Has anyone here ever had laminate flooring installed over ceramic tile?

That would be the proper way to do it though.
Rent an electric jackhammer.

You can be done with it in an afternoon.
There are different sizes depending on what you can handle.

Check your local rental centers too.




Note....


This one may be overkill just for your ceramic floor.
Ask the rental guys and show them a pic of your floor.

Last Edited by Useless Cookie Eater on 03/05/2017 07:42 PM

i had it put in, kept it for a year then ripped that shit out for real hardwoods.

Cookie you're a classic. That's a 90lb slab breaker hammer

For ceramic tile !
He needs a chipping hammer !

Love ya Bro !!

I'm not messing around.
When I want the job done....I git 'er done.



Last Edited by Useless Cookie Eater on 03/05/2017 07:56 PM

I recommend removing the tile first, using a very small tactical nuclear device, something with around a 1 ounce yield should do the trick.

I need to give more info. I'm on a slab. The builder himself laid the tile and the tile is not flat because he didn't prep the concrete. So when walking on the tile, you can feel some corners of the tiles are higher than others.

Also the tile looks like slate, it's dark and has ridges so it's not noticeable with the eye that some tiles are just lightly higher on the edges.

The other issue and why I don't want to remove it is because of the square footage of it. It's in my kitchen, around an island, through my dinning room down the hall around the corner and in my foyer. Removing it would take days and cost even more.

you truly must have shit for brains

who in their right mind would cover ceramic tile with plastic wood ... omg ... how dumb is that

I was hoping that you could glue or lay something on top of the tile that would level it, and just put the new floor on top. The molding is pretty high so cutting it should be ok. And the doors haven't been trimmed before. The house is 10 years old, and I had it built.

Try laminate flooring...that should level it right up.

No actually, no shit in my brains. I watched a couple videos about it and wanted opinions of people here because I know there are skilled professionals that lurk here.

I however am not a skilled professional and don't profess to be an expert after watching a couple videos.

Also, I've been on this site for years and feel fine reaching out to my glp friends for feedback.

And yes, I will weigh in their advice before I speak to a contractor so I'm better prepared to have a conversation and maybe not get ripped off.

JA

they developed a "floating floor" for a reason, to go over most anything economically with decent results. use whatever underlayment the flooring store recommends

no big deal.

Here's what you do. Go get some Mapai ECO prim grip from menards and coat the floor with it and let it dry. Make sure you mix it ip good and put it on with a brush and not a roller. It is a latex based Synthetic based epoxy primer that will stick to black asbestos mastic and glass. It will provide a profile for a self leveling floor underlayment to adhere to. Make sure there is no loose grout. I doubt it's real slate because you would be able to chip off pieces of it if it was. Real slate has many layers to it. It's more than likely a ceramic or porcelain based tile that looks like slate. Get a good latex modified self leveling floor compound. Based on what you described this would be the lowest cost and no dust. Make sure you plug up any penetrations in the floor like a toilet collar or heater vent as the self leveling compound will go to the lowest area/point as it self levels. Also build a small moat in front of any door ways to create a fine edge for your new floor. You'll have a perfectly smooth sound floor to put down the sheet foam and floating floor on top.

Contractor for 35 years.

You're welcome

ECO Prim Grip is a ready-to-use, low-VOC, synthetic resin-based primer with bond-promoting silica aggregates suspended in a dispersion. It enhances the performance and adhesion of mortars to existing ceramics and difficult-to-bond substrates, plus it improves bonding of self-leveling underlayments (SLUs) and bonds of render coats over cementitious substrates. Suitable for a wide variety of substrates, ECO Prim Grip combines excellent versatility with an easy, low-odor application.

Epoxy system ensures optimal performance from self-leveling underlayments and toppings that are subject to the stresses generated by dynamic loading, vibration and slight deflection.
One-component, versatile primer for a wide variety of substrate conditions
Single-coat application for faster turnaround and lower installation costs
Low odor
Easy handling and application properties
Provides excellent bond strength with resistance to moisture and aging

[link to www.youtube.com (secure)]


this simple. biggest thing with a floating floor is to let it do that, ie, make sure you leave enough room when you make cuts for the floor to move around as it expands and contracts, cut it too tight and it could buckle.

two words - "vapor barrier"
you'll thank me later ...

going to start a feud here,, lol

way over kill, put down the foam and put your floor in, just like the video i posted

I understand you not wanting to take the tile up. If you do though you will be better off.

