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Question:

how can i tile over linolium flooring without pulling it up?

nan

Answer:

By tiling over it without pulling it up... :) Really. You either tile over cement or whatever is already there. It's commonly done, it's just not the 'clean' or thorough way of doing things. It's best if the floor is completely flat without the ridges that linoleum usually has, to prevent cracks. Just clean the floor well, leave no debris, and you should be alright.
I would remove the linoleum then lay the tile down. Just take a razor knife with a new blade and some contractor bags. Score the linoleum in three foot strips and it should pull up real easy. You will have a little more difficulty where there is a lot of foot traffic but don't give up. Once the linoleum is up you can got to town. Measure off one wall and snap a chalk line then lay your tile with that line. Good Luck Moskie257
Tap around the floor in a tight pattern. Loose spots will sound hollow. Cut them out completely with a sharp utility knife, angleing the knife away from the center of the spot you are cutting. Spred a floor prep, such as Ardex or Planipatch ( both portland cement based floor preps), over the floor to fill the holes and any pattern (you will need an 18 flat trowel). Spread the mix on the floor at a 45 degree angle. Scrape off the excess at a 60 to 70 degree angle. Work in a semicircle sweeping motion, leaving only what you need to fill the holes and pattern. The prep will get lighter as it dries, usually 20 - 45 miniutes depending on the size of the cutouts. All prep shrinks as it dries, so you may need to coat larger cutouts a second time. Scrape down any ridges with the edge of the trowell, use a low 5 to 10 degree angle to avoid gouging floor. Sweep floor thoroughly, at least twice, and vaccuum up pile. Then you are ready to set tile. Be sure to use the right notch size on the trowel for proper adhesion without squeez out mess. Also read the glue directions. Many glues need open time to tack up before setting tile. Doing this will make sure that you are getting the best adhesion possible. It will help to resist water damage, and it will keep the pattern of the vinyl from telescoping through the tile over long peroids of time.
Just tile over the old floor. Make sure the floor is clean and any trace of grease or oil is removed so you get the new tile to stick. My cousin put vinyl tile over a linoleum floor and it worked great. Don't tear it up or you will have a big mess.
Jim has the right idea. Lay 1/4 inch wood(called Luann or mahogany over the floor). Screw it 4 on center on the joints and 6 on center in the rest of the sheet. Cover all screws and seams with Ardex or 20 min taping compound ( comes in a bag, don't mix too mutch at one time). Tile according to manufactures recommendations.

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