Ceramic floor tiles

Is there a sanded grout that has a sealer in it when mixed? If so is this a desirable way to grout,or just seal as regular come back a full day or 2 later with a sealer?

Can a type of thin set be spread right over 12"x12" linleum tiles? Would this be a desirable way to acheive maximum adhesion? If so, does the linolium need to be prepped/cleaned in any way?

Thank you

DIY said:

.... sealer in it when mixed .... Can a type of thin set ... linleum tiles?

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If it's a shower, you still need a waterproof membrane underneath. Sealer is never pre-mixed in any cement product, AFAIK. Because it is a pore filler that closes up some of the spaces between grains of sand, at and near the surface. Pores = spaces. If your goal is to get good looking grout that never needs sealing or resealing, buy epoxy grout, not portland cement based grout. Price is no object when you want the best look after all that planning and execution up to this very last step, i.m.h.o.

Linoleum is a good substrate for many thinsets; this is confirmable by consulting the thinset manufacturers' themselves, e.g. by reading the writing on the thinset package, or by calling the 1-800-tech-support hotline number that is printed on the package, or by reading the thinset manufacturer's web site. How clean is clean, is a question that is never easy to answer in words; to be sure you really don't have any nuisance chemicals on the surface of the linoleum, why not abrade the surface with sandpaper or steel wool? It'll destroy the look of the linoleum as a surface wear layer, and that is OK. In fact it'll be better than OK, since it roughens up the surface, and all roughness is always good for thinset sand grains to get lodged into and for thinset glue to stick to.

Of course the linoleum may hide problems underneath so the fact that it is linoleum on the top layer is not a guarantee that your tile will never crack. It's still your responsibility to check whether floor joists and plywood are strong enough, etc. Tile needs a non-flexing floor. Linoleum is a padding membrane. Just like cork which is used worldwide as a padding membrane under tile. Padding = soundproofing, heat insulation, mechanical decoupling. Linoleum has cork in it as one of its main ingredients.

david

DIY said:

Is there a sanded grout that has a sealer in it when mixed? If so is this a desirable way to grout,or just seal as regular come back a full day or 2 later with a sealer?

Click to expand...

I do not know whether there is a self-sealing grout, but I do know some sealers should not be applied until after the grout has cured for two weeks.

DIY said:

Can a type of thin set be spread right over 12"x12" linleum tiles? Would this be a desirable way to acheive maximum adhesion? If so, does the linolium need to be prepped/cleaned in any way?

Click to expand...

The directions on the bag will say the usual about "clean surface", and my limited experience with thinset seems to confirm what I had been told, and that is that thinset will stick to just about anything and everything.

AFAIK? I.M.H.O.? Yes it's linoleum not linleum... glad you all raised a red flag on that one...lol. It's a kitchen that will be getting floor tiles,and no the substrate is not on a flexing material, plywood ,joists etc. The tile will go onto a slab that already has linoleum 12"x12" tiles on it. The thought to roughen the linoleum surface had crossed my mind to in preperation for the thin set which will be used,and perhaps some sort of bonding prep agent as well. I got this pre sealer and the "it's ok you can spread a certain kind of thin set over linoleum "from a tile setter. Just double checking as i have never heard of a " pre sealer" ,or the fact certain thin sets can be spread over a linoleum surface. This tile setter came recommended from a very good source. His price included grout and thin set needed as well.

leaving lino on a slab can be good: you know for certain that the tile substrate is solid, and you get a little padding from the lino.

i like helping out people who want to double check things before doing them. i do it too.

FWIW the tile setter may be thinking of something else like a latex polymer additive, which isn't a sealer but he may be thinking it is close enough to make that comparison when talking to a fairly grout-ignorant person all things considered.

david

AFAIK=as far as i know
IMHO=in my humble opinion

Linoleum has little flex and, when it gets old is often qite brittle. If it is well adhered to the slab and without cracks, then you could leave it and tile over it. Most people prefer to take it out first to check the condition of the slab, but that can be a lot of work. Vinal, on the other hand, is rarely a good thing to have under tile, especially if it is cushioned. It almost always needs to come out first before tiling. Tile and grout cannot stand flex - it needs rigid, stable materials under it.