I've taken up a lot of it. The majority of the time it isn't too bad. A hammer and chisel will shuck up most tiles in a few pieces. But whoa to you if that shit is stuck good. A scrupulously cleaned slab, good thing set mixed just right, and a porous ceramic can combine to create a hell job. I've seen 60 feet of tile take a full day with an air hammer. But then again I've seen a whole kitchen come up in 15 minutes with a flat hoe.

Lol

not questioning your skill ... questioning why anyone would prefer plastic to tile ... the tile will last a life time, it is indestructible and adds value to your home ... plastic wood is so ghetto --- not to forget toxic

Last Edited by Sunny Daze on 03/05/2017 10:20 PM

I found 1 gallon of Mapai Eco prim grip on ebay for $36.40.
A bag of good portland based self leveling floor underlayment is $25.00 I dont recall your square footage but one bag will do 45 square feet @ 3/16" it will go a long way. When you're putting down the leveling compound make sure you "scratch" it into the surface of the primed surface floor to promote even more adhesion. Let it cure and dry for about 6 hours and you're ready to lay your new floor.

Whats the tolerance of the foam. He says the tiles are uneven. He wants a flat floor. The foam has tolerances. I bet it's no more than a 1/16" Sounds like his floor is more than that from his description.

Thank you!!

I should have noted that the one gallon of Mapai Prim Grip will cover 300 square feet.

Why not just do it right and tear out the tile?

A couple days of labor never killed anyone, but plenty of cattywompous floors have.

It's not real slate, just looks like it. It's dark green/brown. Which was trendy and a bad decision when I selected it 10 years ago. There is a hairline fracture in a couple tiles in the kitchen since the builder left small globs of concrete on the floor before he laid the tile. He didn't know what he was doing and now I live with the corners he cut to save money.

Each room is big, so taking out the tile is going to be costly and messy, but if I have to I will. I really just wanted to see if it was a bad move to just lay on top or not. Since the builder did it, most likely there is not a lot of quick set under each tile so maybe the job won't be as bad to remove.

Since there are hairline fractures in a few tiles. Plus add the fact that the builder probably didn't use a lot of quick set. Would you just remove it?

Why don't one of you retrofit something like a sickle bar mower into a scraper for tile ?

[link to img.diytrade.com]

If it's saltio, only then would your input be necessary.

OP, let me summarize the pros and cons of your viable options presented to you by several pros.

First you could just lay your pad and laminate over the tile. It's quick, cheap, and easy. Laminate does not bridge over uneven surfaces well. The pad helps a bit, but dead space under the laminate will stress the locking mechanism and cause eventual failure. I see no reason why you couldnt break out high tiles and fill with patch to stop this. If the tile shows no signs of being loose (hollow sounding or cracking grout) which might indicate an easy tear out I would be comfortable doing this, but I would get rid of high corners.

Second, you could prime and pour self leveler. This gives you an even surface and there is no demolition or dust. It is a multiday process, is costly, and must be skillfully executed.

Third you can take up the tile. This gets you back to the slab, does not add height to the floor, and gives you more options later if you tire of laminate. There is no way to know if it'll take 5 hours or 25 hours to take up. It will be dusty. If you hire it out tile costs as much to take up as it does to install.

In my professional opinion option 1 is your easy way out and option 3 is your "best practice" method. Option 2 is neither.

What I would do to make that decision is do a test area to see how it comes off. Typically in a traffic area because tile setters tend to do a better job on the field areas than in the knooks and crannies. If it comes off hard you'll know. Rent a bosch MAX chipper and see how long it takes to take off two square feet and then multiply by the total SQ FT to estimate your time. Dont forget to add in the dust protection and the refuse charge like a dumpster if needed and garbage bags or what ever you're going to transport it in to get rid of it. If there is mastic residue left over dont try and chip it off, it takes to long. Get a small surface grinding diamond wheel and grind it off quickly. You can get a 4-5" grinder cheap. A cup wheel is about $15. A dust head for it is about $30. The only other thing you will need is a good vacuum. preferably with a HEPA bag to filter the dust.

I would tend to agree with this guy. You need to know how well it is adhered to the concrete floor. Make sure you cover everything as the dust will get into everything that is not covered. As far as multi day on the second option. I could more than likely do it in one day but, someone with no experience it could take a week !