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What Type of Flooring Can You Install Over Ceramic Tile?

What Type of Flooring Can You Install Over Ceramic Tile?

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If you are sick of looking at outdated, ceramic tile but don’t have the time (or budget) to demo your old flooring, there are actually multiple types of flooring that you can install directly over your unsightly old tile. Today I am sharing the various types of flooring that you can put right on top of tile- no demo necessary!….

In an ideal world, I would have replaced all the nasty a$$ flooring in my previous fixer upper, before ever moving a single box of my possessions inside.

Unfortunately, at the time, I was basically dead broke and had no spare change to do such a thing.

flooring you can put over old ceramic tile

You see…eight years ago, floating floor systems like LVT or LVP had not yet evolved to what they are today- with explicit use for installation over pre-existing subfloors. In fact, what I knew to be my only option at the time involved the tedious and messy task of demolishing my existing floors and then paying a subcontractor a hefty premium to install new flooring.

And so…I lived with floors I absolutely despised for about four years…that is… until I came across a click and lock flooring system which the manufacturer’s instructions claimed I could place right over the filthy ceramic tiles in my kitchen.

Since that discovery, I have used two other types of flooring in the same manner throughout my 1980’s rancher, so I thought I would use this post to show you the various options that exist for this unconventional sort of application.

For your shopping convenience, this post contains affiliate links. As a Reward Style and Amazon affiliate, I earn commission on sales at no extra cost to you.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)-

lvt installed over old ceramic tile in kitchen

LVT was my first foray into the world of floating flooring. As you can see in the photo above, my husband and I used luxury vinyl tiles to cover up the dated ceramic tiles in my kitchen (you can read my LVT Install Tutorial here), and it made a freakin’ world of difference.

The beautiful thing about LVT is that it is great for areas prone to water exposure because the product is waterproof (unlike traditional hardwood). I also found the product to be super low-maintenance given the absence of grout and the inevitable dingy grout line issue that presents with traditional tile.

lvt installed over old ceramic tiles in kitchen

Installation of this product is relatively beginner friendly and we were able to completely transform the look of our kitchen within one weekend.

Not all luxury vinyl tile is suitable for installation over existing tiles, so you need to be sure that it is explicitly stated in the manufacturer’s instructions as “suitable for installation over existing tile subfloor”.

If the LVT flooring is not thick enough, you risk the telegraph effect where the grout lines of the ceramic tile begin to surface through the new flooring for a not-so-cute vibe.

**Click here for the exact LVT I used in my kitchen. **

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)-

Luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank are essentially the same product. They are both waterproof and require no grout or sealing, however luxury vinyl plank comes in longer pieces and is more ideal for a wood-like effect.

While you might think that I installed tiles in my bathroom, this particular type of click and lock flooring was actually a plank ….

flooring that you can put over ceramic tile ideas

As with LVT, you need to make sure the luxury vinyl plank product you go with has attached padding thick enough to avoid the risk for telegraphing. From a distance, you would never guess that the flooring in my bathroom (you can read more details on my bathroom here) was not actual tile.

luxury vinyl plank installed over tile

**Click here to shop the exact flooring I used in this bathroom. **

Floating Engineered Hardwood Planks-

Two years ago, I had my mind completely blown when Shaw Floors came to me wanting to collaborate with me on a brand new type of engineered hardwood that could be installed over tile and hardwood subfloors just like LVT or LVP.

engineered hardwood planks installed over existing tile with no demo

I decided to install the engineered hardwood planks in my foyer (which had super ugly ceramic tiles) and in my dining room, living room and bedrooms (which had solid hardwood that looked like it came straight from the Home Alone house).

what kind of floor can you place over old tile

What was even better about the floating wood planks is that they were both waterproof and scratch resistant . What I found even more advantageous about this product as compared to LVT and LVP is that when we went to sell our house this year, we were legit able to boast in the MLS description that the home had brand new hardwood flooring throughout.

While floating hardwood planks may be a bit more pricey than the luxury vinyl products, if you have resell value in mind, this is definitely something you want to consider.

Given the cutting-edge nature of this particular product, this may just be the only hardwood option on the market that can be installed over tile subfloor. At least, this is the only product I have come across of its kind.

To read all about this engineered hardwood and DIY install tutorial, click here.

Attached Pad Laminate Flooring-

While I have never personally used laminate flooring with an attached pad, it is comparable to most vinyl products in that it is DIY friendly and similar in appearance.

I would say that the biggest difference in vinyl and laminate (in terms of function at least) is that vinyl is completely synthetic and laminate is not.

Given laminate has a core consisting of wood byproducts, it is not the best option for rooms prone to water exposure like bathrooms or kitchens.

In terms of looks, however, if you are going for a hardwood floor vibe, the aesthetics of laminate may be a bit more convincing.

As with any product, you need to be sure that the manufacturer has classified the product as suitable for installation over tile. Not all laminate is created equally!

After living with LVT, LVP and floating hardwood planks for YEARS, I can personally attest that these are all very viable options and we never had any issues with telegraphing.

With various flooring options to choose from (technology as come so freakin’ far) I hope you see now that there really are no more excuses for living with ugly tile floors!

For your convenience, I have rounded up a selection of flooring that is acceptable to install over tile…

Shop Flooring You can Install Over Outdated Tile:

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending some time with me this week.

If you would like to read more posts related to flooring that you can install over existing tile, click the links below…

Related Flooring Posts:

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luxury vinyl plank put over old ceramic tile

Now get out there and design some good vibes along with a fabulous life.

luxury vinyl over ceramic tile floors

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