Tile setting: can anybody help me decide what to do?

Hello TW,

My tenant in the basement rent out suite cracked the bathroom floor tile.

The bathroom isn't big..



Is it better to tile over the existing floor, or should I strip the existing tiles, smoothen the surface and then put fresh tiles on?

The current surface is well levelled although not perfectly flat due to the textures on the tiles.

thanks in advance!

 

I wouldn't recommend tiled over anything. For one your toilet has to spaced up. Then the tiles will be high on the tub and vanity. Not to mention your door probably won't open any longer.

Even if you were a pro at getting the motar thinly spread you still be raising the floor about a half an inch.

Additionally if the tiles are cracked and you lay tiles on top of that, they'll most likely crack too.

The right thing to do is bust up those tiles and replace them, maybe you have some extra of the same color/style. Or bust them all up and do it right.

It seems like a lot, but in that size bathroom I could finish busting up and laying in a day, and grout the following.

 

I tiled for a while before I changed careers. Exactly what this guy said. Rip it up scrap good and make sure the subfloor is still in good shape before you put it down also.

 

Thank you Hondah,

Thank you Alohamade808,

 

Good advice above
Also make sure there is tile underlayment (backer board etc)
B4 u re lay. Tile laid directly on subfloor will continue to crack/come loose lol
@OZ-T

 

Agreed, but he mentioned basement so, it's probably on a slab. Better the thin-set level the slab instead of putting hardiback/durarock down.

Again if it's on a slab the height is the biggest problem, it will always effect the door and toilet.

 

Also, given that the crack runs multiple tiles I would strongly suspect uneven floor/thin set rather than tenant abuse

 

Right on, I missed that lol

 

pull the toilet off, pull the tile, scrap the floor and check for surface cracks on the concrete... this might have been the reason for the tile to crack.

 

Likely not tenant abuse although I wrote it like it was.

 

And for the record, this isn't uncommon to see in a tiled portion of a basement. Slabs settle, shift and crack rather often. I doubt the tenant actually cracked the tile themselves. But, then again, I don't know your tenant. Tenants can be little destroyers, I know.

 

Also use flashing to make sure you can get the floor level as possible if not the cracking will continue. Ever think about the smaller tiles with the webbed backing on them they move a little better.

 

This

 

Add some anti fracture membrane before you re tile it

 

We had a number of tiles crack in our house after the first year. Each time the slab had cracked underneath, hence the crack thru several tiles together. Would recommend you pull up the broken tiles, put down a membrane, and replace new tiles with grout.