How to Lay Tile Over a Vinyl Floor
While installing new tile over an existent vinyl floor is not often recommended, there are certain instances in which homeowners may choose to do so. For instance, older homes may have vinyl flooring which contains asbestos. Removing existent vinyl floors that contains asbestos can be hazardous, time-consuming, and expensive. In these circumstances, laying new tile directly over a vinyl floor may be the best option. Installing your own tile over vinyl flooring is a fairly simple project that takes just a weekend to complete. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Ceramic or natural stone (such as travertine) tile Latex-modified thin-set mortar Caulk Caulk gun Hand trowel Damp cloth Mop Floor cleaning detergent Bucket of water
Instructions
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How to Lay Tile Over a Vinyl Floor
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1
Mix a floor cleaning detergent into a bucket of water and thoroughly clean the vinyl floors. Mop dry.
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2
Mix the latex-modified thin-set mortar according to package directions.
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3
Apply a layer of mortar, approximately 1/4" to 1/2" thick, to the back of each ceramic tile.
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4
Lay the ceramic tiles about 1/4" to 1" apart, depending on the size of the ceramic tiles. How large the gap between each tile is determined by how large each ceramic tile is: the larger the tile, the larger the gap between each tile should be.
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5
Wipe away any excess mortar with a damp cloth.
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6
Finish laying all the ceramic tiles set with mortar. Allow mortar to dry 24 hours or more, according to the manufacturer's directions.
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7
Apply caulk with a caulk gun into the gaps between each tile. Make sure the tiles are completely sealed with caulk, to prevent any moisture from seeping through the ceramic tiles onto the vinyl floor beneath.
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8
Wipe away any excess caulk with a damp cloth.
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Tips & Warnings
Always check the subfloor (the floor beneath the vinyl flooring). If the vinyl floor is laid over wood, absolutely do not put a layer of tile over the vinyl floor. If the vinyl floor is laid on concrete slab, then laying new tile over the existent floor should be fine.
