Tiling shower cubicle

[newbiee]

I did one of mine in a rush and haven't made a good job of it ... very messy in a corner and it'll annoy me forever!

So, can I tile OVER the tiles I put up?  I could score all over them with an axle grinder or similar.  Then I can make sure the corners are need and to my exacting standards!  [:P]

[BIG MAC]

If tiles are securely affixed then yes you can tile over tile but use a decent adhesive (Epoxy is good but if you haven't used it before it can be a nightmare as it sticks ......to every thing) bear in mind when tiling over tile that if you leave a shower tray in situ ....retile then fit a cabinet the cabinet will be forced towardsthe edge of the tray by the same distance as that taken up in the retile....I would take the time to silicone seal the current tiling to the tray before re-tiling as an insurance and this should allow the next seal to be very thin and neat.

[Richard & Tracy]

Its always better to remove the tiles and start again but if you want to tile on tile, make sure you use a cement based, polymer modified one as it will give you better adhesion onto the surface of the existing tiles.

[Bannon]

How about just putting in a complete new shower cubicle - one of those that come complete with plastic walls n things? That way you can leave the tiles where they are. I've had so much grief with leaking showers - especially those upstairs and found this was a great solution and not really that exepensive.

[Richard & Tracy]

Shower cubicles 'leak' because they aren't done properly. Grout is usually water resistant, not waterproof. Meaning that water will pass through it but not damage it. So the water passes through the grout to the tile adhesive and on through to the substrate then it runs down the wall behind the shower tray, often appearing as 'tea staining' on the ceiling of the room below. Also, by this time any plastered background will have been damaged because plaster is very water sensitive. That is why, when you remove tiles in a shower or around a bath, they usually come off easily bringing the plaster off too. The best thing to do is to tank the walls prior to tiling. That is, apply a waterproof coating system. These include a membrane that ensures any water runs back into the shower tray. A simple and inexpensive way of ensuring a lasting installation.