I'm working on tiling my house and have just got to the kitchen. (approximately 95 sq/ft)
After pulling up the linoleum, I find that the concrete has been treated with some kind of sealer, so that it repels water.
Hopefully you experts here will be able to give me a word of advice as to what to do next?
Can I lay my thinset right on top of this sealed surface, or do I have to treat it in some way?
Your help will be appreciated.
Lewis.
******Check the thinset instructions for surface prep.
If it has a problem adhering to sealed concrete, I think you could either strip the sealer or rough up the surface with some coarse sandpaper to improve the adhesion.
Maybe try a bit of thinset in an out of sight location ( under the sink? ) to see how well it will stick do the sealed concrete.
If you have the time the best answer would be to do a test section and see how it bonds. What thinset are you using.
A good polymer modified thinset will stick just fine. If you are really concerned, paint on a layer of concrete bonding compound or use latex admix in the thinset (see bag instructions, more expensive thinset already has it inside). BigBox has about 5 or 6 kinds in the store, you want the third down from the most expensive (unless you want white)
I used this method on painted concrete with no problems yet.
If the sealer is more like a thick coat of polyurethane which can peel up on its own, you will want to strip it or score it to expose much of the underlying concrete. Sanding with a concrete brick works well in this situation.
A good polymer modified thinset will stick just fine. If you are really concerned, paint on a layer of concrete bonding compound or use latex admix in the thinset (see bag instructions, more expensive thinset already has it inside). BigBox has about 5 or 6 kinds in the store, you want the third down from the most expensive (unless you want white)
I used this method on painted concrete with no problems yet.
try pro red
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