Tiling Over Existing Shower Wall Tile

How to install a shower surround over existing tiles step 1.

Tiling over existing shower wall tile.

If your old ceramic tile is worn or dated you can lay new tile right over the old and avoid the huge job of tearing out the old tile. This assumes that the floor underneath is solid concrete and that there are no cracks in the existing tile indicating underlying problems in the concrete. Remove the faucet handle face plate spout and shower head. Most people dread re tiling because it often means that you need to remove all the old tiles first.

Mix degreasing cleaner with water in a bucket using a dilution recommended by the cleaner manufacturer. But this isn t always the case. This will guarantee your tiles to stick over pretty much anything. Layer newspaper on the floor across the bottom of the tiled wall.

Typically screws secure each of these items in. The proper way to tile over a fiberglass shower pan is to remove the pan. This gives the tub surround sealant a stronger hold. Let this dry before moving on.

Scratch the tile with sandpaper to rough up the surface. Skim coat over your existing tile. This essentially means laying a new layer of tiles over the old layer. Scrub the wall tiles with diluted degreasing cleaner and a nylon scrub brush.

This isn t especially problematic if the pan was installed separately from the shower walls but it can be tricky if the pan is part of a one piece fiberglass stall and it may need professional expertise. Make sure you ve filled in all the grooves and any openings on your existing surface.