Can You Put Laminate Floor Over Tile With Only 5 Steps?

Can You Put Laminate Floor Over Tile? Say No More, Try These 5 Easy Steps

Dec 12, 2023
8001
Can you put laminate floor over tile? Have you ever asked yourself this question? That sounds like an impossible mission, right?

Putting laminate flooring over tile will be a piece of cake if you know all these 5 steps below, but before jumping right into the idea of laminate over tile, there are some points you need to know first to avoid all the laminate over tile problems. That’s why this article is designed for you if you want to renovate your home by kissing goodbye to your boring tiled floor.

After reading this article, you’ll find that “Can you put laminate floor over tile?” is no longer a riddle.

Putting laminate floor over tile is not an impossible mission

Putting laminate floor over tile is not an impossible mission

Here are some key points we are going to mention in this article:

  • 3 things you should consider when you decide to put laminate flooring over tile
  • 5 easy steps anyone can follow and remember to answer the question can you lay laminate over tile
  • A Q&A section for all the curious birds out there

So, let’s get going.

3 things you should ask yourself before the question “Can you put laminate floor over tile?”

What is the condition of your current tile?

If your tiled floor is in a good condition which means it remains in a decent shape, and doesn’t have many cracks on its surface, this tiled floor is screaming for you to put laminate over tile.

However, sometimes we would have loose or cracked tiled floor (that’s where you are thinking of replacing it a bit with laminate floor right?!), you should perform one pre-step before doing anything else.

The key point here is to even the whole floor to make the laminating process easy and quick. We advise you to put the leveling compound on the span of tile to make the floor even and then the afterward process can be done properly.

So, the key taken here is that your current tile should be in good condition, or at least make it even before putting laminate flooring over tile.

   ➜ RELATED: Cleaning Laminate Floors With Vinegar: What You Need to Know

What is the floor height that you desire?

You should be aware that when you decide to put laminate flooring over tile, the floor height is increased. This might cause you more trouble than you think. For instance, your door cannot open because your new floor is now higher than the door thresholds; you don’t either want your floor transition from the living room to your kitchen to be even and smooth.

This would lead you to technical concern, in order to assure the floor height to not change much, the laminate should not be too thick.

Moreover, when putting laminate over tile, you should leave a safety gap along your wall perimeter, so when/if you want to expand, there is still room for you to do it.

What about the underlayment?

One more thing you should be concerned about is moisture building up under the laminate when you put it over your tile floor. To prevent this disaster from happening, you should consider gluing an underlayment under the laminate. This would not only warm your foot when you walk on your laminate project, but it also protects your laminate from the moisture that destroys the material.

Underlayment is a crucial part that can’t be missing in installing laminate floor

Underlayment is a crucial part that can’t be missing in installing laminate floor

Hence, if you want to even your tile floor and put the underlayment under your laminate at the same time, the order should be put on the leveling compound first, waiting for it to dry then you can attach the underlayment afterward.

However, the market is offering you multiple types of laminate, including the laminate, which has attached underlayment. In this case, you don’t need to worry about an additional one. You can go and put laminate over tile immediately whenever you are ready!

Can you put laminate floor over tile with only 5 steps? Yes, you can!

You must doubt it, can laminate flooring be placed over tile with just 5 steps, let’s scroll through this simple tutorial and find out:

Step 1: Inspect the tile floor

As we mentioned above, when your tile is still in good condition, it would be a big relief for your laziness, you don’t need to worry about anything, you can go ahead and lay down the laminate over tile floor.

However, the worst-case might happen to some of us, maybe your tiles are cracked or loose. Then, you’d better chip the tile away. The better case is your tile floor is slightly damaged, you can apply the leveling compound first and apply the laminate afterward.

Step 2: Solve the height problem

When putting laminate flooring over tile, the increase in the height/thickness of your floor will significantly change the structure of your house. Hence, you definitely check the height of the entryways of your room and house and see if there is any door stuck forever because of the rise of your laminate floor.

And of course, think about the tall people in your house, is there anyone who will stumble his/her head on the ceiling because of your new renovation.

Step 3: Level the tile floor

When laying down the laminate over tile you probably don’t want to have any plank separation, this happens when you have uneven tiles. Can you put laminate floor over tile without leveling the floor? The answer is no. The uneven tiles would lead to an ugly laminate surface if you don’t level the tile floor first.

This can be done easily and quickly with leveling compounds. This compound will act as a fill material that fixes all the troughs, and grout lines. Hence, you don’t need to worry about stepping on some blank separation of the tile causing the uneven laminate floor. Your new floor will be as smooth as a baby's skin.

Leveling the surface to prepare a smooth base for your laminate floor

Leveling the surface to prepare a smooth base for your laminate floor

Step 4: Underlayment, please!

The next thing you need is the underlayment. This layer provides you with three benefits, including:

  • Heat insulation
  • Cushioning
  • Moisture barrier

So, it’s worth your time to implement this layer before laying the laminate floor. Of course, the old tiles floor somehow has the ability to protect the new laminate floor from moisture, however, it is not effective, especially compared to underlayment material.

Another option for you is to choose a laminate floor attached to the underlayment layer. If you have this kind of laminate, then my friend, you can skip this step.

