Ask a tradesperson

Anonymous user

I have to say that's one of the worst excuses to cover up a bodge job i've ever heard..........it's even worse than a 'decorator' plastering a ceiling with easi-fill joint cement i saw recently. How do these people sleep at night? Report your 'tiler' to Trading Standards and try and get your money back. If he refuses,take him through the small claims court. Good luck with everything. Carl.

Anonymous user

hi. Im a bathroom installer. Yes you can tile on top of existing tiles, But never heard of using silicone? Did the guy have trouble leaving his horse outside? Graham

Anonymous user

I've been in the building trade for over 20 years and never seen this done! But having said that, I see no reason why this wouldn't work. Silicone will pretty much stick anything... wait and see if they drop off, I'm guessing you could be there a long time!

Anonymous user

In fairness to the tiling operative,using silicone will be more effective than several of the methods listed in the given answers,firstly unibond is a water based adhesive,of course it does dry alas when a water based adhesive is applied on top the pva will reactivate and serve no useful purpose,secondly,water based adhesives rely on a permeable substrate to absorb the water within the adhesive in order to cure,tiling on to a non permeable substrate such as tiles is pointless with a water based adhesive,an adhesive with a chemical curing agent is required,nuff said!

Phil The Tiler

Rating: 5 out of 55583 reviews

Stourbridge

You shouldn't be using PVA when overtiling! what happens to PVA when it gets wet? It breaks down and causes a weak bond between the two. Proper cleaning, and then priming with a branded tile primer, ideally from a proper adhesive maker..Mapei,Weber, Bal etc.... dont unibond!!! :(

Anonymous user

Not the absolute best way of completing this kind of job; can be acceptable to a limit but, in my experience, removal of old tiles and making good wall surfaces and retiling accordingly is the better standard.

Anonymous user

that is a complete cowboy job you want to report the builder to rogue traders !!! always use rapid set adhesive on floor tiling

Anonymous user

Where to start with an answer to your question. Wrong. wrong wrong. and the news doesn't get any better. Between the adhesive quality and the suction from a notched trowel application you have a good stick. You can tile on tiles, If the original tiles are cleaned and a high quality adhesive is used. domestic grout is only water resistant. so as moisture gets behind your sisters tiles.The silicone will separate from the tiles and the wall will become live. Only the grout holding the tiles together but, not to the wall. It will need to be redone at some stage soon. I'm sorry for the bad news. Peter

Anonymous user

hi, If it is I am sorry I have not come across it and having recently completed an NVQ in tiling I'm sure I am correct in saying it was wrong of him to do this and it is not best practice or even recommended. Richard A&R Ground works

Anonymous user

no its not right. you can tile over existing tiles as a last option, but we never do. always best to remove, prep the walls and re tile. if he did use silicone then i wouldn't expect it to last too long! he should have primed the tiles and also used the correct adhesive. tut tut!!!!

Anonymous user

the tiler{ bodger} is talking poo ..if the whole area of tile is not adhered and the grouting fails the water will just get behind the tiles and cause problems ..you can tile over existing tiles if there sound{stuck firmly to wall} but you need to key up old tiles ,then pva seal then fit new ones with a good adhesive and grout ...he is not a tiler ..yyyeeeehhhhhaaaaaa ride them cowboy .......

Anonymous user

Silicone?? most definately not what a trade professional would do... tiling on tiles can be done but the old tiles need to be keyed first, but sticking them on with silicone is a no - no

Anonymous user

hi,check the wallpapers not held on with blutac, enough said!!!

Anonymous user

Hi, this is not common practice and in my opinion they should of initially tried to get the old tiles off, however if this was impractical then the existing tiles should of been trated with a PVA solution and then overtiled using an appropriate adhesive. Hope this helps, Regards Kevin

Hi, they won't fall off,don't panic.....ive just stripped a bathroom where a small area had been over tiled with clear silicone adhesive around the top of the bath. The silicone glued ones wouldn't part from the original ones but the original ones came off with a simple blade lift underneath. As for a flexible powered tile adhesive.......what is that?...no such thing as flexible tile adhesive and grout, or is that the one you use to stick to floorboards!!!(never)........also how do you Prep tiles for over tileing??....unless he used a poor quality silicone adhesive you won't be seeing any tiles falling off anytime soon........I have been in the trade for 35 years, had 3 rentals and worked on countless council jobs,I have used this method and NEVER had a tile come off and that includes public facilities maintained by the council......

Anonymous user

Hi mate,NO this is not common practice & if i was you i would demand my money back & report him to either trading standards or the site you hired him from.As things like this give us trustworty tilers a bad name.Its fine to tile over old tiles but tiles should always be put up or laid using appropiate adhesive. Thanks Steve.

Anonymous user

no a tiler should never put tiles on a wall using anything other than tile adhesive

Anonymous user

it is ok to tile on old tiles as long as the old tiles are not loose. tiles should only be fixed with tile adhesive. it is certainly not common practice to use silicone to stick tiles anywhere.

