whole countertop WITH a sink). I would like to leave the Formica if possible and add a layer of cement board or whatever if I have to. Now I'm hearing that I should remove the Formica entirely. I sure don't want to use 2 layers of plywood and 1 layer of cement board if I don't have to. I'm an "old lady" and working with those things is not as easy as tiling! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I need to lbring a cinder block step up to level with an adjacent concrete floor so that I can tile both surfaces. The cinder block is only about half an inch lower than the concrete and I want to tile over both. I'm concerned about using SLC over the block - will a half inch layer crack over time, especially where the block and concrete meet? If you don't understand what I'm talking about, check out my pictures at this URL: [url]http://entrytile.shutterfly.com/action[/url] My initial thought - posted earlier in a different thread - was to install 1/4 inch Hardi backer over the whole entryway so I didn't have to worry about cracks. Thanks!!