Step 5: Laminate floor, it’s showtime!

This is when the mystery question ‘Can laminate flooring be installed over tile’ be answered. To start this process, we genuinely suggest you cut the laminate floorboards into random length pieces, it makes your final project more visually appealing.

To improve the structural strength of your laminate floor, you should ensure the end of the cut pieces in adjacent rows do not overlap each other.

With these two tips, we believe that you definitely have a brand new, beautiful laminate floor to replace the old, boring tile floor.

After only 5 simple steps, now you have a beautiful laminate floor

After only 5 simple steps, now you have a beautiful laminate floor

   ➜ RELATED: Laminate Floors Maintenance Guide: How to Remove Glue From Floor

Final words

From now on, if anyone comes to you with the trick question can you put laminate floor over tile you can simply tell them that you can do that with just 5 easy steps, or it would be easier to show them this article since we offer you all the information about how to install the laminate floor to the best mop for it. We make sure you get all the information!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • 01. Can you put laminate over tile in the bathroom?
  • While we are talking about the moisture barrier and everything, you must be concerned about the question ‘can you put laminate over tile in the bathroom?’ 

    The simple answer is Yes, you can. 

    Laminate flooring is an inexpensive option with all the advantages of the expensive hardwood floor, such as thinner planks and the ability to install the new floor yourself, causing no additional installation fee. Hence, it is reasonable to think of a laminate floor for all kinds of rooms in your house, including the bathroom.

    However, with the possibility of water damage on your laminate floor, you might want to add the underlayment to be the moisture barrier for your laminate floor. The problem is solved! 

    If this small possibility scares you away from the laminate floor, you might think of what type of flooring can you put over ceramic tile in the bathroom, we are still here to give you our advice, don't worry. 

    For bathrooms with ceramic tile, we highly recommend the cork flooring. Laying the cork floor over the ceramic tile is an ideal option since the cork is the most water-resistant. You know, this material is used for stopping the wine bottles, that’s why it does not scare any water spilled on your bathroom floor. 

    Hence, the options are open when it comes to your bathroom floor, whether it be ceramic tile or other kinds of tile, you can lay down the laminate floor over tile or cork flooring if you want a naturally water-resistant material.

  • 02. How to Polish the laminate floor?
  • Now that you can lay down the laminate over tile, the next question must be how can the polish of your laminate floor remain. So, right here we will recommend to you one of the best laminate floor polish. The Weiman laminate wood Floor Polish and Restorer must be on top of the list. 

    This little man will work not only on your brand-new installed laminate floor but also on the scratched, dull, and heavy traffic floor. The Weiman promised to get rid of the dull look of these floors and give them a new appearance.  

    For regular maintenance needs, you should be reassured that the Weiman polish and restorer works at its best. Just two or three coats give your floor a gorgeous look.

    Moreover, this polish and restorer is worth its name as the best laminate floor polish since it has the micro filling technology that works just fine on the scratches destroying the laminate surface. It will restore the shine of your laminate floor and also protect it from scratches in the future.

  • 03. What is the best mop for laminate floors?
  • This topic may not seem related to the question: “Can you put laminate floor over tile?”. But it’s important to find the best mop for laminate floors to adapt to the life with laminate floors after laying it on your tile floor. We are here to give our suggestions to you. Any mop with the microfiber mop pads would do a fine job in nourishing your laminate floor and remaining polished. 

    Since the microfiber will not only pick up the dirt and grime, it also removes the germs. You can think of the microfiber mop pads as a machine with a washable function. How cool is that?

    A mop with microfiber cleaning pad is the best choice for laminate flooring

    A mop with microfiber cleaning pad is the best choice for laminate flooring

    In this question, we would offer you the best name on the market – O-Cedar EasyWring microfiber spin Mop. If you are judging this mop by the look of the mop and bucket of this mop, you can hold my beer. This is not like any other one in the market. 

    This man provides you with a refillable, washable microfiber pad that slides across your floor effectively to pick up any dirt in its way. One more thing that makes this the best mop for laminate floors is that the pad is made of microfiber which makes it faster to dry and does not leave your floor with any water holes.

  • 04. Can I use a steam mop for the laminate floor?
  • Though it is not highly recommended to use steam cleaners or wet mops on the laminate floor, because it might cause damage to your new laminate floor. But don’t you worry, we are here to find you the best steam mop for laminate floors if you insist on using this kind of mop for your floor.

    The Light ‘N’ Easy Floor Steamer is one of the best you can find on the market. As the name suggests, this one is extremely lightweight and you can carry it all around the house through the furniture for your cleaning trip.

    Your laminate floor will be under good care with this steam mop since it has a soft and reusable microfiber pad to treat the surface gently and glide on your laminate floor. Moreover, the steam mop is heated in no time! The steam will search for all kinds of grease and dirt and destroy all those effects, leaving your floor clean and polished.

    Since the laminate floor can handle a little moisture, you should use this amazing steam mop in the lowest steam setting while moving quickly across your newly installed floor so the steam does not stay in one spot for too long a time. With this one small trick, you can clean up your laminate floor with a steam mop in no time.

You Might Also Like