plastic tiles????????

I have recently purchased a home, circa 1957. I have (yuk) Plastic tiles in my bath. Can I use ceramic tile? I believe the plastic is mounted with adhesive on sheetrock. Thank you for a reply.

Do yourself a big favor: cut the sheet rock or plaster above the tile to the studs, poke a hole in the tile, and with a wreking bar rip it off. Then start with backer board before tiling.

The answer to your question is yes, you could tile over this using an epoxy adhesive and grout, but Dagwood Sandwishes are not good ideas. If they were everyone (professional and non profesional alike) would always take the easiest route. Humor: you could grease the brake pads on your car so stops were smoother.

Den50stang:

Yes, you can ceramic tile, but I wouldn't tile over the plastic tiles. 1957 was before the beginning of the widespread use of drywall, so you probably have plaster walls. If you have drywall walls, you'll probably wreck them removing the mastik, so it would probably be best to tear them down and install a cement backer board as 2000 suggests. However, if they're plaster walls, I'd take the plastic tiles off, assess the condition of the wall, then take the adhesive off with a heat gun and a good scraper if you feel you can ressurect the wall. THE BEST scraper made for this is sold wherever Goldblatt concrete finishing tools are sold. Order a "Goldblatt 3 inch bent burn off scraper". It has a strong steel blade about 1/16 of an inch thick and sharpened, slightly bent to provide finger clearance and a wood handle so you don't have to wear gloves to protect you from the heat.

It's true that plaster is not as waterproof as cement backer board. However, once you've installed the ceramic tiling in your bathroom, you will also have all the skills necessary to repair the ceramic tiling in your bathroom, and probably won't let a leak go until the wall behind the tile is dissolved.