So where feasible it makes sense to install the new flooring directly over the old without removing the old flooring.
Ceramic tile over old linoleum.
Contaminants such as dirt dust crumbs grease wax or oil from cooking or from skin contact can all ruin the way the linoleum s adhesive will bond to the tile floor.
Installing over existing vinyl.
Installing ceramic tile over vinyl or linoleum surfaces can be more complicated than expected and probably should be avoided whenever possible.
Well the short answer is yes you can tile over linoleum flooring.
This will also increase the height of the finished floor by as much as 1.
More tips for tiling over linoleum.
How old is the linoleum.
Before you start laying tiles over an old linoleum floor there are a few things that you need to know.
The trouble is that thinset generally requires a textured surface to bond at.
Next if the tile s joints are deep you ll want regrout them to bring them flush with the tile so that the lines won t telegraph show through the vinyl floor.
However if you can t remove the old surface or otherwise decide to install over it lay a backer board with thin set over the old surface to serve as your new subfloor material.
Most hard tiles such as stone ceramic and porcelain will need a new underlayment put down over the old linoleum first.
Once the tile is leveled off your next step is to remove the toilet so that the floor can be laid under it not cut around it.
After the thin layer has dried which should take about 30 minutes use a notched trowel to add a second layer over the first layer taking care to create even ridges over the surface.
Often when linoleum is installed only the edges and center are spot glued.
Sheet linoleum floors and tiles that were made before 1990 often contain asbestos which is a known cancer causing agent.
Portions of the linoleum floor can come up at any time.
This isn t possible with every flooring material but it s often possible to install ceramic porcelain or stone tile over resilient flooring including standard sheet vinyl vinyl tile or linoleum.
When installing new stone ceramic or porcelain tiles over a vinyl tile subfloor thinset is definitely the way to go.
Make a tighter floor so that your tiles will lay flat by fastening with 1 rust proof screws or nails roughly every six inches on the linoleum flooring.