I have an outdoor shopping center that has a water fountain 35 years
old. the ceramic tile inside the fountain has seen its finer days and
needs to replaced. The construction people say the tile is embeded
too firmly to be removed and that they only way to improve is to buy
tile designed to
be affixed over exisiting tile.

I don't know about such tiles. Does the method really work? Where
on the web can I find
vendors of this type of tile?

best, Aaron

Post at www.johnbridge.com to get a professional opinion.

The answer will probably be yes as long as the existing tile is firmly
attached and clean. As far as I know (I am a DYIer) you do not need a
special tile other than what is usually use for that application. You
will need a special/high-quality thinset to set the tiles.


wrote:

I have an outdoor shopping center that has a water fountain 35 years
old. the ceramic tile inside the fountain has seen its finer days and
needs to replaced. The construction people say the tile is embeded
too firmly to be removed and that they only way to improve is to buy
tile designed to
be affixed over exisiting tile.

I don't know about such tiles. Does the method really work? Where
on the web can I find
vendors of this type of tile?

best, Aaron

wrote:
I have an outdoor shopping center that has a water fountain 35 years
old. the ceramic tile inside the fountain has seen its finer days and
needs to replaced. The construction people say the tile is embeded
too firmly to be removed and that they only way to improve is to buy
tile designed to
be affixed over exisiting tile.

I don't know about such tiles. Does the method really work? Where
on the web can I find
vendors of this type of tile?

best, Aaron

If you don't trust your "construction people", go get new ones. If you
do trust them, then trust them. If they don't know where to get the
tiles, then don't trust them to do the job and go get someone new.

Just tell them to go bring you a dozen samples (or go the the supplier
with you) and to make a mock up of tile over tile for you to see.
After they do the mock up, have them explain it to you. Then try
pulling it apart and see what happens.

spake thus:

I have an outdoor shopping center that has a water fountain 35 years
old. the ceramic tile inside the fountain has seen its finer days and
needs to replaced. The construction people say the tile is embeded
too firmly to be removed and that they only way to improve is to buy
tile designed to be affixed over exisiting tile.

I don't think this actually has anything to do with the type tile you
use, since it doesn't contact the existing layer of tile; it's all about
the mortar you use to attach the tile. As someone else here said, there
may be special mortar ("thinset") made for going over existing tile.
You'll probably need to wash the old tile first with something like
muriatic acid before tiling.


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