There is a crack in my slab. Can I still tile over it?

Usually yes, with the right detail. A shrinkage crack that is stable gets an uncoupling membrane over it, which absorbs small lateral movement so it does not transfer into the tile. What you cannot do is bond tile rigidly across an actively moving crack and hope. If we see signs of differential movement — one side sitting higher than the other, or a crack that has clearly widened — that is a foundation question first, and we will tell you so rather than tile over it.

Why is removing my old ceramic tile so expensive?

Because the tile is the easy part and the thinset under it is not. Mortar from that era bonded hard to the slab, and it has to come off down to a flat sound surface or every ridge left behind shows in the new floor. That is hours of grinding with dust containment. It is genuinely most of the demolition cost, and a bid that prices tear-out cheaply usually plans to tile over what is left.

Tile & Stone in Conroe, TX

County: Montgomery County
Drive time from our base: 15 min from our Montgomery crews

Free measure in Conroe (713) 377-1303

What tile & stone involves in Conroe

Most tile work in Conroe starts with demolition, because the housing stock here is full of 1980s and 1990s 12x12 ceramic set in thinset directly on slab — entries, kitchens, baths, sometimes whole living areas. Getting that off is genuinely hard work and it is where a surprising amount of the labor in a Conroe tile job actually goes. The old thinset does not release cleanly, and what is left has to come down to a sound, flat surface or the new tile inherits every ridge underneath it.

The part specific to this town is what happens next. The same soil movement that leaves these slabs out of flat also leaves them cracked, and a crack that moves will telegraph straight through new tile set rigidly on top of it. We look for cracking during demolition and treat it according to what it is: a non-structural shrinkage crack gets an uncoupling membrane over it, which lets the slab move a little without taking the tile with it. Anything that looks like active differential movement is a conversation with a foundation engineer before we set anything, not a flooring decision.

Because of that, we spec an uncoupling membrane as the default on Conroe slab tile rather than as an upgrade. In a market where the ground genuinely moves, it is inexpensive insurance against the one failure mode that ruins a whole floor.

The job we run most here

Tearing out original 12x12 ceramic across an entry and kitchen, grinding the residual thinset flat, and setting large-format porcelain over an uncoupling membrane.

What it costs in Conroe

Tile runs $10–$20 installed. Demolition and thinset grinding on a 1980s or 1990s Conroe floor is a meaningful additional line — old thinset is stubborn and removing it properly takes time that a low bid has usually not allowed for.

What’s included

Tile, stone, setting material, and grout supplied and delivered — with overage figured for cuts and waste
Substrate flattening to tile-industry tolerance
Waterproofing for showers and wet areas
Large-format, herringbone, and custom layouts
Natural stone sealing
Demolition and disposal of existing tile

Materials we supply for this

Questions we get in Conroe

There is a crack in my slab. Can I still tile over it?: Usually yes, with the right detail. A shrinkage crack that is stable gets an uncoupling membrane over it, which absorbs small lateral movement so it does not transfer into the tile. What you cannot do is bond tile rigidly across an actively moving crack and hope. If we see signs of differential movement — one side sitting higher than the other, or a crack that has clearly widened — that is a foundation question first, and we will tell you so rather than tile over it.
Why is removing my old ceramic tile so expensive?: Because the tile is the easy part and the thinset under it is not. Mortar from that era bonded hard to the slab, and it has to come off down to a flat sound surface or every ridge left behind shows in the new floor. That is hours of grinding with dust containment. It is genuinely most of the demolition cost, and a bid that prices tear-out cheaply usually plans to tile over what is left.

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