Tile over asphalt tile

June 26, 2007, 07:11 AM

There is 12 X 12 asphalt tile on a floor that I want to put tile on. I attempted to remove some of it, but it is glued down and I'm not able to get more than maybe a 2 inch piece up at a time. Can I lay porcelan tile over it? Or what is the best way to get it up. I bought a tile scraper tool but it doesn't seem to help

Floorguy · June 26, 2007, 08:06 AM

The tile must come up and the adhesive scraped, ground, or shot blasted off.

Don't even attempt to go over the tiles!!

gpc2000 · June 26, 2007, 08:07 AM

This is fromgpc2000 I posted this before I registered. Any suggestions would be great.

Jerry Thomas · June 26, 2007, 08:10 AM

Whats underneath all that tile?

gpc2000 · June 26, 2007, 10:12 AM

There is cemet under the tile

gpc2000 · June 26, 2007, 10:27 AM

What is the easiest best way to get the stuff up

Bill Watson · June 26, 2007, 02:28 PM

gpc2000 said

What is the easiest best way to get the stuff up

I'm no tile expert, but if it is "asphalt tile", it may contain asbestos.

Call in the guys with the moon suits!
Just a thought, but I'm thinking maybe leave it down if it is well bonded and go over it with Ditra or the like, and set the tile over that.
What do you think guys?

Peter Kodner · June 26, 2007, 02:51 PM

If it is truly asphalt tile, it would be nine inch squares. Asphalt is too brittle to manufacture in 12". To the best of my knowledge, asphalt tile does not contain asbestos, but (AND A VERY BIG BUT) if the adhesive is black it is probably asphalt cutback which may contain up to 28% asbestos. DO NOT SAND IT!!! If the adhesive is a dark brown, it is probably asphalt emulsion which usually does not contain asbestos.

Testing of the tile and adhesive is quite cheap- used to be about $35 for the tile and 20-25 for the adhesive. They only need very small samples to examine. Any abatement contractor in your area can refer you to a lab.

Armstong has (had?) a very good brochure out on removal of asbestos containing materials (geared more to sheet vinyl) which details how to make and use a "wetting" solution (basically dish soap and water) and then actually remove the materials.

Disposal is probably the biggest issue you face. The quantity involved has a big impact on your options.

Jerry Thomas · June 26, 2007, 03:31 PM

Ditra maybe a good possibility if they are adhered that well. You still have to check for a pretty flat surface. Flattening is done underneath Ditra, not over top. And all wax and contaminates will have to be removed. You'll need to go to the Schluter- Ditra website and read up on it.

gpc2000 · June 26, 2007, 04:10 PM

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. The house was built in 1989, the floor was re-done in about 92 or 93. And OK it's not asphalt tile, I talked to a floor guy here. it is a commercial rigid tile, the adhesive is green and it doesn't contain asbestos. That much I have found out today. The only suggestion that I've gotten so far from my guy here, and I'm not sure about it is to get a floor sander or belt sander and rough it up (also removing any wax or oils at the same time) and tile over the top of it. Whoever installed it did a very good job, I'm not able to find any lumps or pits anywhere in it. The area is almost 1000 sq. ft. So at this point I'm still in limbo about what to do.

Peter Kodner · June 26, 2007, 05:26 PM

Don't know if you can rent one in your area but they do make an infrared tile removal machine. Never used it personally, but have heard great things about them. Another option is dry ice. Freeze and they should chip out a lot easier. 1000 ft may take 20 or so pounds of dry ice to do. You will still have to scrape and sand after. Good luck healing those blisters on the palms of your hands from scraping

Floorguy · June 26, 2007, 06:42 PM

Rent a eletric tile chipper. You'll buzz the tiles up in no time!!

Red · June 26, 2007, 09:09 PM

Probably not the way you guys in the states do it but if it were me, I'd give the entire area a good scuff with a sander and some 16 or 20 grit paper, then flatcoat it with Polymod thinset, let it dry for a day, and tile away. If that vinyl tile is down that good I doubt there would be a problem with laying tile over it for years. Now before the rest of you tile pros form a lynch mob to come and get me. I've done this method on more than one occasion and have yet to have a failure. If it was old V/A tile I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole and all bets are off.