Does anyone know if I can lay ciramic tile over the dull worn out linoleum floor in my kitchen? I don‘t want to peel up the linolium because of the insane amount of labor it will take, and make the sub floor un even. any suggestions? Will tiles still stick to this material?Thanks!
You don't have to remove the old linoleum. But, you must prepare the surface for tiling. If the floor flexes at all, you could end up with cracked tiles or grout just by walking on the floor. You also need to put something down over the linoleum surface for the tile to stick to. First, you nail down a layer of hardy-backer. This is about a 1/4 to 3/8-inch cement-based wallboard. Next, you have to float about 1/4 inch of mastic on the hardy-backer to make a nice, flat surface (like pouring a cement floor). You then put about a 15-pound slipsheet on top of the wet mastic and let it set. The slipsheet allows minute movements of the subfloor due to thermal expansion without stressing the set tile. Once the mastic sets (usually overnight), you can begin setting the tile.
I've laid tile over some things that some people would not recommend and it worked fine, but I don't think I would do it over linoleum. However, if you do try it, I wouldn't buy anything too expensive, tile wise. You'll want to scuff the linoleum up really well, make sure it is 100% clean, and use the best thinset you can find.
It's not a good idea---ceramic tile is a big investment in effort, money and time. If you don't want to peel up the linoleum (which is not too hard to do, really)---get really nice new vinyl-linoleum and place over it (covering the seams with each tile middle, in a different pattern), or lay down a sheet of linoleum. Vinyl will stick well onto vinyl. Ceramic tile really needs a solid cement or wood surface to bond to.
The problem with laying tile down is that if the floor is uneven at all (i.e., not perfectly flat) your nice new expensive ceramic tiles will BREAK! Best to find a place where you can look under the linoleum and see what's under it...but, all that said, that's why the PRO will go all the way down to the sub-floor, get everything nice and level, then put down 1/2 cementitious backer-board (1/4 for walls, 1/2 for floors) and then lay the tile. That way, it can be worked out in advance whether/if there will be a height difference between the new tile floor and any floors in rooms adjoining it...otherwise, it's oops, I tripped again. Spend the time, effort and money and do it right.
The people who took up our lino in preparation for tile in our first home, rented a piece of equipment that chipped up the lino and then they ground the concrete to make it even before laying the tile. About 2 years after we moved into our new preowned home, we noticed that the tile floor in the kitchen was loosening. We called in two tile installers for estimates and they both told us that there was linoleum underneath. Sure enough, when the ceramic tiles were removed, there was linoleum underneath. The seller had taken a short cut and had the tile put down over the linoleum!! It cost us $1800.00 for it to be properly removed and prepped, and new tile installed. What a disappointment! Thank goodness we have a galley style kitchen with a moderate amount of square footage or it could have been a very expensive situation. Do yourself a favor, bite the bullet and remove the lino--then there will be no doubt about your tile staying in place for the long haul.
