Is it ok to glue ceramic tiles onto a pre-existing solid formica countertop?

Question

I have a pre-existing formica kitchen countertop in excellent condition. Wife can't stand color and wants tile. Is gluing over the existing countertop and then grouting OK?

Answer 1

Ive been in the cabinet makeing biz. for 24 years and Im getting so tired of ppl calling a laminated surface, "formica". Formica , is one several brands of plastic laminate. Wilson Art , Pionite, and Nevamar are the other well known brands.
As for your question, yes it can be done , and I have seen it done several times. I personally wouldnt recomend it . Your best bet is to carefully remove the exsisting counter tops. This should be relativly easy, they are normally screwed from underneath in side the cabinets. They are sometimes also glued, I never glue them myself, but if this is the case, again, carefully, pry them loose from the cabinets with a "flat bar". The idea is to get them out in one piece, Obviously you want to remove plumbing, sinks , cook tops and anything else that is installed into the top/tops before you begin. Now go to your local home improvment center and get 3/4" exterior grade ply wood. Using the old ctr. tops as a template, reproduce them with the new material . Be very carful to check your measurments, espcially sink and cook top cut outs. build up the front edge also called the "drop edge" of the tops and install them. One word of caution. If you happen to break any of the laminate while removing the tops, be very careful. laminate leaves a razor sharp edge when it breaks. FYI , plastic laminate isnt a palstic product. Its actually a paper product , made up of many layers of paper pressed togather to make what most of us lovingly know as .....Formica! Good luck and have fun with your project.

Answer 2

No. Take out the formica. First, it's got a smooth surface. Thinset(to adhere the tiles) requires a rough surface to adhere too. You also have to think about the weight of the tiles on the countertop(depending on what tiles are used). Cabinet bases are only designed to hold a certain amount of weight on top of them.

If you take the existing Formica countertops out carefully, you could either sell them to someone that maybe is remodeling on a tight budget or donate them to your local Habitat for Humanity to re-use.

Then you lay plywood on top of the cabinets. Apply the Thinset, lay the tiles(with spacers) and then grout! Easily done. Find out if the tiles are pre-sealed. If not, after grout is dry, seal the tiles and the grout with something like Stonetechs' Bulletproof Sealer and they also have a grout sealer.. It will keep your tiles/grout cleaner.

Answer 3

You could instal tile directly onto a formica countertop, but it likely will not stay. The reason why tile is installed over a pourous surface such as wood or drywall is so the puddy will absorb into the backing and stick the tile to the backing. With a non pourous surface like formica this is not the case and the seal will likely not hold or not hold for very long.

Answer 4

not ok.

first of all formica has a glossy surface.
for a tile to stick, the base surface has to be rough. then only adhesive will have proper bondage between the tile and the base surface.

so peel off or scrap off the existing formica surface and apply the adhesive over the plywood Or whatever the base surface is and then stick the tile.

your work will be perfect then.

Answer 5

Some people say no and some say yes. I say yes. Just be sure to sand the Formica and use a fairly coarse paper. You need something for the thin-set to adhere to. I've seen it done with good lasting results. Good luck

Answer 6

Find out here. These are very good sites.

Answer 7

no nothing stick to fomica... except for spaghetti sauce and kool-aid.