Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring Over Ceramic Tile – Today I’m sharing how we installed new vinyl flooring over our existing ceramic tile floors with a few easy steps to make sure it was properly level. We used Golden Select Vinyl Plank in Smokey Barrel.
When things changed suddenly and drastically this spring with the pandemic and spring break canceled, we decided to hole up and tackle some home projects. We hadn’t decided if we were going to replace all the tiles in our basement as it seemed like a huge job as the ceramic tiles were laid directly on the concrete sub floor. But we also knew we really wanted to change and refresh the look of the basement as well as create a more consistent flooring option through the entire space. The old tiles were uneven, hard to clean, hard on the feet, and cold in winter. It also wasn’t exactly our style or color preference.
Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring Over Ceramic Tile
In January I repainted all the walls white and added an accent wall of wallpaper. I also bought some area rugs to cover the sturdy tiles and heat this space, which definitely worked well as a temporary measure.
Diy Vinyl Plank Flooring Install
But once we decided to transform the family room, updating the ceiling, floor, and finishes, the project doubled in size to include all of the common basement areas and hallways.
We headed to Costco before everything really blew up from the pandemic and bought enough boxes of Golden Select Vinyl Plank Flooring (in Smokey Barrel) to tackle the entire basement floor except for the three bedrooms, which had carpet in reasonably good shape (and keeping it warm). things in winter). We could also have ordered a Golden Select from Costco online, but we were impatient to get started!
Before we started, we removed the baseboards and made sure the floors were vacuumed and cleaned thoroughly.
I purchased this premium flooring compound at my local hardware store and mixed it according to package directions. Since our tiles have a kind of faux texture to them, we wanted to flatten them out before installing the vinyl over them.
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I used a wide putty knife to apply the compound to the grout joints and any depressions, making sure to spread it smoothly and scrape off any excess product.
Since we already installed vinyl plank in the family room, we lined the floorboards with this entryway so the line would continue. We placed it first, on our way back from the entrance to the family room, in order to determine what width our first piece should be.
You can see below, where the door is open at the top left of the photo, and how we lined up the planks so that they were in a straight line and flowed from the doorway to the family room downstairs. We later used a transition strip as the two rooms were a little different, but we still wanted the boards to be straight between the two rooms.
The installation went much more quickly than we expected, since we had quite a few cuts to make.
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We did run into some spots that weren’t level, so it was important to build up the floor with patching compound to make sure the vinyl plank was installed on top of a flat surface. We needed to do this as the floors stopped before entering the furnace/mechanical room downstairs.
We were very pleased with how easy it was to install this vinyl flooring (read more details and installation tips in this post).
You can also watch the video I created using our tips – the process is the same with the addition of ensuring your floor is perfectly level (and patching as needed) when going directly over an old tile floor!
No matter how much white paint I used on the walls, and how much I cleaned the floor before, it always felt dirty and old. Having a uniform, easy-to-clean floor and beautiful wood paneling in the basement has completely transformed the basement area!
Can You Install Vinyl Flooring Over Tile
We shared how we laid the same flooring directly over the concrete floor in our family room in this post.
You can find Golden Select at Costco and it comes in many beautiful color options. We love the Smokey Barrel color, but I’d really like to use Antique Oak in our new build!
The Happy Housie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. If you click on a link to Amazon, I may earn commission on qualified purchases – at no cost to you. thanks for your support! Scroll above for all the supplies and steps you need to install vinyl flooring over old tiles yourself for a temporary fix.
Favorite project ever! Well, I’d say it’s probably about 50% of every project we do here, but this one is definitely on the most converting charts for the least amount of money.
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If you’ve been following the master bathroom update, Robert and I painted the walls, trim, and cabinetry up this past weekend. But the ceramic tile floor still looks like this:
Although we’ve salvaged ceramic tile in our kitchen and hallway bathroom with grout pen in the past, this floor seemed a bit far fetched. And since we’ve been sticking with existing countertops and showers for now (until a real gut/renovation is down the road), I wanted a floor that would update my ’80s beige a little better.
Except I wanted to steer clear of the tile paint and stencil route like many DIYers have been doing here lately. With a 3-month-old in the house, I didn’t like the idea of fumes and wanted this job to be quick and install in an hour or two.
Normally, if you’re doing a major renovation, I wouldn’t suggest putting a vinyl floor over tile. I think the word standing should be done the “right” way. But for a quick first-stage fix, it’s a great do-it-yourself solution until you’re ready for a messy contractor job.
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So if you want to do the same thing with some of your existing tile floors that have seen better days, here’s how to make it happen.
2. Once the mortar has dried in about 24-48 hours, you can sand down any rough spots with medium grit sandpaper.
3. Sweep the floor and remove any debris with a dust pan because you don’t want to trap anything under the vinyl floor.
4. Remove the quarter round and base plates using a crowbar and mallet or mallet. Here’s a post to help you with that, if you haven’t already. Set the quarter round trim and base plates aside to reinstall after the vinyl is in good condition (assuming they are in good shape).
Oasis Everlasting Vinyl Flooring Tiles, 7
5. Measure all edges around the room and draw an outline of your room on a piece of paper using those measurements. Never a dull moment with that guy around you, even with mundane measurement jobs. 😉
Include measurements of any obstructions in the room as well. We removed our old toilet beforehand (this is a great toilet removal video with good advice to prevent water from dripping everywhere), so we measured where to cut a hole in our sheet of vinyl for that as well.
7. Roll up your vinyl sheet and take a nap. I’m just kidding. 😉 Well…if you did, we wouldn’t blame you. But at least roll up the vinyl sheet (don’t turn it upside down to measure/cut in the next step).
8. Use your chart as a reference to mark your measurements using the tape measure along the edges of the vinyl sheet to create a template.
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10. Cut the vinyl sheet with sharp scissors or a knife. After cutting the floor, erase any remaining chalk line (Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work great).
11. Pull the cut vinyl sheet into the room and roll it out. Trim off any remaining areas with a utility knife as needed while placing it in the room.
12. Reinstall the baseboards and quarter-round trim with a nail gun to hold the floor edges in place. (This was according to the manufacturer’s instructions for our vinyl floor, but the floor manufacturer may require you to apply adhesive first.)
13. Next, apply white silicone caulk to fill in the cracks on the remounted flange. And attach the paper vinyl edges to where they meet at the shower/tub/door threshold as well.
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But with the combination of warm and cool tones in this floor, I feel it makes the blues and beiges really hold together.
So now on the agenda is patching up, touching up a bit of paint, and installing a new toilet (because the old one is in desperate need of getting rid of it for good).
I’m going to be painting the Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron door this week to match the rest of the doors in the house which are already a deep charcoal color.
I will close the window
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