There are self leveling compounds that will work over existing vinyl.It's a cementious base with additives that keep it somewhat elastic and is mixed up thin and with the use of a squeegie, spreads out and is self leveling.

You might run this by the flooring forum to get the names of some quality self leveling products from the floor pros over there.I got mine at h.d.,but dont remember the brand name.

There are a few issues here. Vinyl is not best for a tile base, it can flex too much plus it is designed to be easily cleaned, therefore it can be difficult to get anything to stick to it, including leveling compounds, thin set mortars etc. It may work, but be careful and test. Regarding leveling, some of the leveling compounds can be very useful, but in addition to filling in dips, the entire floor could be leveled and you could end with a heavy build on the end of the room that is the low point. If you can resolve the sticking and resiliency problems of vinyl, a skim coat of thin set can be useful in filling in dips and correcting minor irregularities, prior to setting of tile.

go ask at flooring; you'll get some good advice.

another problem you may have is that the subfloor under the vinyl may flex too much.

The easiest thing to do, probably, is to lay cement board of some kind over your floor, screwing it to keep it from shifting. That will provide something stiff enough to hold the tile.

I don't know if you'd have to shim in any of the places where there's a gap, in case it cracked when you stepped on it?

It'll raise your floor up, though.

The leveling product at HD is LevelQuik RS by Custom Building Products. It can adhere to vinyl but the latex primer (also available at HD) needs to be applied 1st (need to wait until it dries). Instructions for both are on the packages and are pretty clear.

I agree with the above comments pertaining to the need for a solid substrate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Levelquik

nadine,

It really would be best to pull up the existing vinyl.

If it's sheet vinyl, that's usually only adhered around the perimeter, so it might be quite easy to pull up. Tiles would be a little more difficult.

Still, when tiling, there are things that you can do, but it doesn't always mean that you should take advantage fo those exceptions.

It's best to give tile the best base you can. Especialy if this is partially a DIY job. For that, I'd recommend pulling up the vinyl, getting rid of as much left over adhesive as you can, using a primer, then using the SLC that others have already mentioned.

Best success with the project,
Mongo

nadine-
Two points:

1. Don't do this. Vinyl sheet goods are a bad base for ceramic tile. You will have flexing, cracking of grout and tiles over time, and tiles will possibly come loose if there are any areas of the old vinyl floor that are not perfectly adhered, or become so later.
2. Don't merrily rip out glued down vinyl, or floor tiles (which may be installed underneath), or scrape glue, unless you have an analytical lab confirm that these materials contain no asbestos. Flooring removal is a pain and can also be expensive if you have asbestos-contianing materials. If it's a wooden floor underneath, the easiest approach would be to use leveling compound on the existing floor and then screw down a thin underlayment to give a solid, level base.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flooring removal

Installing a self leveling cementitious underlayment over existing vinyl flooring can be very risky. It usually is not done. However...if that is what you decide to do, then make sure the vinyl is not very 'cushiony' and that you use the correct primer. Still, this is something that only a professional floor person can determine.

Unless the product instructions say that you can install over existing well-bonded vinyl flooring, then you will void any and all material warranties in your flooring project.

I agree with Mongo's statement "there are things that you can do, but it doesn't always mean that you should take advantage of those exceptions." A professional can get away with unorthodox installation practice on occasion, but we usually know how far we can push the envelope and still have a successful installation.

Good luck.

These are vinyl peel and stick tiles. There is no way I'm peeling all those up. I'd like to just lay some new plywood/backerboard whatever over it and do ceramic tile on that. I just need to figure out the best way to level it. I read on another site to use roof shingles as shims? ANyone try that?

lowes has a floor scraper for about 15 bucks. it works GREAT. i just removed a couple hundred sq ft of vinyl and it came right off with the scraper.

otherwise, you will have to put down backer board, and this will make that floor higher than the rest of the house by close to an inch once you lay the thinset and tile on it.

What ever route you take, you have to have a solid base with ceramic. Any give or flex will be constant maintenance of the grout joints.Shimming will cause gapping and voids leading to give and flex. If you have a wood framed/subfloor and it's an older home that isn't necessarily sound joist wise, this could get way too involved for you as it would be wise to make the floor as structurally sound as possible. I dont recommend ceramic over these types of decks.That is why you never see them installed by mobile home manufacturers,as the flooring is too unstable with too much flex and give.If you are on a slab, then leveling,but still keeping a solid base ,is key.The product i used was recommended for use over existing flooring such as vinyl sheet goods and tiling, thogh i would have been more hesitant over peel and stick tiling . Those peel and sticks are easily removed with the use of a heat gun and is not as big a project as you are making it out to be.I had no problems or call backs on the project leveling over the existing vinyl. The product required no primer and had polymers and adhesives geared for this purpose. I would not have went this route with peel and stick, i simply would have removed them.The vinyl i leveled over had been there a while and was not cost prohibitive for the owner for me to rent a power scraper and have a go at it. They, like most in our area, take the cheap route, which more times than not, isn't the best route,but it's what they wanted and so far the leveler has caused no problems.It was for a laminate install which is a floating floor system. Far different animal than ceramic tile.

My aunt just conculted EPA regulations, and I looked at OSHA ones. BOTH OF THEM say that the asbestos TRAPPED in vinyl flooring is not a danger (esp. not to a homeowner doing this once in a blue moon), and that you can just remove it. As long as you DO NOT SAND it.

Try not to rip the tiles themselves, but even then, the abestos released into the air for you to breathe is very negligible.

(peel & stick shouldn't have asbestos in it, I wouldn't think)

My dad and my aunt spent a day removing the tiles. For safety's sake, they wore respirators, and my aunt spritzed the tiles w/ water to dampen any fibers that might be disturbed.

And I don't know anything about what to use to shim the backerboard, I'm sorry say!

Peel and sticks contain no asbestos. Use a hand scraper and a heat gun to loosen up the"stick", and they come right up.You dont have to get them real hot, just enough to soften the adhesive backing.If you are on a wooden subfloor,i've seen felt paper and rib lath mesh wiring layed down and an 1" layer of mortar poured and leveled. This was in a seperate room where the difference in height wasn't a factor.Your project would no doubt have height concerns, even with the use of backerboards. Strip the peel and sticks and level the existing surface, prep and tile away. Once again, i wouldn't lay ceramic over a wooden subfloor on an older home. It would be nice if you mentioned what your foundation is.

You can do this project correctly or you can do it over and over. If it's too much work ,save yourself the time and energy and pick a floor your capable of. There are aspects of this tile job of which you are totally unaware.
How thick does the wood have to be to support a tile floor? If I build up the floor, will the dishwasher fit under the counter? How about the refrigerator and stove? Enough clearance? Will the floor joist deflect more than is acceptable? How big are the joists? How far do they span?
You don't decide how much or what work you will do. The house decides based upon the construction circumstances of the structure. The only thing you decide is if you are willing to put in the proper effort.
Ron

nadine, you really cannot do a good job putting tile over vinyl of any kind, even if you cover it with plywood. it will not provide the subfloor you need for tile. to do this in a way that will last, you need to pull up the vinyl, and depending on how serious the dips are, some of the subfloor as well. it would be a shame to put all that work in and then have it fail. for very specific advice go to johnbridge .com forums. post all the details of your floor (how may layers, what type of joists - size, spacing, and type of wood). all the best -- Pete

install 1/4 cement or hardi backer to floor. Screw it every 8inches, get some self leveler bags mix it up and put directly on the backer. then tile. shimming is tricky and if you do it wrong you now have a bigger mess. also dont pour leveler on vinyl to do a ceramic tile install. good luck!