I do think the vinyl and paper backing has to go. I don't want to save a little now but pay for it with a complete tile failure in the future. I think we may rent a floor scraper from HD just to get all the way down to the concrete and then we can start from scratch. I might skip the Ditra, though, since I will be bonding to a clean surface.

Magg5412 that's lovely! wow. It's been 3 years already since I posted my question and finally went with wood laminate that was less expensive than the luxury vinyl I wanted. We went with Pioneer laminate from Flooring Liquidators (sweetwater) my husband installed himself starting the day we got keys. The 18" tile floor the builder put in kitchen & baths looked so nice that my DH just wouldn't agree to ripping it up for my 'vision' of uninterrupted wood floors. (I just paid a service to steam clean all my ceramic tile where grout got too dirty for me to get it really clean--well worth it!) im in the middle of repainting inside of my house so no good pix. but the 3 years of wear on the laminate only shows where water got spilled near a plant and no one saw. Sweep. Mop. Done.

We recently were faced with the same decision for our new build. I was almost completely sold on going with Coretec LVP, but after doing more research on both Coretec and the higher end laminates (12mm that are water-resistant), we ended up selecting laminate. Both were identical in price for us so pricing wasn't a factor for us. For me, the biggest pros of LVP: Better traction in socks, perhaps slightly more water-resistant (but they are NOT waterproof), softest underfoot. LVP Cons: Many have a slight vinyl-like sheen to them that bothered me (Coretec included). Installation guide/warranties always mention not allowing direct sunlight through a window hit your floors because it's vinyl afterall and will expand and contract -- major issue for me. Even Coretec which I consider one of the best visuals for LVP in terms of mimicking real wood doesn't hold a torch to the high end laminates. Laminate pros: It's been around for a very long time and the higher end ones are durable, water-resistant (able to be damp mopped -- but neither laminate nor LVP should be steam mopped). The particular brand we bought has a core similar to Coretec (hence the water-resistance) and also has a 2mm pad attached. It is rated safe to use in bathrooms and kitchens. Coretec has a cork backing which is also good. Laminate looked a little more realistic to me in terms of the sheen it has (more matte) and the particular laminate we compared to Coretec sounded less clicky when walked on believe it or not. Coretec sounded a bit more plastic-like which surprised me. Laminate cons: Many are not water-resistant so it depends on what you buy. You get what you pay for. It's a little more slippery in socks than LVP. I'm not sure if there are any other big cons. Ultimately, you get what you pay for with both types of flooring. They both can and will scratch. Our laminate did not mention keeping direct sunlight away from it whereas most (if not all) LVPs do so that was a factor for us. I think we would have been happy with either floor, but ultimately the laminate won for us because of the sunlight issue as well as it looking more realistic. Also, just something to consider, several local flooring companies talked about the LVP floors denting from very heavy objects (bookcases, dining table, sofa legs, etc and not being able to recover where laminate doesn't have that issue as often. I knew it could dent but was surprised to hear the LVP floors didn't slowly recover over time. Oh, and also pay attention to the installation span distance for each brand of flooring you consider. Some laminates can only span a distance of 33ft or so before needing a transition strip (ours can go 66ft so we will not need transition strips). I believe Coretec can go 60+ft as well. I'm not sure about other LVP flooring brands.

Hi Diesel J- I understand that you don't want real wood on the kitchen floor, neither would I, as I am a messy cook and a messy cleaner-upper, and sauce and water seem to fly everywhere. Stone or tile floors are attractive and have good resale value, but are cold, as in temperature cold underfoot, and hard underfoot as well. They are not particularly comfy on your feet, ankles and knees and while you could get those thick squishy gel mats for in front of your sink and stove, they are not particularly attractive, and you still have to walk through the room. And if you drop something on the floor, it's history. People with Marmoleum love it, but you need to read the care instructions very carefully and follow them to a T, or it won't look right. There is a new product which is a rubber or rubberized floor that comes as a tile or roll and the advantage is durability and water resistance. https://www.kieferusa.com/blog/rubber-tiles-and-rolls-pros-and-cons/ I am not one for a "wood look" in a non-wood product. You just need to think if you want a light -colored floor or a darker colored floor or a bright color floor or something in between like a checkerboard. I don't know how big your kitchen floor is, but I am a Swiffer devotee and going over the kitchen floor with a Swiffer every night is really not a big deal. Maybe once you design your kitchen or find a photo that replicates what you want, play with a photo editing program and sub in the different flooring options.