How To Lay Ceramic Tile Over Linoleum Floor

How old is the linoleum.

How to lay ceramic tile over linoleum floor.

Before you start laying tiles over an old linoleum floor there are a few things that you need to know. Sheet linoleum floors and tiles that were made before 1990 often contain asbestos which is a known cancer causing agent. 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. Well the short answer is yes you can tile over linoleum flooring.

Next standard thin set cement is mixed up. So where feasible it makes sense to install the new flooring directly over the old without removing the old flooring. The adhesive sticks to the vinyl flooring and the fabric bonds to the glue. Armand says it should end up being the consistency of ketchup.

If your linoleum is. Ceramic and stone tile vinyl and laminate flooring tile and sheet linoleum hardwood planks and decorative concrete can all be installed over existing linoleum. When you have finished use a utility knife to cut the linoleum against the wall as needed. Do not attach the linoleum until you have dry fit the entire floor.

After the thin layer has dried which should take about 30 minutes use a notched trowel to add a second layer over the first layer taking care to create even ridges over the surface. Next if the tile s joints are deep you ll want regrout them to bring them flush with the tile so that the lines won t telegraph show through the vinyl floor. This means laying out the linoleum tiles and marking with a pencil where they will need to be cut. 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.

Only once this is done should you apply the adhesive to the subfloor. When you re ready to install tile over linoleum a thin layer of mortar should be spread over the floor s surface with a flat edged trowel. It s then troweled onto the fabric in a level even coat. Tile needs a firm hard inflexible substrate.

Spread adhesive on the rest of the floor unroll the sheet and finish with a floor roller to remove bubbles and seat the flooring into the adhesive. New tile should not be laid directly on top of the old linoleum unless the linoleum is well adhered to a cement subfloor. It s laid on top then pressed firmly into the adhesive using either a trowel or a wallboard joint knife.