Can you put laminate flooring over tiles?

More people each year are embracing laminate floors for their homes and businesses.

This floor surface is highly durable, easy to keep clean and provides a fresh, modern look for both living and working spaces. These qualities mean that people are choosing to replace existing floor surfaces with new laminate ones.

In some cases, the old floors are tiled ones. Tiles can be attractive, but they are also vulnerable to damage such as cracks. Of course, individual cracked tiles can be replaced, but switching to laminate is a chance to reinvigorate the space as well as deal with floor issues.

When it comes to the installation, the question remains of whether laminate can be laid directly over tiles, or whether they need to be lifted first. Keep reading to find the answer.

Can you put laminate flooring over tiles?

The simple answer to that question is yes, in most cases, you can lay the new laminate flooring on top of your old tiles.

While people are generally advised to lift existing floor surfaces before installing new ones, there are valid reasons why you may not wish to do so when it comes to tiles. The main one is that the work of getting each tile up from the subfloor can be time consuming, as well as dirty and difficult.

If you are hiring a professional to install your new laminate floor, they can do this work for you. However, if you have opted to put the new floor down yourself, being able to lay the laminate sheet directly over the top of the tiles will save you a great deal of time and hassle. It should be noted though that there are some factors that will determine whether it is possible to do that or not.

The state of the tiles

The condition of the tiles is probably the single biggest issue that can prevent you from putting laminate directly over the top of them.

If any of the tiles are coming loose from the subfloor, or are badly cracked or otherwise damaged, it would be much more advisable to lift them before putting the laminate down. An alternative would be to fix these loose tiles securely into place, or repair any damaged ones using adhesive before laying down the laminate.

The reason for this is because laminate is a ‘floating’ surface. This means it is laid on top of an underlay, instead of being glued down to the subfloor. Due to this, loose or damaged tiles can cause unwelcome noise when walking on the floor, or even tears and other damage to the laminate. Make sure the tiles are in reasonable condition before installing your new floor surface.

The height of the floor

Another potential problem that can arise from putting the laminate over the existing tiles is an increase in the overall height of the floor. That can lead to problems when you try to open or close doors in the room in question, among other things.

Therefore, if your intention is to put the laminate over the tiles rather than taking them up first, you should always choose a thin laminate rather than a thicker one. That will keep the floor height increase to the absolute minimum. Measuring to ensure that it will not cause the door to scrape across the laminate surface would also be a sensible precaution.

A way around any problem of that kind would be to shorten the frames and leaves of the door so that you are still able to open and close it without obstruction, even with the increased floor height.

The evenness of the subfloor

An issue that often causes tiles or joints to develop cracks is when the subfloor is not properly even. Therefore, if you have a lot of damaged tiles, it is worth investigating to see if the subfloor is completely level.

You can buy levelling compounds in shops that will help you to address any problems with subsidence, and it will be absolutely essential to do so before you put the laminate on top of the tiles.

Another option for dealing with any issues related to evenness is to choose an appropriate insulation.

Because laminate is not stuck down to the floor, it does have to be attached to an underlay before being fitted for noise reduction and stability, so insulation is a practical requirement anyway. If you choose an underlay that is suitably thick, this will help to cover up any areas where the subfloor is not completely level. Consult with a professional about this if you are not sure what sort of underlay to choose.

In conclusion, laminate flooring can usually be fitted directly on top of tiles, but the condition of the tiles and the subfloor will determine whether or not is is possible.