Want new flooring over existing tiles in your Smethwick home? When it works, when the tiles need to come up, and how the floor is prepared so the new one lasts.
Often, yes. Laminate, LVT and engineered wood can all be laid over existing tiles, which saves the mess and time of breaking them up, as long as the tiles are firmly stuck down, the floor is level, and the extra height will not cause problems with doors, skirting or the transition into other rooms.
Click flooring that floats on an underlay, like laminate and rigid LVT, is the easiest to lay over tiles, because the underlay smooths out small grout lines. Glue-down LVT is different: every grout line and tile edge can show through, so the tiles usually need a thin coat of levelling compound first. Loose, cracked or hollow tiles always need lifting or fixing before anything goes on top.
In Smethwick we see a lot of older ceramic floors in kitchens and hallways around Cape Hill and Rood End, and many of them can be overlaid. We check each one by tapping for hollow tiles and measuring the door heights before deciding.
Usually yes, if the tiles are firm and level, with a suitable underlay.
Rigid click LVT often can. Glue-down LVT normally needs the tiles skimmed smooth first.
Not with click floors on underlay. With glue-down vinyl they can, unless the floor is levelled first.
It usually saves time and mess. We will tell you honestly if the tiles need to come up.
01Tap test the tiles | Hollow-sounding, loose or cracked tiles must be fixed or removed first. |
|---|---|
02Check it is level | Big dips or humps need sorting before the new floor goes down. |
03Mind the height | New flooring adds height. Doors may need trimming and thresholds need neat trims. |
04Click floors are easiest | Laminate and rigid LVT on underlay cope well over tiles. |
05Glue-down needs a skim | Glue-down LVT usually needs levelling compound over tiles so grout lines do not show. |
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