How to install tile over carpet glue?

My client wants ceramic or porcelain tile on her back porch. The previous owner had glue-down green carpet/fake grass there. My question is: Can I put thinset down on top of the remaining skim layer of carpet glue?

An Internet search gives me advice all over the map: remove it with solvents/don't use solvents because they soak into the concrete and keep thinset from sticking; remove it with abrasives/don't because it just melts and wastes time; remove and replace an obscenely thick layer (1/4 - 1/2 inch) of concrete.

  • The surface is smooth and even, and it is sloped properly. * I power-washed it awhile back, and the glue washed off just slightly. * I plan on scraping with a 4" razor in any case.

The fact that the glue dissolved slightly makes me hopeful that water-based bedding material will "bond" with it. On the other hand, it makes me worry, also, that it won't.

I'll take any advice I can get.

Reply to
SteveBell
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"SteveBell" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.motzarella.org:

Hey Steve:

Need to get out of the remove it box thinking..

You know well enough that tile needs a good solid base. Maybe it's already cement with the glue on it?

Sounds like you need to get some cement board of the proper thickness down in any way you can. Then you know the tile will stick to a brand new surface designed for tile.

Maybe whatever your situation is cement board is out of the question?

Reply to
Red Green

Rueful Chuckle. Idiot previous owner put that crap down in the furnace room here, along with cheesy 1960s wood paneling and a drop ceiling screwed to the ducts. It was apparently his gun room, including the reloading equipment. (Here's yer sign, etc.)

Anyway, I had to do a lot of demo in there to make a road for the crew replacing the furnace, and I still haven't got all that black carpet residue off the the floor. I scrape and sweep and vacum, but there always seems to be more. A couple hundred bucks of industrial floor matting (the interlocking squares) is starting to look real tempting.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

Customer had that on an outside patio that he decided he wanted tiled. Get as much up as possible and scrap with a heavy duty scraper. I got most of it up I also used some solvent made for that purpose. Just use a good thin set for concrete and it should be fine. I did this job 4 years ago and it seems to be holding up fine.

Reply to
evodawg

Try a propane torch to burn it off then power wash.

Reply to
dadiOH

IF it isn't perfectly smooth, you'll have problems with ceramic tile.

Reply to
TWayne

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:50:57 +0000 (UTC), against all advice, something compelled "SteveBell" , to say:

Try a small patch, like maybe glue down one tile, and see how it goes?

Reply to
Steve Daniels

Reply to
Craig M

This sounds like it would work. Thanks for the suggestion.

Reply to
SteveBell

If it is water based, I would try a scrubber/buffer, the big ole fashioned kind that is used for comerical floors, for buffing and stripping wax, my local home depot rents them, get some of the corsest pads they have, and some simple green and water, put some down and start scrubbing, I have had the guy at the rental store in home depot tell me people use them to clean off slabs in prep for tile and other floors to go down to the slab, and I think running a big buffer is pretty fun also. stay away from the high speed models, they are used to buff out the wax, but buffer is a generic term for most of them. Good luck

Reply to
Craig M

I power-washed the surface thoroughly yesterday, and that got off all the loose stuff. I asked about this issue when I ordered the tile today, and the tile-store guy called the manufacturer for me. They say their thinset will stick just fine, as long as I put down a complete layer.

Huh. Who doesn't put down a complete layer?

I have some RedGard left in the garage, so I'm thinking of donating it to this project to seal the glue. The tile-store guy said it's a good idea, but he'd be happy to sell me his competing brand....

Reply to
SteveBell

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