Tiling Over Existing Shower Wall Tile

Remove the faucet handle face plate spout and shower head.

Tiling over existing shower wall tile.

Instead of removing the old tiles you can often update them by tiling over tiles. This isn t especially problematic if the pan was installed separately from the shower walls but it can be tricky if the pan is part of a one piece fiberglass stall and it may need professional expertise. Skim coat over your existing tile. How to install a shower surround over existing tiles step 1.

Layer newspaper on the floor across the bottom of the tiled wall. Scratch the tile with sandpaper to rough up the surface. This assumes that the floor underneath is solid concrete and that there are no cracks in the existing tile indicating underlying problems in the concrete. My fil uses and recommends laticrete 272 mortar mixed with 333 additive.

This will guarantee your tiles to stick over pretty much anything. Let this dry before moving on. This essentially means laying a new layer of tiles over the old layer. Mix degreasing cleaner with water in a bucket using a dilution recommended by the cleaner manufacturer.

Make sure you ve filled in all the grooves and any openings on your existing surface. But this isn t always the case. The proper way to tile over a fiberglass shower pan is to remove the pan. Most people dread re tiling because it often means that you need to remove all the old tiles first.

This gives the tub surround sealant a stronger hold. Then rinse the wall with a water dampened.