Micro concrete over living room / dining room tiles

How do I apply waxed concrete to living-room tiles?

Professional expertise

Application on tiles requires professional expertise. Indeed, the steps involved in preparing the substrate are crucial to the successful installation of waxed concrete over existing tiles.

Assess substrate condition

It’s important to assess the substrate, whether slab or screed, and to check the condition and insulation of basements.

If part of an old living room tile is badly glued, the tiles are either removed or re-glued. However, if the delamination affects more than 10% of the surface, the entire tile must be removed.

Preparing the living room tiles

Preparation is then essential to ensure tile adhesion, control any rising damp and even out the floor perfectly at joints and outcrops.

Preparing living-room tiles for the application of waxed concrete usually requires an extra two days.

Although easy to install, the use of hydraulic levelling compound to profile a floor (levelling, filling joints, etc.) before applying waxed concrete is not recommended.

Regardless of the type of levelling compound on the market, whether U3 P3 or U4 P4, with or without fiber, on acrylic or even epoxy primer, we have found in more than two decades of jobs that these surfaces can easily come unstuck (blowing) or crack… Unfortunately, whatever the manufacturer and after numerous tests, the result is the same.

Given the risk of transmitting these pathologies to the waxed concrete, hydraulic patching is not recommended. Only epoxy resin in liquid mortar form is used at Marius Aurenti.

Applying an epoxy primer to old tiles, previously sanded with a diamond disk, evens out the surface, ensures the adhesion of waxed concrete and prevents capillary rise.

For floor preparation, consult theEPX2 data sheet, and for wall preparation, theEPXC data sheet. For time-limited or low-temperature floor projects, theEPX2 turbo is used.

This type of application is often carried out when demolishing partitions and rearranging rooms.

Finishing touches

There are different ways to finish waxed concrete, either with finishing strips, by leaving it unfinished, or by incorporating an aesthetic layout.

Application is then made to the prepared substrate in accordance with site standards and conditions.

Construction time

Waxed concrete jobs generally take a week to complete, plus the time needed for the varnishes to dry, so that the site can be put back into service as quickly as possible.

Applying concrete to floor or wall tiles

Waxed concrete can be applied to old tiles on both floors and walls in living rooms, but also in areas such as bathrooms, where waterproofing and airtightness requirements are crucial.

It is advisable to consult a professional to prepare the substrates for such a project.

Protecting concrete with a varnish

Protecting waxed concrete over old tiles is usually done with varnishes. The reputation of Marius Aurenti concrete varnishes and impregnations has been established over the years by their use in the public sector for the creation and protection of works of art.

Marius Aurenti specialty materials

In the materials section, you’ll find the different preparation and finishing products, as well as the different types of waxed concrete.

On old tiles, we generally use Béton ciré Classic, which offers great versatility: application on floors and walls in living rooms, bathrooms and kitchens.

MA’s is committed to guaranteeing the durability of its materials. Proper preparation of the substrate is essential to ensure a beautiful, long-lasting finish.

Receive samples directly at home thanks to our material library.