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[T916]Tile Over Vinyl Floor

by Ray J. Walberg, Ray

The first problem is that the new tiles will not stick well over the vinyl. Vinyl has a top layer of plastic which, since it is a slick surface, will not give the porousness necessary for the tiles to stick well, not matter what kind of glue you use. Some people think they will get around this by roughing up and sanding the surface to make it adhere better, but this will not make a big difference. Since the tiles are not going to stick to the underfloor, they will eventually lift, and you will have to replace parts or maybe even the entire floor. No time saved there.

The second problem is that you will not have a level surface. To make sure your floor is completely level is hard enough when you are working with a new sub floor, but if you have vinyl with varying heights of adhesive under it, it is next to impossible.

The third problem is the surface under the floor may not be the right kind for tiles. Vinyl can be installed over 1/4" plywood or particle board, but these are not approved surfaces for tile. If you put the tiles over the vinyl on these surfaces, you will end up with a floor that moves and can therefore crack and lift easily. If you get this kind of lift or flex, you will have to replace the floor since replacing one tile is very difficult. First of all, lifting it out without damage to the other tiles is not easy, and after your tiles have been down a while, you will not be able to match them perfectly.

If you insist on leaving the vinyl down, you have to do a completely different kind of preparation for the floor. You have to screw down the vinyl and cover it with a mortar base using mesh and concrete. If you don't want to deal with concrete, you will have to put a new sub floor down over the vinyl. Some new products are out now that will help avoid cracks in tiles that are laid on wooden sub floors. But all of these work seems harder than just lifting the vinyl, so why not just do that? In addition, the problems of lifting and unevenness will not only be unattractive, they may also be dangerous.

If you absolutely have to leave the vinyl down, you should have a professional tile installer look over the job. They will discuss your all of you options and help you decide. Moreover, a professional will also advise you about the best brand of the tile to buy and may be even suggest dealers from where you can get the product at discounted prices.

With the rise in popularity of people taking on home improvement projects themselves more people are choosing to tile over their old flooring and although you may believe it is saving you time this can actually cause instability of your new floor. In addition, the floor will seldom be level and will cause your new tile floor to have a shoddy appearance. Here are some of the main reasons you should never tile of the old floor.

The surface of a vinyl floor is very slick and shiny, similar to plastic, and almost impossible to adhere to. It is also non porous which also makes it very hard to get a good bond no matter what kind of glue you attempt to use. Even the method of roughening the surface that is recommended by some people is not going to help.

One of the biggest reasons not to lay tile over the existing floor is because the floor may start lifting after you lay it causing you to have to relay a section of the floor or possibly have to redo the entire job. I don't know about you but I hate redoing anything, I want to do the job once and be done with it. This is exactly why you should do the same and save yourself the trouble of the inevitable replacement of the floor.

Another problem with installing tile over vinyl is that it is extremely tough to get your floor level which is crucial when tiling. Additionally making transitions in areas where the floor level changes or you have to fill in areas is hard to do. It is always best to begin with a fresh, clean surface that the mortar will adhere to.

Most vinyl floors are put down on top of thin plywood or even particleboard which is not recommended at all for applying tile to. Laying tile over floors like these in not only unwise it is unsafe and due to the inherent flexibility of the vinyl the tile is likely to crack and you may have to replace the entire floor.

If you still want to leave the vinyl floor underneath you will have to make some structural changes to the floor by screwing the vinyl down and then putting down a mortar base with mesh and concrete or lay down a plywood sub-floor that may help lessen the possibility of cracking. It is just as much work to do all of this as there would be if you lifted the vinyl up in the first place.

I hope that I have succeeded in dissuading your ideas to install tile over vinyl. Be sure to keep all of the negatives I have discussed in mind because the short cut of tiling over vinyl is really not a short cut, it will cost you more time and money in the future.

Article Source : Pg. 92

About Author

Both Ray J. Walberg & Gregg Hall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ray J. Walberg has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Family and Home Management. Ray Walberg frequently creates informative papers on latest developments in discount floors and cheap floors. You might find out more about his abstracts on. Ray J. Walberg's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.

Gregg Hall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lingerie, Desserts and Mortgage. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as ">Laminate and Hardwood Floor. Gregg Hall's top article generates over 3350000 views. to your Favourites.