Installing New Floor Over Tile
Q: I have ceramic tile on just about half of my first floor which includes kitchen, breakfast area, entry and hallway up to carpet in living and dining area. It is approximately 14 years old and showing many nicks and a couple of hairline cracks. None of the tiles are loose. The first floor is typically cooler in summer, and freezing in winter, so I would really like to cover the tile with a vinyl sheet. It's my understanding that there is a rubberized mastic that could be smoothed over the top -- filling any grooves and then placing vinyl on top.
Assuming you agree with this method--of course, I'm open to any other method except bursting the tiles out--what is the space that has to be accounted for for all appliances and cabinets? The tiles sit on a concrete slab floor.
A: I would remove the tile. The filler you have mentioned is okay at best for filling in the areas between the tiles. I doubt that a vinyl manufacture would warranty their product if installed over such a floor. A product that could be installed over a tile floor is a laminate floor. Wilsonart, Formica and Insigna to name a few, will "float" over the existing tile with little floor prep.
However, I still would strongly suggest removing the tile first.
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This information is brought to you by John Fuchs, Senior Carpet Inspector of Carpet Warehouse in Rancho Cordova, CA
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