Can You Ceramic Tile Over Vynal Floor

I was recently asked if you can install ceramic tile over an old vinyl floor without tearing it up.

Can you ceramic tile over vynal floor.

The ceramic tile must be in good shape without cracks or large gashes. If its directly over a wood sub floor you can go over that with a cement board to get to the proper sub floor thickness needed for ceramics. Yes you can tile over existing vinyl flooring that was laid on concrete as long as it is firmly attached to the subfloor. Learn a unique and time saving way to apply ceramic tile directly on top of vinyl flooring.

However if you can t remove the old surface or otherwise decide to install over it lay a backer board with thin set over the old surface to serve as your new subfloor material. Most luxury vinyl planks are not suitable for tiling over because this flooring typically is laid as a floating floor with no adhesive. Once you ve removed lose or broken pieces patch the empty sections with a liquid cement or mortar letting it settle level with the tile floor. Your greatest concerns when installing a vinyl floor over the existing tile are the tile s joints and the floor s height.

You can definitely install vinyl flooring over ceramic tile but you may have to spread leveling compound or lay plywood or hardboard to flatten the floor first. Before you start see if any tile is broken or damaged. It can provide a smooth even surface under the vinyl which will allow it to be smooth and tightly sealed. There are people that say that you can place tiling on top of existing vinyl if it s securely adhered and if the floor underneath is solid but i don t agree.

Vinyl flooring is a great idea one of the main problems you encounter when installing new flooring over old flooring is the increase in the height of the floor surface but this is less of a problem if you choose vinyl. This means the flooring can possibly shift beneath the tile likely causing damage to grout joints. If there is vinyl laminate then you need a backer board. And no resilient flooring with a cushioned construction will work beneath ceramic tile.

The method you use for preparing the floor will be determined by the type of sub floor you have in your home. Fortunately ceramic tile is often a suitable surface on which install vinyl planks. Installing ceramic tile over vinyl or linoleum surfaces can be more complicated than expected and probably should be avoided whenever possible. If it s a new construction then you can probably just lay the tile on top.

The short answer is yes with the right preparation you can.