# Tile over Vinyl Flooring



## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Thats a groovy tiled shower.


Thanks. Did you notice the one wall is a solid piece of granite?


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

HS345 said:


> Thanks. Did you notice the one wall is a solid piece of granite?


I did. Wouldnt of been my first choice for the slab but it worked perfectly with those glass tiles. What did you build the rounded bench out of? Do you have other pictures of that shower? Did you do the design on that?


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

Mike- said:


> Versabond by Custom is one manufacturer that has a product that will do it.


Mike are you serious? Versabond. :blink:

No offence but Versabond is the cheapest thinset out there and if your a Custom Fan they have much better products than that.

You need to remove a section of the vinyal and measure the thickness of it. Check with the tech at either Custom, Laticrete or Mapei.

There will be a hair of compression and most likely a S1 or S2 thinset will be required - if posssible.


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## Mike- (Aug 20, 2011)

JohnFRWhipple said:


> Mike are you serious? Versabond. :blink:
> 
> No offence but Versabond is the cheapest thinset out there and if your a Custom Fan they have much better products than that.
> 
> ...


I called the manufacturer and they gave me the go ahead. That's why. All you guys say phone or email them so I did and whoala... It was good


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## Mike- (Aug 20, 2011)

JohnFRWhipple said:


> Mike are you serious? Versabond. :blink:
> 
> No offence but Versabond is the cheapest thinset out there and if your a Custom Fan they have much better products than that.
> 
> ...


Now you say Versabond is the cheapest but when I asked the question of Uf2 and ultra contact, angus replied them being the same. I actually get ultra contact cheaper, so Versabond is not the cheapest. You have missed a few threads this week.


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## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

Versabond is far from the cheapest thinset out there. It is a great quality contractor grade mortar. Having said that, I wouldn't use it to set tile over vinyl. But then again, I wouldn't set tile over vinyl in the first place.


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## Ceramictec (Feb 14, 2008)

there are $9 modified thinsets but I still wouldn't use a $12 bag of Versabond over vinyl. 
I wouldn't use the cheaper ones either even if they say its ok to.
I would use a higher quality thin set rather then the low end basic modified for an install like this.


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## Mike- (Aug 20, 2011)

Good stuff.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

HS345 said:


> All vinyl has some sort of backing. Doesn't necessarily mean it's a cushioned backed. Everything else you said, I agree with.
> 
> It always cracks me up when someone is more concerned about the height of the installation than they are about the longevity.
> 
> ...


Love the tile work. I can imagine in 15 years or so someone coming in and going what in the world were they thinking with those colors. :laughing:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

HS345 said:


> All vinyl has some sort of backing. Doesn't necessarily mean it's a cushioned backed.


I respectfully disagree. All vinyl? I don't think so and I say that because the vinyl I've been removing from my own home doesn't. While that's much less of an issue, the keep word from the OP that sparked my statement was "felt". 

I, of course, agree with your general statement about tiling over vinyl, whatever kind it is. :clap:


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Hardly Working said:


> I'm not looking forward to pulling it up. The felt backing will be left behind and I'll have to take a grinder to it to realy make me happy with a safe starting surface.


So you are the tileguy? I thought you wanted more information so when the tile guy shows up?


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

CO762 said:


> So you are the tileguy? I thought you wanted more information so when the tile guy shows up?


Don't believe everything you read on the internet... :laughing:


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

angus242 said:


> I respectfully disagree. All vinyl? I don't think so and I say that because the vinyl I've been removing from my own home doesn't. While that's much less of an issue, the key (edit) word from the OP that sparked my statement was "felt".
> 
> I, of course, agree with your general statement about tiling over vinyl, whatever kind it is. :clap:


Felt is the tech term used to describe the backing on the vinyl. It is not a cushioned type vinyl. As I said before it's very thin.



CO762 said:


> So you are the tileguy? I thought you wanted more information so when the tile guy shows up?


No I'm not the tile guy I'm the poor SOB that get's to do all the demo, prep, reframing, ect. My title say's CARPENTER and head b*tch.

