Can I intall Marmoleum directly over tile?

September 14, 2010 4:50 PM

Can I install Marmoleum Click tiles over ceramic tile?

The kitchen ceramic tile is ugly, hard underfoot, and I hates it. IF I can talk my boyfriend into Marmoleum, he won't want to rip up all the tile (which is in good shape) and he'll want to do as little work on it as possible. So what's the minimum prep I can get away with to re-do this floor? (I've had sheet Marmoleum before, and LOVED it, but it was a professional install on a new subfloor.)

Many thanks.

posted by cyndigo to home & garden (6 answers total)

Yes, but it is important that the current floor be as flat as possible.

There are installation instructions on the Forbo site.
posted by ecurtz at 5:15 PM on September 14, 2010

Really, really as flat and smooth as possible. We used it in a half bath in the laundry room that had a small (totally flat) crack in the concrete, and it shows through the Marmoleum. The crack shadow is faint, and I see it because I know it is there (plus it's just black marmoleum, so no pattern to distract), but if that kind of thing bugs you...
posted by Swisstine at 5:38 PM on September 14, 2010

we did this. first, we got some sort of special grout epoxy/filler and filled in the gaps between the tiles that were there. they were large sort-of natural stone looking-things. so we did a few coats of that to make it even. then we laid down a foam underlayment (it comes in rolls). then, marmoleum click tiles on top. no problems, no cracks. i think the click tiles are especially good for this because they have a stiff backing of some sort (cork? can't remember). so they are rigid (that is, i think it would be less forgiving if you were using sheets of marmoleum and gluing it down). it's been two years and still looks great. the whole thing was done by us in a weekend. yes, i would avoid tearing out the existing tile. it's probably a whole hell of a lot of work to do that.
posted by apostrophe at 7:36 PM on September 14, 2010

The tile surface will need to be as smooth and level as possible. No humps, no bumps.
So long as the tile is in this condition any sort of floating floor should be fine.
If the tile is textured with an uneven surface, you may need to use a leveling compound.
Be aware that any unevenness could result in damage to the joints in the Marmoleum Click.
posted by nickthetourist at 10:08 PM on September 14, 2010

SpeedFinish is one brand of patching compound that is used for patching and leveling before installing flooring. Click tiles raise the level of the floor so doors may need to be trimmed and there will need to be a transition to adjacent flooring. Forbo sells molding for this.
posted by llc at 10:08 PM on September 14, 2010

Thanks! Talked to him about it last night and he's pretty adamant that the tile would have to be torn up ... which is another way of saying he's not interested in doing this project. Sigh.
posted by cyndigo at 11:16 AM on September 15, 2010