How to prep floor and lay floor tiles after linoleum is torn up?

Wak23045104
by Wak23045104
  3 answers
  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Sep 17, 2018

    Scrape and remove all residue so that it is clean and smooth. If you can’t get it there, put down luan. How you lay the new flooring depends on the type of tiles. Also if it is ceramic tile you will need cement board instead of luan, regardless of how clean you get the existing sub floor.

  • Joy30150932 Joy30150932 on Sep 17, 2018

    A good base with clean plywood is a start. Be sure to glue down the orange sheeting before you tile. This prevents future cracks in your tile and grout. Once you have done that then glue down your tile with the correct adhesive. Be sure to measure out your pattern first before laying.

  • Dwp7470b Dwp7470b on Sep 17, 2018

    Usually buying a new underlayment is suffice for anything constructed after 1950s, but if you

    A. have built in base cabinetries, low to the floor you may need to use Glue or Masonite, rather than underlayment because it may get too high to open those base cabinetry doors.

    B. have a preexisting underlayment, it may need to smooth

    [I encountered this problem as associable: Homeowner's Necessity for x-ray eyeballs, and after the old underlayment over old linoleum, was all smoothed, no less. I haven't enough clearance. And have two options, Cut down the floor to the base flooring to use my tiles, or use paint, stencils, 5 Gallons of clear elmers glue, and polyurethane rather than the tiles that I had already purchased]

    Thus, What to use is often a judgment call after you tear out a section of the preexistent flooring:

    A. If the condition is coarse or regular old floorboards, use glue to smooth it out or just lay a carpet with padding if you have suffice clearance.

    B.1. If the condition is smooth or can be made smooth with sandpaper, smooth it out and lay tile ONLY after you secure clearance will be suffice.

    B.2 if clearance is not suffice and you have old linoleum, you must reconsider purchase of tile.


    Either way entails: You gotta smooth it out and secure it clean and dry.

    Cleaning is usually best with something like bleach or Mr. Clean [No dish detergent or degreasers] rather than abrasives like Comet or Ajax Powder which will make it less smooth.