Can tile be attached to brick?
by
Arline Zatz
+3
I had new brick steps installed in the front entrance to my house. The mason did a terrible job and the bricks are 'bleeding' white through each one giving a very old appearance. Masons who came to see if they could help said it was a bad job, done with 'used' bricks and, aside from tearing down the entire steps, there's nothing that can be done. It basically ruins the front of my house. I thought if I could attach tile to the lifters and leave the blue stone on the steps, it could look nice and unique. I am attaching a photo to show how the steps look. thank you for your help. Arliine Zatz E-mail: azatz@funtravels.com
According to This Old House, you can just lay thinset over the brick until it's dried smooth and tile over that. Here's the link if you're interested in reading further. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/tile-over-brick-fireplace
Nancy's link:
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/tile-over-brick-fireplace
Use a latex modified thinset. Dampen the bricks before putting on the tiles. Do not get them wet. Put a thin coat of thinset on the bricks. Then "butter" each tile with thinset and put them on. You can also use the thinset as grout.
William has it about right. You really want to do all that you can to make sure that the job goes well and stays well. You should scrub the bricks clean with a vinegar and water solution first, and let them dry. Next you should apply a concrete primer or a solution of 50% concrete glue and 50% water. This will help to keep the older bricks from effervescing and delaminating. It will also give a better surface adhesion when you install the tile. Let that dry and then tile as usual.