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Hello, Just after some advice if possible please, I have bought porcelain floor tiles 600x300mm for my bathroom, my apartment is a new build. I have taken up the old vinyl flooring that was laid when i moved in, the main floor is concrete and the vinyl has been laid on a thin set? in white, I've spent best part of two very long afternoons scraping up the old adhesive residue of the thin set> right pain ! the thin set seems to be very securely attached to the concrete, just a couple of very small patches that came off when i removed the vinyl tiles. I've been reading and getting all sorts of info off google. Is it ok to tile over this thin set with the porcelain tiles? Will i have to prepare it with anything before laying the tiles? And also I have taken off the skirting boards in the bathroom as I have my eye on brushed aluminium skirting which will look smarter. But there is obviously a small drop from the thin set to the concrete all around the edge of the room, and i would rather tile not exactly under the wall board but near enough. Will I need to put more thin set around the edge or will the porcelain fixing adhesive be ok to put down when fitting the tile over the thin set. Sorry one more thing these few small patches that have come off I have checked around and these bits are securely fixed can i just tile over these with the relevant porcelain adhesive or will i need to go over this with a bit of thin set just to patch up the repair.
Thanks for all your help appreciate it.

thinset for vynil flooring.......is this in America?

Hello no I'm in the uk. Sorry guess I have been doing to much reading, might not be thin set then. It's about 4mm very smooth white covering on top of the concrete guess it was put down to get a really smooth fit for the vinyl that was on before.

4mm smooth adhesive finish isn't something that I have seen under vynil.

Might be best to put a pic or two up and we can go from there.

Sounds like it maybe a self levelling compound possibly?

What a knob, I was thinking vynil tiles, every time I read it lol.

Probably right, mate lol.

Cheers yes after doing more reading it looks like self leveling compound, tried to upload a pic but my phone won't resize it my laptop is in the car. Will sort it out tom. But if we go with slc as you said could I just patch up the small repairs and be ok to tile over that all the old adhesive is nearly off. Will I need to prime it before going ahead with tiling. Cheers. I think I might look into getting a pro in to do it as I would like a top notch job it's only 3.9m2 the area that needs doing. Any idea of cost ?

You can prime the whole area first.

take out the imperfections with adhesive, as you work. Rapidset will be fine to do it that way.

Only one way to charge for the job.......a days money.

Tile, come back a few hours later and grout up.

That means if the tiles need sealing it will be down to you for that. Otherwise it takes it into 2 days.


price will vary on where you are. Me working mainly London and extremely busy would be £220. Another trade working London and not busy, will do it cheaper......but why aren't they busy!!!!!!

Other parts of the country may be the same depending on affluence of area. I can get £220 per day in London but 10 miles out of London, no chance of it.

If the glue is well stuck put another layer of slc over the top then tile and grout. Definately take the skirting off and replace after tiling. leave a 5mm gap free from adhesive anf grout to the perimeter of the room. If the tiles are porcelain you will need a rapidset flexible adhesive. Don't use tubbed rubbish. Like ROC it would be under a days work at £250 but we work as a 2 man gang, price does not include any materials