Flooring Tile - Ceramic floor tile on existing asphalt tile floor

Hi all;
I want to put new ceramic floor tile on top of existing asphalt tile, which is bonded well to a concete slab floor. My question is; Can I use regular thinset to do the job? Or do I need some special epoxy mastic? Any and all advise is welcome.

Bruce:cool:

you need a modified flex thin set. i like to take a belt sander to scuff the asphalt tile prior to laying ceramic.

I wouldn't be sanding it unless I knew for sure it didn't contain asbestos!

The house was built in 1962, so it is quite possible the original kitchen tile contains asbestos. There really is nothing wrong with the original install other than the fact that its quite ugly. Removing it is something I would like to avoid if possible, due to the fullblown hassle of asbestos abatement. Can I just ecapsulate the old? If so, what type of thinset is appropriate in this situation. I am kind of a tile newbie so any help is greatly appreciated.

bruce:D

Hi
It's not usually a good idea to go over the existing vinyl...if it comes loose, your ceramic will too...but if you want to try, use a modified thin set.....it will say on the bag if it will stick to vinyl. Make sure you at least strip the wax off the floor first.

To be on the safe side. If it is an asbestos tile, strip the wax off and flat coat the whole area and let it dry for a day. After that you'll have a decent surface to bond to. ;) I myself hate dealing with toxic substrates so that's my way around it, be it good or bad. No call backs after 17 years with this aproach. ;)