Tile Over Cultured Marble

Tiling over cultured marble in shower.

Tile over cultured marble.

Cultured marble is made of an acrylic resin into which marble dust has been mixed. The mastic around the edges of the test tiles hardened and cured fine. You should use a polymer modified thin set mortar adhesive that meets ansi a118 4 or better yet ansi a118 15 to bond the porcelain tile to the prepared marble surface. There are flexible thin set mortars that are recommended for bonding tile over tile too.

Not the most glamours option but it s certainly the cheapest. Make sure the thin set mortar you use is recommended for this application. Sir i doubt that any body has ever done that in fact i would go as far to say any contractor that was asked to do that would decline now you may find some one to do it but as i say i do not know of a contractor who would think this is a good idea or this will work. I sanded the cultured marble ledge applied tec double heavy duty ceramic tile adhesive sometimes referred to as mastic and applied a few test tiles.

The first option is pretty self explanatory do nothing and live with the countertop you ve already got. Cultured marble is an acrylic composite and so it will require an epoxy setting material after the surface has been roughed up with either a grinder or sandpaper. After 72 hours however i decided to remove the test tiles to see if the rest of the mastic had also cured. The tile backsplash can be installed in place of the previous cultured marble splash as long as the wallboard is undamaged.

Colors and sizes are more limited than with tile but the result is a clean and uniform surface. Use the vacuum to completely clean all of the dust and particles from the cultured marble surface where you will. If the wallboard is loose or crumbly you ll have to replace it before tile can be installed. In fact when it comes to making over cultured marble you really have only three options.

Covering the cultured marble walls is not a good idea. How to apply tile to cultured marble step 1. Live with it replace it or hire a company to come in and professionally refinish it. Best of luck shaughnn.