I want to lay ceramic tile in the entry way of my townhome. It‘s about 80 sq ft. The house originally came with a generic white vinyl flooring that I swear is officially a part of the concrete slab it lays on. Because it is so firmly attached (no bubbles, no visible defects of any kind) would it be possible to lay the ceramic tiles over the vinyl? I honestly think it‘s going to take more time to rip up that flooring (and the glue that keeps it down) than it will laying the tile. Thoughts? Thanks!
You will need to lay a cement backer over the linoleum after making sure the floor is level. Since you can't get the linoleum off then proceed with screwing down your backer board to the cement using a hammer drill. If there was to remove the linoleum I would, especially since it is on a cement floor and you should have some kind of vapor barrier.
My parents and I recently renovated the basement in our apartment building and my father wanted to put tiles down. He does alot of home renovation work and said the best thing would be to take off the vinyl flooring... due to the cement you put under the tiles it sticks better to wood. It was my job to take the vinyl flooring off and there weren't any bumps, it was well done., I literally had to chizle at one point because I couldn't get it started and there were 3 layers of vinyl flooring!... it came off well once I got it started though.... it looks very nice now... I suggest you take it off..
Go to a Tile Store. They now have Ceramic Tile which can be put on top of other flooring as long as the floor is level. Some of these Tiles can be snapped together. No Mud, no Grout.They look wonderful.
you really should pull the vinyl up, even if it's a hassle, because it could buckle in the future and affect your tile work. Go to your home store and see if they have a solvent that will loosen the adhesive holding the vinyl down, then scrape it all up. Hopefully it will be concrete underneath and not another layer of vinyl (happened to us in a kitchen once). Clean it really well, then do your tiling. Be sure to use the correct adhesives and grouts. There is also a sealer you can use that will insure the grout never stains, something *she* will appreciate when she never has to get on the floor with a toothbrush to clean out the muck between the tiles. :) Good luck and happy holidays!
