OT: Tile on linoleum

I know this is a woodworking forum, but a lot of you guys are multi-skilled . I need to put tile in the bathroom and have heard yes and no to putting t ile on linoleum. Apparently, there are products that make it possible, but others say the foundation is just too soft. What's the verdict?

Reply to
Michael
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ed. I need to put tile in the bathroom and have heard yes and no to putting tile on linoleum. Apparently, there are products that make it possible, bu t others say the foundation is just too soft. What's the verdict? From

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6961.html Underlayment New tile should not be laid directly on top of the old linoleum, unless the linoleum is well-adhered to a cement subfloor. Tile needs a firm, hard, in flexible substrate. If your linoleum is installed over an old wood floor, a new substrate will need to be installed over the linoleum. Vinyl will requ ire a smooth plywood underlayment, while hard tiles will require a cement b ackerboard underlayment. This new underlayment will need to be installed fi rst with mortar, then with screws that must penetrate the old linoleum. If your linoleum contains asbestos, these screws must be installed by a profes sional who can take steps to prevent the asbestos from becoming airborne wh en the tiles are penetrated.
Reply to
bnwelch

Would help to know what kind of tile, but probably best not to for any tile. If it is ceramic, I'd take it down to bare wood and put cement backerboard for the best job. I'd use either epoxy or urethane grout too. Makes a nice easy to care for floor.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Normally, and we do this all the time, I'm going to demo the linoleum, without question.

Take into consideration the cost of your new tile.

Is it expensive enough, including installation, to justify replacing/repairing any future problems?

How convenient would it be, including keeping spare tile on hand in that event?

Keep in mind, my main consideration is a solid, long lasting job for a client, without the inconvenience of possible callbacks for both of us.

If it is DIY, YMMV ...

Reply to
Swingman

If it's really linoleum, sure. If it's vinyl my question would be does it have any asbestos in it?

Reply to
Trenbidia

it depends budget deflection etc

Reply to
Electric Comet

Assuming ceramic tile, the only correct way to install it is the following.

Take everything down to bare plywood. Solid plywood. Install felt paper, tar paper, or that rubber membrane. Run it a few inches up the walls. Mor tar, cement concrete backer board to the floor. Cement the tiles to the ba cker board.

I don't believe in working with prior jobs. I prefer to start from scratch and do it right. Don't work around other stuff. Take it all out down to the bare bones and do everything correctly. No compromises. Usually cheap er and easier to do it right the first time.

Reply to
russellseaton1

, tar paper, or that rubber membrane. Run it a few inches up the walls. M ortar, cement concrete backer board to the floor. Cement the tiles to the backer board.

ch and do it right. Don't work around other stuff. Take it all out down t o the bare bones and do everything correctly. No compromises. Usually che aper and easier to do it right the first time.

If I may, one clarification (btw, I agree with all you wrote), make sure th e plywood is thick enough based on floor joist spacing...I have seen where some tile specs call for full 1" thick substrate to prevent flexing/crackin g...

Reply to
bnwelch

Assuming the subfloor is plywood. My subfloors are 1 x 6 T&G pine.

hes up the walls.

Assuming the walls are open. My plaster walls came down to the top of the tile. No way I was opening up the bottom of the walls in order to run anyth ing a few inches up the wall.

he backer board.

Well, I don't know if "*Cement* the tiles to the backer board" is the corre ct phrase, but yes, backer board should be used.

(My old tile sat on a 2" thick bed of mortar. One that starts going bad, the floor is done for.)

ch and do it right. Don't work around other stuff. Take it all out down t o the bare bones and do everything correctly. No compromises. Usually che aper and easier to do it right the first time.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

e:

er, tar paper, or that rubber membrane. Run it a few inches up the walls. Mortar, cement concrete backer board to the floor. Cement the tiles to th e backer board.

atch and do it right. Don't work around other stuff. Take it all out down to the bare bones and do everything correctly. No compromises. Usually c heaper and easier to do it right the first time.

the plywood is thick enough based on floor joist spacing...I have seen wher e some tile specs call for full 1" thick substrate to prevent flexing/crack ing...

For some reason, the joist spacing in my bathroom was screwed up back in th e mid-50's when the house was built. 16" OC joists, running from the door wal l to the outside wall, except for right in front of the sink. 20" OC under what was probably the heaviest trafficked area of the bathroom. It was no surprise that that is where the 1" tiles starting popping first. The mortar bed in front of the sink must have flexed enough over the years until it finally failed.

(BTW the subfloor is 1 x 6 T&G pine, not plywood.)

When I redid the bathroom, I added extra support in front of the sink to eliminate any future problems.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

So you don't believe in mounting the tile to the rubber membrane? I didn't think the membrane required mounting a backer board on top of it, before laying the tiles.

Reply to
woodchucker

e:

I would install plywood over the 1x6 boards. You do not want the subfloor to move. Plywood is pretty stable. 1x6 not so much.

nches up the walls.

I was thinking of showers and tiling the floor and walls. You want the wat erproof felt paper, other membrane, to go up the walls. Walls do not need to be waterproof since they get wet but do not have water on top of them co nstantly. For tiling your kitchen floor, no need to waterproof the walls.

the backer board.

Mortar bed is the concrete backer board. Mortar, cement, the gray stuff yo u mix up to stick the tiles to the backer board. Not sure about mortar bed s. Do you lay the wet mortar bed down and then place the tiles on the mort ar bed before it dries?

Reply to
russellseaton1

I have not worked with the rubber membrane. Just tar paper and backer boar d. But if the rubber membrane acts the same as the tar paper, then you wou ld put the backer board over the rubber membrane. Plywood-rubber membrane- backer board-cement-tile. Substitute tar paper for rubber membrane. I can not imagine how cement would stick to the rubber membrane, or the tar paper . So the membrane and tar paper go under the backer board. And the backer board is screwed to the plywood through the rubber membrane or tar paper. Screws keep the backer board from ever moving. And the cement sticking th e tiles to the backer board keep the tiles from ever moving. Can't have ru bber membrane anywhere in that mix.

Reply to
russellseaton1

ote:

r to move. Plywood is pretty stable. 1x6 not so much.

It's been a while, but I (think I) recall adding either plywood or luan over the 1x6 subfloor only to ensure that I brought the height of the finished floor back to where it needed to be.

You can't always just add another layer of subfloor on top of an existing subfloor, then use cement backer board, then tile and expect that the top of the floor will end up where you need to be.

inches up the walls.

aterproof felt paper, other membrane, to go up the walls. Walls do not nee d to be waterproof since they get wet but do not have water on top of them constantly. For tiling your kitchen floor, no need to waterproof the walls .

to the backer board.

you mix up to stick the tiles to the backer board.

Thin-set mortar

No, you lay the mortar bed (mud-set, thick-set, etc) and let it cure overnight. You then use a thin-set type adhesive to bond the tile to mortar bed.

In some cases a mortar bed may be a better solution than backer board. It is easier to level an uneven surface with a mortar bed because you can vary the thickness, within reason. Yes, there are self-leveling compounds that can be used before using the backer board but from my reading it seems that there are certain situations where a mortar bed may be the best solution.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

And in other situations a layer of Schluter Ditra is the way to go. Over existing vinyl is one situation where Ditra can shine - as long as the vinyl is well adhered and clean.

Reply to
clare

Getting everything to line up is a trick. May need to remove the original baseboard and install new plywood. Maybe a couple layers of different thic kness. Cement backer board is available in several different thickness too . 1/2", 3/8", 1/4" I think. So you may need to layer those as well.

Reply to
russellseaton1

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