ᐅ Remove the tile floor or install parquet/vinyl flooring over it?

Hello everyone,

I raised this topic in another thread, but it seems more appropriate here. I wanted to get an idea of whether it’s feasible to install hardwood flooring over tiles (I wouldn’t do it myself, since I have no experience with this) or if the tiles need to be removed first. I have read that it is possible, but I’m wondering how the transition to the kitchen, which is tiled, or to the hallway works, and whether door trimming would need to be considered. Also, the tiles aren’t perfectly level—I haven’t measured, but there appear to be slight unevenness, and in the middle, the screed seems to have settled a bit (see photo).

What should I expect to pay per square meter (if the tile floor can stay)? I wouldn’t choose expensive hardwood; I’ve seen some nice options around 50 euros/m² (about 4.65 USD/ft²).

Also, upstairs we plan to replace the carpet with hardwood or vinyl flooring (I lean toward hardwood since it can be sanded). The carpet can be removed quite easily, but only the pile; underneath remains a layer (either adhesive or foam). Can flooring be installed over that, or does it need to be completely sanded off?

Thanks in advance and best regards,

Hubi

Keep the carpet as impact sound insulation.
I’m not sure about the tiles. For vinyl, the tiles would need to be covered with a self-leveling screed.
Did I read something about underfloor heating?

@ypg thanks, but what do you mean by underfloor heating? Underfloor heating? No... that would be nice, but it’s not installed.

If you want a solution that lasts longer, it’s better to remove the old flooring, prepare the substrate, and install new flooring.

It takes quite a bit of work to get a tongue-and-groove floor to lie properly on uneven tiles.

Using a carpet as impact sound insulation sounds appealing at first. However, I have some gut concerns about moisture and mold.

Here is the photo of the "uneven" tiles... in the middle, you can see the crack where it has settled.

I would break out the tiles, possibly sand down the adhesive, apply leveling compound, and then install the parquet flooring. Alternatively, have someone check why there has been any subsidence in that area. Why do you want to lay the parquet over the tiles? That doesn't make much sense. Even if you break out the tiles, you need to consider which type of parquet to use so that the flooring build-up does not end up being too high compared to the kitchen tiles.