How many layers of tile can be on kitchen floor?

You might find an asbestos tile somewhere in those layers. I ripped them all out and refinished the white pine floor that was the original subfloor. Since it was blackened in spots I used wood bleach to lighten it. In the end I finally stained it a beautiful shade of blue and put down 4 layers of polyurethane glossy finish (don't use water-based poly). It looked great for years.

I would think it would be in your best interest to remove it?

One layer of tile.You should remove what you have down to the subfloor. Then you can tile.

If you have ceramic tile you need to take it up.

Because it is an older home, if it is linoleum type tile, the first layer and possible more than that are probably asbestos tiles. That is probably why it was laid on top to begin with. It can be removed but it is dangerous and it is imperative to not create dust. You need to investigate this before you begin. Sometimes you can install a sub-flooring over it and simply bury the old...