Our back patio is constructed of 2x2' aggregate cement blocks. The
surface isn't made up of those really big stones, but neither is it
smooth. This patio has been in place for almost 14 years and thus is
probably stable and will not shift.

My question is, what options do I have to lay tile over this instead?
I hate the look of this cement and want to get rid of it. Do I have
to completely pull it out and put in a smooth concrete patio first?
Can I just use leveling mud and put hardiboard backerboard over the
concrete? Can I lay a thin layer of smooth concrete over the existing
pieces? Obviously I don't want the tile that I put down to crack
shortly after this project.

Thank you!
-Rex

On Oct 31, 1:22 pm, Rex Kerr wrote:

My question is, what options do I have to lay tile over this instead?
I hate the look of this cement and want to get rid of it. Do I have
to completely pull it out and put in a smooth concrete patio first?
Can I just use leveling mud and put hardiboard backerboard over the
concrete? Can I lay a thin layer of smooth concrete over the existing
pieces? Obviously I don't want the tile that I put down to crack
shortly after this project.

Not really an answer to your question, but you should give some
thought to what kind of tile you put down on a patio. When you combine
too slick a finish, rain, and rubber-sole flip-flops, you can end up
with a skating rink. DAMHIKT.

Jerry

On 2007-11-01, Steve wrote:
How about concrete pavers? You could put down a thin sand layer with the
thin pavers on top. You can use the thick pavers if you have enough door
clearance. I just watched a crew put pavers in a new concrete median using
a very thin sand layer over the concrete.

Perhaps, though they seem to get messy (shift over time, etc) and
aren't as attractive as real tile. Also, I only have about four
inches of clearance, so a 2" thick paver plus sand would bring the
surface up quite close to the door. That actually brings up another
question... how much clearance does one need to prevent rain
intrusion?