Tiling Over An Existing Floor Covering

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In an ideal world it would be fine to tile over an existing floor covering, but in many cases it just isn't advisable at all. A lot of people who buy a pre-owned property find themselves asking whether they can tile over the existing floor in the kitchen or bathroom. In some cases it is fine to go ahead and start laying the tiles, but if the existin floor is an old vinyl or cork floor then you can run into problems down the years. Here are some helpful tips that will help you ascertain if the floor is suitable to tile over or not.

What Is The Existing Floor?

The first thing you'll need to do is find out exactly what the existing floor is. If the floor is an old vinyl or cork then you'll probably have to lift it up and prepare the floor for the tiles. If the flooring is recently laid tiles that appear to be in good condition then you can go ahead and start laying. Once you have found this out then you can go to the next step.

What Condition Is The Existing Floor In?

If the existing floor is not in good condition then you definitely are not advised to lay any tiles. Check for cracks, signs of movement or damp creeping up. If you are laying tiles on a wooden floor it is important to find out what quality the floor boards are in before starting to lay. If you find that the existing flooring is in poor condition, then lift it and prepare the floor.

How To Prepare The Existing Floor

If you have a solid floor with no signs of damp or cracking then the most you'll need to do is clean it and maybe even coat it with PVA glue for some grip. However, if it is showing signs of disrepair you will need to sort it out before you start to lay any tiles.

• Clean down the surface
• Remove any loose or damaged material
• Rough up the surface by scratching with a wire brush
• Coat generously with PVA glue

You'll now have a good solid, well sealed floor surface to work from.

Laying The Floor

Start off by using a self leveling latex compound to level surface, this will make laying the tiles much easier. It is advisable to use a flexible adhesive when laying over an existing floor, even if it seems in good condition. The flexible adhesive will allow the new tiles a degree of flexibility, which is especially important if you are on a wooden floor. When you are laying the floor you should stagger the joints of your new tiles with the old tiles.

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