Question & Answer Archive

Listener Question:

Could stick-on linoleum squares be laid on top of ceramic tiles? And if so, what would the prep be in view of the grouting between the tiles? Thank you for any information you can give me.

Answer from Ken Patterson:

Yes. The entire floor must be grouted to a smooth finish. This means all the joints must be finished flush with the tile face. The product used for grouting must be compatible with ceramic tile and grout so it will bond and at the same time be compatible with the adhesive on the back of the peal and stick tile. Vinyl floor tiles are soft and over time will show every imperfection of the subfloor below. This soft tile will also crack or break over rough areas or sudden drops (such as open joints) in the subfloor (old ceramic tile). Contact your local flooring outlet / supplier for the proper grout and application. Always be sure that the existing floor tile you are covering is secure. If it is loose your new floor tile will gradually come up.

Of course the best solution, but more labor intensive is to remove the ceramic tile, install proper underlayment and install the new floor tile. Good luck.





Listener Question:

We have a South-facing covered front porch made of wood, tongue and groove. It seems to need painting almost every year (it is 10 years old). Can you recommend a product or process that might last a little longer? Thank you for any suggestions.

Answer from Ric Peters of Shenandoah Paint:

First of all, the main problem with porches such as this involves the tongue and groove portion. The crack between the boards allows access for rain to get in. Once this water is down in the tongue and groove, it soaks into the sides of the boards and travels along the grain of the wood where it eventually finds a way out by pushing the paint off. If the paint is peeling off primarily along the edges of each board or along certain lines of grain, this is probably your problem. This can be a difficult issue to resolve. Try the following and see if it helps.

This system will involve the use of an oil based primer and an oil based finish paint

1. All loose paint needs to be removed by scraped and/or sanding. Do not use a power sander unless you plan on removing all of the paint from the entire floor (this is actually a pretty good idea if you have the time and energy to do it). If you use a palm sander to just smooth out certain areas of paint, all around the margins of the sanded area will probably peel over the next year or two because the heat from the sander will have broken the bond behind the paint in those areas. Pay particular attention to scraping the butt ends of the boards.

2. Prime all areas that have gone down to bare wood with an exterior oil primer specifically made for porches. While priming the bare areas, thin down some of the primer (1 part thinner to 3 parts primer) and prime along the edges of the tongue and groove areas, allowing the primer to run down into the grooves.

If the porch is only peeling where rain can blow onto it, you would only need to remove loose paint for the 3 or 4 feet closest to the outside of the porch. Make sure again to pay particular attention to getting a good coat of primer on the butt ends of the floor boards.

3. Allow the primer to dry for one or two days. Proper drying time between coats is crucial to getting the best finish and protection for your porch.

4. Apply another good coat of primer to the butt ends of all floor boards and allow to dry overnight.

5. Using some of the oil-based paint that you intend to finish coat with, thin it down as you did the primer and again pain along the edges of the boards, allowing the paint to run into the grooves as much as possible.

6. Apply a coat of finish paint to the butt ends of the floor boards only and allow to dry overnight.

7. Apply one finish coat of paint to the entire porch and you are done.