Can You Lay Wood Flooring Over Tile – If you’re sick of looking at outdated ceramic tile but don’t have the time (or budget) to show off your old floor, there are actually several types of flooring you can install right over your unsightly old tile. Today I am sharing the various types of flooring you can put on top of tile, no demo needed!….
In an ideal world, I would have replaced all of the nasty $$ flooring in my previous fixer upper, before moving a single box of my possessions inside.
Can You Lay Wood Flooring Over Tile
Unfortunately, at the time, I was practically broke and had no change to do something like this.
Floating Floor Over Tile
You see… eight years ago, raised floor systems like LVT or LVP hadn’t quite evolved to what they are today, with explicit use for installation over pre-existing sub-floors. In fact, what I knew was my only option at the time involved the tedious and messy task of tearing down my existing floors and then paying a hefty premium to a subcontractor to have new floors installed.
And so…I lived with floors that I absolutely despised for about four years…that is…until I came across a snap-on flooring system that the manufacturer’s instructions stated I could place right on top of the dirty ceramic tiles in my kitchen.
Since that discovery, I’ve used two other types of flooring the same way throughout my 80’s rancher, so I thought I’d use this post to show you the various options that exist for this unconventional type of application.
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How To Install Vinyl Plank Over Tile Floors
LVT was my first foray into the world of floating floors. As you can see in the photo above, my husband and I used luxury vinyl tile to cover the dated ceramic tile in my kitchen (you can read my LVT Installation Tutorial here), and it made a world of difference.
The nice thing about LVT is that it’s great for areas prone to exposure to water because the product is waterproof (unlike traditional hardwood). I also found the product to be extremely low maintenance given the absence of grout and the inevitable dirty grout line problem that comes with traditional tile.
Installing this product is relatively beginner-friendly, and we were able to completely transform the look of our kitchen in a weekend.
Not all luxury vinyl tile is suitable for installation over existing tile, so you should ensure that it is explicitly stated in the manufacturer’s instructions as “suitable for installation over existing tile sub-floors”.
Installing Vinyl Flooring Over Ceramic Tile
If your LVT floor isn’t thick enough, you risk the telegraph effect where the grout lines of the ceramic tile start to show through the new floor for a not-so-pretty feel.
Luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank are essentially the same product. They are both waterproof and require no grouting or sealing, however luxury vinyl plank comes in longer pieces and is more ideal for a wood-like effect.
While you might think I installed tile in my bathroom, this particular type of click and lock flooring was actually plank….
As with LVT, you need to make sure that the luxury vinyl product you go with has padding attached that is thick enough to avoid the risk of telegraphing. From afar, you’d never guess that the floor in my bathroom (you can read more about my bathroom here) wasn’t real tile.
Laying Vinyl Planks Over Tile Floors — Ashley French
Two years ago, I was completely blown away when Shaw Floors came to me wanting to partner with me on a brand new type of engineered hardwood that could be installed over tile and hardwood subfloors just like LVT or LVP.
I decided to install engineered hardwood planks in my foyer (which had super ugly ceramic tile) and in my dining room, living room, and bedrooms (which had hardwood that looked like it came straight from the
What’s even better about the floating wooden planks is that they were both waterproof and scratch resistant. What I found even more beneficial about this product over LVT and LVP is that when we went to sell our home this year, we were legitimately able to boast in the MLS description that the home had brand new hardwood flooring. .
While floating hardwood planks can be a bit more expensive than luxury vinyl products, if you have resale value in mind, this is definitely something you want to consider.
Things To Consider Before Installing Floating Floors Over Old Tile Flooring
Given the cutting-edge nature of this particular product, this may be the only hardwood option on the market that can be installed over a tiled sub-floor. At least, this is the only product I’ve come across of its kind.
While I’ve never personally used a laminate floor with a pad attached, it compares to most vinyl products in that it’s DIY-friendly and has a similar feel.
I would argue that the biggest difference between vinyl and laminate (at least in terms of functionality) is that vinyl is fully synthetic and laminate is not.
Since laminate has a core made from wood by-products, it’s not the best option for rooms prone to exposure to water such as bathrooms or kitchens.
How To Install Vinyl Plank Flooring In 4 Easy Steps
In terms of looks, however, if you’re going for a hardwood floor vibe, the laminate aesthetic might be a little more compelling.
As with any product, you must be sure that the manufacturer has classified the product as suitable for installation on tiles. Not all laminates are the same!
Having lived with LVT, LVP, and floating hardwood planks for YEARS, I can personally attest that these are all very viable options, and we have never had any telegraph issues.
With various flooring options to choose from (technology has come so damn far) I hope you understand now that there really is no excuse to live with ugly tiled floors anymore!
Can You Put Vinyl Flooring Over Wood Or Tile?
For your convenience, I have compiled a selection of acceptable floors to install over tile…
If you want to read more posts related to flooring you can install over existing tile, click the links below…
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It’s like having your own interior designer, life coach (and drinking buddy) for FREE. Living fabulously AF- on a budget. Thinking of installing new flooring to refresh your kitchen, the existing floor is a tiled floor but can the flooring be laid over tile?
Tips For Achieving Realistic Faux Wood Tile
To ensure you have a good subfloor for your new floor, your existing floor should adhere to these rules;
If only a few tiles are cracked or loose, you can remove them with a hammer and chisel or hammer drill. After removal, you can apply cement to the area where the tile was and level it with a trowel. What should I do if my existing floor is uneven or unsafe?
If your floor is uneven, you should completely remove all tile from the floor using a hammer drill with a flat chisel drill attachment. After removing the tiles it is necessary to inspect the sub-floor. If the sub-floor is also uneven, self-leveling concrete should be used to create a new level sub-floor.
Vinyl Plank flooring can be installed over an existing tile floor. This is done by locking the slats together using a Click and Lock installation system. No glue is needed. Some vinyl planks come with a layer of underlayment pre-attached to each plank and require no additional underlayment. If your vinyl floor doesn’t have it, you need to purchase and lay underlayment sheets and lay your vinyl floor on top. Floating method;
How To Install Laminate Flooring Over Tile
Laminate and engineered hardwood can be installed over tile flooring using the float method—basically the same method used for installing vinyl plank flooring over tile. The planks can be locked together using a click and lock or tongue and groove mechanism. Most laminate and engineered wood planks require rolls of underlayment to be purchased and laid before laminate flooring. Can hardwood flooring be laid over tiles?
Solid hardwood is different from other types of flooring, it must be fixed to the sub-floor by nailing/stapling or gluing. You can’t nail or staple solid hardwood to tile, so your only option is the Glue-On method.
We highly recommend not doing this unless the tile floor is perfectly flat. Sometimes it’s easier to install a new 6mm plywood sub-floor or to remove the tiles. If you want to glue solid hardwood to tile, make sure you use a good adhesive. You can try gluing a board the day before and see if it holds up the next day. Take the height of the floor into consideration
Be sure to take into consideration what the height of the floor will be after the new floor is installed. Sometimes it will be necessary to cut the doors and apply floor transition strips to accommodate the new floor.
How To Know If You Have Wood Floors
In summary, installing new tile floors is possible with several
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