laying tile on cement slab

	laying tile on cement slab

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laying tile on cement slab

grodenhiATgmailDOTcom

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

Just mee

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

dkhedmo

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

MDT at Paragon ...

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

tksirius

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

PipeDown

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

gfretwell

07-13-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

grodenhiATgmail...

07-14-2006

Re: laying tile on cement slab

JimL

07-13-2006

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Posted by grodenhiATgmailDOTcom on July 13, 2006, 9:16 am

I am preparing to do ceramic tile in a small 10x11 foot sunroom or our
house. This sunroom is built on slab (raises about 3 to 4 inches above
grade. Currently there is just vinyl floor and shows no sign of damage
(just don't like the color/style). Can I lay the tile directly on the
slab, or should I use some sort of vapor barrier? If I need to use a
vapor barrier how is that done? I'd like to avoid having to nail into
the slab if possible. Thanks in advance!!

Posted by Just mee on July 13, 2006, 9:20 am

Rip up the vinyl floor, put tile directly on slab with thinset.

>I am preparing to do ceramic tile in a small 10x11 foot sunroom or our

> house. This sunroom is built on slab (raises about 3 to 4 inches above

> grade. Currently there is just vinyl floor and shows no sign of damage

> (just don't like the color/style). Can I lay the tile directly on the

> slab, or should I use some sort of vapor barrier? If I need to use a

> vapor barrier how is that done? I'd like to avoid having to nail into

> the slab if possible. Thanks in advance!!

Posted by dkhedmo on July 13, 2006, 10:44 am

Just mee wrote:

> Rip up the vinyl floor, put tile directly on slab with thinset.

>> I am preparing to do ceramic tile in a small 10x11 foot sunroom or our

>> house. This sunroom is built on slab (raises about 3 to 4 inches above

>> grade. Currently there is just vinyl floor and shows no sign of damage

>> (just don't like the color/style). Can I lay the tile directly on the

>> slab, or should I use some sort of vapor barrier? If I need to use a

>> vapor barrier how is that done? I'd like to avoid having to nail into

>> the slab if possible. Thanks in advance!!

The house we're buying is on a slab. Original (early 1950's) tile under
current carpet/tile is asbestos according to inspector. We'd like to
replace the kitchen and bath tile with ceramic/faux stone and some
manner of wood in the living room. Should we leave the original asbestos
layer and go over it? What other things do I need to take into
consideration regarding what we choose to put over it? We were hoping
some of this could be work we do ourselves - is there anything about
sealing with the slab or going over the old tile that may be too
difficult for novices?

-Karen-

Posted by MDT at Paragon Home Inspection on July 13, 2006, 11:49 am

> The house we're buying is on a slab. Original (early 1950's) tile under

> current carpet/tile is asbestos according to inspector. We'd like to

> replace the kitchen and bath tile with ceramic/faux stone and some

> manner of wood in the living room. Should we leave the original asbestos

> layer and go over it? What other things do I need to take into

> consideration regarding what we choose to put over it? We were hoping

> some of this could be work we do ourselves - is there anything about

> sealing with the slab or going over the old tile that may be too

> difficult for novices?

As for the asbestos aspect, a good place to start is here, the EPA
homeowner's asbestos information page:

"If the asbestos material is in good shape and will not be disturbed,
do nothing!"

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html#4

While a home inspector my believe a material is asbestos tile (based
on a visual inspection and his/her experience with similar materials)
AFAIK the only way to be certain is to have it sampled and tested -
in my state that would be done by a licensed industrial hygienist.

If you do want to remove it, and the material is vinyl asbestos tile
(VAT), in many jurisdictions you do not have to be a specially licensed
contractor to do so, though you may be subject to disposal regulations.
If it's sheet vinyl flooring with an asbestos containing backing,
likely only a contractor licensed to do such work can remove it. You
will be able to find out from you local building and/or local health
department which agency(s) regulate asbestos removal and disposal in
your area.

As for flooring over it, there are a number of floating engineered wood
floorings that are designed for installation over slabs, and a number
underlayerments - including of moisture-barriers/crack-control
membranes - that can be installed over existing tile installed over a
slab as a base for ceramic tile installation - you have to be guided
by the manufacturer's recommendations and advice from flooring
contractors and suppliers.

If there are other, similar homes in the neighborhood they may have
similar flooring installed, and it may be helpful if you can discover
what sorts of flooring were installed over these, who installed it, and
how well it has held up.

Before getting bids check the existing floor carefully where
accessible, look for loose tiles (which may be indicate moisture
problems), "traveling" cracks, especially if they change in width
(which suggest slab cracks below) and especially for any cracks higher
on one side than the other (which indicate that portions of the slab
may be lifting or subsiding) - all problems that could make it more
difficult to obtain durable results, especially with relatively rigid
flooring materials such as ceramic tile.

Check especially carefully in areas such as bathrooms around toilets,
where plumbing penetrates the slab, and in any areas where you suspect
for any reason there may have been previous moisture problems.

If you find any such problems point them out to potential installers
when obtaining bids, listen carefully to what they say, attempt to
select contractors who are paying attention to *your* job and are not
just estimators looking at square footage only, and whenever possible
ask for references for jobs done with similar materials over similar
surfaces *at least two years ago* (this way you are more likely to
catch problems due to seasonal moisture changes in a slab). Even if
you decide to do some or all of the work yourself, you will obtained
valuable information as to what sort of materials and installation
techniques work well in your situation.

Michael Thomas
Paragon Home Inspection, LLC
Chicago, IL
mdtATparagoninspectsDOTcom
eight47-475-5668

Posted by on July 13, 2006, 12:49 pm

Take the asbestos tile up isnt that much of a
problem. The trick is NOT to simply pulverize it!

When I removed all my tiles I wet the working are
down, I was able to get under the tile with a flat scraper
and simply pop it up. The tile was still whole.
Another trick is to use dry ice on each tile and
freeze it. It'll make the glue under the tile fail and the
tile will pop off. When you are done, you go to
Home Depot and get into that tile isle. They
have by the thinsets a adhesive primer that you paint
on. This will seal any glue left on the concrete and
make it slightly tacky. At that point you can thinset
over the whole thing with a nice flexbond and your good
to go.

Tom
dkhedmo wrote:

> Just mee wrote:

> > Rip up the vinyl floor, put tile directly on slab with thinset.

> >

> >> I am preparing to do ceramic tile in a small 10x11 foot sunroom or our

> >> house. This sunroom is built on slab (raises about 3 to 4 inches above

> >> grade. Currently there is just vinyl floor and shows no sign of damage

> >> (just don't like the color/style). Can I lay the tile directly on the

> >> slab, or should I use some sort of vapor barrier? If I need to use a

> >> vapor barrier how is that done? I'd like to avoid having to nail into

> >> the slab if possible. Thanks in advance!!

> >>