Can you lay down those adhesive floor tiles on top of existing tiles? If so, what kind of prep do you need to do to make sure they stick properly. I‘m not sure what type of tiles are in place now, but they are similiar to the types used in schools and other institutions. Very cheap, flexible, and bland. I want to lay something down in place of them, but don‘t want to rip them up. Is that possible? Thanks!
That partially depends on how heavy the tiles are and the reinforcement of your wall. I remember when asking about putting tiling in my kitchen that for large areas of wall tile you need a special drywall or wall reinforcement. You may also need a special adhesive to add in addition to the self adhesive since the floor tiles will be put up in a manner that they are not truly designed for.
I wouldn't sign my name to a job as you describe, (no offense) and I've installed thousands of sq. ft. of flooring. BUT...If you absolutely don't want to remove the old, and have a sense of their substance (you state school type) perhaps a commercial grade thick vinyl? School type and/or older commercial types are often not exactly flexible and can crack; especially on corners or fitting that is too tight. Certainly you can take the time and effort to rough up the existing. You can also use Lacquer thinner (albeit smelly) to destroy any possible finish from the manufacturer. I do have a suggestion I state in every Vinyl tile Q however. Go to a Lowes or HD. Purchase a gallon or whatever of a water based contact cement. DuPont might be one manufacturer. What I use is a nice looking Aqua color. Peel the paper off the back of the tile as you proceed; Brush on a coat of the cement to the tile back and floor area. Allow dry time and press down. This assumes you've measured/ perhaps squared the room again; dont strictly place the new on the exact seams of the existing; and don't make a mistake in placement. Save your cuts for the last, work toward/ back to an exit point, and allow a few hours at least for some cure time. The water based contact cement is as durable and effective as the lacquer based; dries rapidly; can initially be cleaned up with water; and doesn't have a strictly offensive odor. Steven Wolf
I've seen it done before. You have to make sure the floor is super clean, not little bumps or crusty stuff for sure. Then, don't line the tiles up directly on top of the old ones, but offset them instead. The stick down tiles will last for a while, but the ones that were in the bathroom at my old house peeled up after only 1 year cause of the water.
Clean the existing tiles with TSP and then rough them up so that the new tiles have something to adhere to and you don't get lift. You can sand them lightly then use a tack cloth to remove the dust or they sell chemicals at the home improvement store that de-gloss and prep the surface to take on the adhesive of the new tile. You can only do this once and if you decide to change the tile again you have to remove all of the existing layers.
This can be done but, the big but.....the floor, the existing floor has to be super clean. Go to Home Depot and get a gallon of Armstrong: Latex primer. As I said, clean the floor real good, make sure there are no dips that are sharp or humps that are sharp. No grains of sand, these will look like mountains under the new tile, it's best to do this in stocking feet. Always checking for dirt and brushing all the time. Do not put the new tile over the same line but cross them. Before you start, put a good layer of primer down with a roller and wait for it to dry completely. If there's spaces between the old tile that are quite far apart, I have used a filler to fill these.