Now I have done some tile in the past but I keep it to a very minimum. God made carpenters, drywallers, painters, tilers, plumbers, and sparky's. I prefer to to use those for those. They're tooled and do it all day long and a hell of alot faster than me for sure. :thumbsup:

As I said I'm looking for the best information to arm myself with to make sure I get my customer the best job for the money they pay. Information and education is the key to a succesfull job.

To all that have given their input I deeply appreciate all your experience and help.

P.S. HS345 that is a sweet looking job!


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

This is a typical Armstrong vinyl. This is what came out of my house. No backing at all. 








Bottom line, I wouldn't tile over vinyl.


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## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> I did. Wouldnt of been my first choice for the slab but it worked perfectly with those glass tiles. What did you build the rounded bench out of? Do you have other pictures of that shower? Did you do the design on that?


I do have other pics of that shower, that was before my Schluter days. I don't want to continue to hijack this thread, so I'll make a thread and post them there. 

The shower was built for a masonry contractor, he actually built the bench out of brick and mortar, I just tiled it. I was never really happy with the pie cut out piece in the corner, but he didn't want me to take the time to continue up like below the pie piece.


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

angus242 said:


> This is a typical Armstrong vinyl. This is what came out of my house. No backing at all.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's like paper right? When I went to buy material they informed me that it's called felt. WHATEVER. When I had to take it up from my cement floor it was a B*TCH. Had this blade that fit in my sawsall. Here's the kid in action with it. She about begged me to to do it. Sure thing kid :laughing:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Hardly Working said:


> It's like paper right?


No, not at all. It's brittle. Actually chips. The thing that can delaminate from it is the top. The core or bottom is...well, vinyl. I don't know how else to describe it.


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

Plain and simple it's all Chit! I prefer tile :thumbsup:


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

Basically the bottom line is that per some manufacturers it can be done with specific products in the right conditions. If you decide to, use a recomended thinset + the recomended grout from the same manufacturer and any other products needed.
As for the VersaBond, id take Gregs advice and not use it.
Also, make it the preference of what your tile sub wants to do since myself and many others are telling you that its not a very hot idea... :thumbsup:


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## JHC (Jun 4, 2010)

I couldn't see myself ever feeling comfortable with installing over it.


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## Taurus Flooring (Jun 1, 2006)

I know it's a little late in the day to be telling you this, but I'm 80% sure that backing has asbestos. If the paper is still down, wet it before you rip it out. It will be easier and keep dust from flying in the air. Make sure you wear a mask.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Hardly Working said:


> No I'm not the tile guy I'm the poor SOB that get's to do all the demo, prep, reframing, ect. My title say's CARPENTER and head b*tch.


If one thinks about it, a lot of times it doesn't pay to do the demo yourself on a lot of jobs, especially when it doesn't affect layout.
Make the sub responsible for it as that's their area of expertise. Question them and see if they've done anything like it in the past, and how they did it then. By making them responsible for that, it'll cost you a little more, but IMO it's worth it when one prices their own labor. I don't know a lot about remod tile guys, but I'd imagine they would have a laborer for such things. I'd value my time more--while their laborer or they themselves are grinding up a storm, I could be framing out something or setting some cabinets, or.....


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Hardly Working said:


> Had this blade that fit in my sawsall.


Holy crap, you are a carpenter! :laughing:


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

CO762 said:


> Holy crap, you are a carpenter! :laughing:


Yeh I subbed it out :laughing::laughing:


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## Tile King (Dec 12, 2011)

Tech Dawg said:


> What he said...


Just say no to the verasbond in this situation! Agreed with these two!


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## Tile King (Dec 12, 2011)

CO762 said:


> Holy crap, you are a carpenter! :laughing:


Nice spyder blade. They are a great tool to have for such a pain in the a$$ job of taking uo the paper left from vinyl tile! I would wet the paper and use a floor scraper to save my back.


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

In conclusion we all just say NO to tile over vinyl !!


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

Tile King said:


> Nice spyder blade. They are a great tool to have for such a pain in the a$$ job of taking uo the paper left from vinyl tile! I would wet the paper and use a floor scraper to save my back.


Handy tool to have.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Hardly Working said:


> Handy tool to have.


I'll have to look into one of those as I have a rotary hammer and sometimes wish I had a larger scraper for it. Taking latricrete 150 off of a slab comes to mind.


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