Thinset Over Painted Floor

How to use thinset morter to resurface concrete.

Thinset over painted floor.

Installing tile over painted concrete adds a few extra steps to your tiling job. Not that they would endorse going over an oil based paint what you should do is scarify the paint off the floor. The polymer modified thin set mortars might bond to a latex paint but not an oil based paint. Mortar cannot be installed directly over painted concrete itself.

This surface is called a scratch coat. Tile cannot be attached directly to painted concrete as the thin set will not adhere well to the paint. It must be easy to work with and it must adequately fill in gaps between the tile and the substrate. The house was built in the late fifties and the slab floor has been painted at least once.

Mapei ultrafor plus data sheet says to use their keraply latex admix in lieu of water when going over impervious surfaces. The safest way to approach questionable concrete is not to cover it over with cbus but to fix the concrete. All paint will need to be removed before you begin installing the tile. Whether you have cracks chips or just a stained concrete slab thinset helps cover the old surface and create a new problem free area.

Tile will stick to most rigid level surfaces including painted wood provided the correct preparation work is done to ensure the adhesive or mortar will stick to the floor surface. First a surface more textured and solid must be applied over the painted concrete. It cannot cure too fast. Cracks and gaps can be filled with portland cement based fillers.

Tile adhesive is expected to hold the tile in place not just for years but for decades without fail. Whether wall or floor tile that tile needs to thoroughly stick to its base surface demands placed on tile adhesive are both extensive and steep. Otherwise you do. Paint used on concrete will not bond with the tile adhesive.