Anonymous user

No it is NOT correct. Over thirty years in this trade and I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The only time anyone would use silicone or hot glue to stick tiles up with is in tile showrooms on boards. And that is only to make it easier to change the tiles when discontinued. Stop the world I want to get off!

Is this a joke? This so called tiler you hired did he arrive by car or by horse this would be frowned upon and is never common practice

HELLO THIS BLOKES HAVING A LAUGH SURELY ? IF THE OLD TILES ARE FIRMLY STUCK THEN YOU COULD UNIBOND THE OLD TILES THEN RETILE WITH WATERPROOF ADHEASIVE . REGARDS ROB.

Anonymous user

hi no.do not use silicone.there is a tile on tile adshive you can buy.

Anonymous user

Sorry my freind what a cowboy this bloke is X10 THE WALLS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRIMED FIRST THEN IF TILING WITH CERAMIC A NORMAL ADHESIVE MAY BE USED ,BUT IF TILING IN PORCELAIN ,NATURAL STONE ETC A FLEXABLE ADHESIVE MUST BE USED

Good god..i have just seen this post and had to reply. the (so called-tiler) how can he even use the name "tiler" he is no tradesman, just a cowboy when i trained a collage i used to watch the tilers learning the job "its a true skill" Like all materials we use in building trade they need a key first to even stick to the wall, I'm no tiler but even i know to use silicone to stick tiles on a wall is just bad, as silicone always separates over time

no it not the right way to do the tiling with silicone; on top of old tiles put if you put downp/v/a adhesive, and then put down the tile by useing flexible extra strong tile eadhesive, no it is not common practice in the trade. no it not the right way to put done tile on top of old tile by useing silicone,

It depends what you want. but never seen some one tiling over the old ones with silicone before. normally he should remove the old ones and put the new ones on.probably he was tryig to make life easy for himself.

Anonymous user

no way is that common practice, he is a cowboy. you can however tile on top of old tiles,but tile adhesive should be used. although i would rather take all old tiles off

Anonymous user

no its not right to stick them on with silicone it should have been done with addisive hope this helps

Anonymous user

youll find out not in about 2 -3months when they start popping off

Anonymous user

No sorry its not and neither is tiling on top of tiles very sorry about that....kevin

no he shouldn't have used silicone you can get specialist tile adhesive for tiling on top of tiles i would advise it is redone

Anonymous user

No you should not use silcone to stick tiles it should be a flexible powered wall and floor adhesive. Also it does help to clean and score the original wall tiles to get a good key to the wall.

Anonymous user

Did you have a rail put up so he could tie his hourse to it. Tile on top of tile yes NOT with mastic though. Regards Roger

Absolutely not the way a real tiler would do it!!

Anonymous user

This has made my blood boil! Is he even qualified? How do people get away with awful services like this?! I trained for over 2 years to get my tiling qualifications which I passed with flying colours at an NVQ Level 3. One of the main areas we worked on was the right adhesive to use for each surfaces and never once did silicone appear in the categories. Cowboy Builder!! He doesn't deserve to call himself a 'tiler'

Must be a cowboy, ask for full refund, Isn't John Wayne dead? All walls should be de-tiled, re skimmed/plastered, wait to dry, miss coated and made good if painted, or must use water proof tile adhesive, leave for 24hrs then use a top quality water/shower proof qrote to finish, seal grout / tiles if required

Anonymous user

Never!! this person is spoiling the reputation of many who want to do the right service. This person called a "cowboy" cheated on you ask your money back and look for a professional in the mybuilder to make according to regulations.

Anonymous user

This is not the proper way to tile I think this guy is a cowboy? And however he managed to stick the tiles down with silicone that's a bit on me hope you get a proper job done next time round mate

No worries, is ok to stick tiles on tiles with silicone.

Anonymous user

That’s definitely not common practice in the tiling Trade. I can’t believe people are going around siliconing Tiles onto old tiles. Report this builder !!! Also, be careful because the tiles are 100% going to fall off sooner or later.

Anonymous user

No thats not good practice at all. Never stick tiles on with silicone

Anonymous user

Very bad practice and most probably not even a proper tiler!

No this is completely wrong! Always remove old tiles and fix walls to then put the new tiles up! The weight of 2 layers of tiles is too much for the walls. Get your money back.

Anonymous user

Definitely not common practise, I know people who do tile over tiles but not with silicone! would personally be getting the money back,

Is he qualified?

Anonymous user

No this is a cowboys job for then too do that

NO! What a cowboy! I have come across a lot of time tiles being tiled over tiles but never with silicone!!!!

hi. Im not a bathroom installer. But I knew about from my friend who do fit the bathroom Yes you can tile on top of existing tiles, But never heard of using silicone? Did the guy have trouble leaving his horse outside? Sanjeev