As you can see, the laminate floor has failed. This has been going on for some time. I run a dog rescue from my home, and I thought tile would hold up better for having dogs. This is just a small sample of the floor failing. They used a substandard flooring material and it didn't hold up at all. I would love to install the wide plank, wood looking tile in my home. It would help immensely for the rescue dogs and myself.
Asked on Jun 06, 2018
How difficult is it to install tile?
+2
its not rocket science to install tile, but the floor needs to be very ridged or the grout will crack up. fix the floor first.
Another thing for you to consider... the new wood look vinyl wide plank flooring... a lot of the DIY tv guys are using it in beach and lake front homes, and in basements where moisture or flooding might occur...
As to laying tile.... it is not hard... but it requires practice and patience... you will need to put down an "uncoupling" membrane and or one of the cement backer boards before installing the tile..... check with the store where you buy the tile for the correct installation method... on YOUR sub-flooring material and floor construction.
Agree with Dfm that it is necessary to have the underfloor level before you begin to install the tile. Otherwise the tiles will not set properly and you'll have ongoing problems with cracking and breakage. To complete the job properly you will need to use quality materials and the right size tile cutter.
As a contractor I have installed many many varieties of flooring and I'm also a dog owner/lover. I would suggest you use the vinyl plank flooring which comes in a variety of different patterns and colors. My favorite is "rustic hardwood looks". It is incredibly durable and should something like a burn damage a section you can pull up that single piece and replace it. The flooring is often referred to as "drop and done" flooring. Drop and Done is also a brand name but it is made by many different companies. It is a thick flexible material made out of recycled tires, therefore making it incredibly durable. It is most often available in planks that are approximately 6" x 36" but is also available in 12" x 24" to look more like tile. It can be laid down loose (no adhesive) or with a very very thin coat of vinyl adhesive applied with a very fine notch trowel as found in the tile section of your local hardware store. I would recommend using the adhesive. When you loose lay you can pull them up when vacuuming if you happen to have a very high suction to your vacuum. The bonus with this product is that you can install over existing flooring. Sweep or vacuum up any loose debris and I would sand down any very obvious rises in the the existing flooring. In your case I would simply pull up the old laminate, since it's so easy to remove and then install over your subfloor or cement or whatever is under there. This is a far easier install than tiling. If you're not experience in laying tile you could end up wasting a lot of time and money with this attempt. Best of luck!!
Tile setters make good money for a reason....