"SteveBell" wrote in
:

My client wants ceramic or porcelain tile on her back porch. The
previous owner had glue-down green carpet/fake grass there. My
question is: Can I put thinset down on top of the remaining skim layer
of carpet glue?

An Internet search gives me advice all over the map: remove it with
solvents/don't use solvents because they soak into the concrete and
keep thinset from sticking; remove it with abrasives/don't because it
just melts and wastes time; remove and replace an obscenely thick
layer (1/4 - 1/2 inch) of concrete.

* The surface is smooth and even, and it is sloped properly.
* I power-washed it awhile back, and the glue washed off just
slightly. * I plan on scraping with a 4" razor in any case.

The fact that the glue dissolved slightly makes me hopeful that
water-based bedding material will "bond" with it. On the other hand,
it makes me worry, also, that it won't.

I'll take any advice I can get.


Hey Steve:

Need to get out of the remove it box thinking..

You know well enough that tile needs a good solid base. Maybe it's
already cement with the glue on it?

Sounds like you need to get some cement board of the proper thickness
down in any way you can. Then you know the tile will stick to a brand
new surface designed for tile.

Maybe whatever your situation is cement board is out of the question?