Our East York bathroom has a hex tile floor from the 1940s — can we tile directly over it, or does it need to come out first?

Tiling directly over a 1940s hex tile floor is possible in some cases, but in most East York homes of that era, removal is the better path — and often the necessary one. The decision comes down to three things: the condition of the existing tile, the height it adds to your finished floor, and what's underneath it.

The Case for Removal First

Pre-war East York homes — the brick semis, detached bungalows, and two-storeys built throughout the Danforth corridor and surrounding streets in the 1930s and 40s — typically have bathroom floors built on a thick mortar bed (called a mud bed or float bed) laid over the subfloor. That mortar bed can be 1.5 to 2 inches thick on its own. Add the original hex tile and its setting bed, and you're already elevated significantly before you put a single new tile down. Tiling over top adds another 3/8 to 1/2 inch minimum, which creates real problems: toilet flanges end up below the finished floor level (requiring a flange extender), door clearances get tight, and transitions to hallway flooring become awkward or trip-hazard territory.

There's also the question of what's holding that original tile. Hex tile from the 1940s was set in portland cement mortar — not thinset. That mortar bed is often still rock solid after 80 years, which sounds like good news, but it also means you have no idea what's happening to the wood subfloor underneath it. In East York homes of this age, decades of minor moisture exposure around the toilet base and tub edge can mean soft spots, rot, or deteriorated wood that you simply cannot assess without pulling the tile. Covering a compromised subfloor with new tile guarantees cracked grout and loose tiles within a year or two as the floor flexes.

When Tiling Over Is Acceptable

If the existing hex tile is fully adhered (tap across the entire surface — any hollow sound indicates a failed bond), completely level with no lippage or cracked tiles, and the height addition won't create flange or door problems, tiling over is technically feasible. You'd need to clean the surface thoroughly, apply a bonding primer, use a polymer-modified thinset, and ensure the total floor assembly doesn't exceed the deflection limits for your subfloor span. For a small bathroom — the typical 5x7 or 5x8 footprint common in East York homes — this can work as a cost-saving measure in the right conditions.

That said, experienced tile installers working in older Toronto homes will almost always recommend removal. The labour cost to remove 1940s hex tile and its mortar bed runs $500–$1,200 for a standard bathroom, and it gives you a clean slate to inspect the subfloor, make repairs, install a proper uncoupling membrane like Schluter Ditra, and build a floor assembly that will last another 30 years.

The Asbestos Consideration — Critical for East York Homes

This is the most important point for your specific situation. Vinyl floor tiles and the black mastic adhesive used in homes built before 1980 can contain asbestos — but so can the grout and setting compounds used in ceramic tile installations of the 1940s. Before any demolition, have a sample of the tile, grout, and any adhesive layer tested by a certified asbestos testing lab. In Toronto, this costs $30–$80 per sample and takes 3–5 business days. If asbestos-containing materials are present, removal must be done by a licensed abatement contractor following Ontario Ministry of Labour protocols — this is not a DIY demolition project.

Practical Next Steps

Have a tile installer assess the floor in person — tap testing, checking flange height, measuring door clearance, and evaluating subfloor condition through any accessible point. If the subfloor checks out and height isn't an issue, tiling over with proper prep is a legitimate option. If there's any doubt about what's underneath, removal gives you certainty and a better long-term result.

Toronto Bath Remodeling can match you with an experienced tile installer familiar with East York's older housing stock — get connected through the Toronto Construction Network at torontoconstructionnetwork.com/directory?category=bathroom-renovations for a free estimate on your project.