Guide

Installing a new floor over existing tiles

The conditions for laying SPC, laminate or LVT over vitrified and ceramic tiles — flatness, hollow tiles, grout lines, moisture and door height — and when not to do it.

By the Vantafloor team · Updated 8 October 2026

Laying a new floor straight over existing vitrified or ceramic tiles saves demolition, dust and days. It works well — when the tiles underneath are right for it. These are the conditions manufacturers set, the checks to make, and when not to do it.

Which floors can go over tiles

Floating click floors — SPC (rigid core), laminate and, on a very flat base, LVT click — are the usual choices. Thin glue-down vinyl can go over tiles only after the whole surface is primed and skimmed smooth. Solid wood is not laid over tiles.

The conditions

Firmly bonded tiles. Tap every tile: a hollow (drummy) sound means it has lost its bond. Re-fix hollow or loose tiles and repair cracks before anything is laid.
Flatness. Most installation guides ask for the floor to be flat within about 3 mm over 2 m; some rigid-core guides allow up to 4–5 mm over 2–3 m, and thin flexible LVT needs a much flatter base. Short, sharp dips matter too (about 1 mm over 20 cm in several guides).
Grout lines. Rigid-core floors bridge narrow grout lines; limits differ by brand, roughly 4–5 mm wide and 2–4 mm deep. Wider or deeper joints are filled with levelling compound. Thin or glue-down vinyl needs a full skim coat, or the joints show through.
A dry slab. Tiles do not stop damp rising through a ground-floor slab. Check moisture and use the damp-proof membrane or underlay the product asks for.
One underlay only. Most planks with an attached underlay must not go on a second one; others need a specific underlay. Follow the product’s guide.
Height and doors. The new floor adds its own thickness. Door frames are undercut so the floor slides beneath them, and doors are trimmed so they still open and close.
Kitchen units. Cabinets and islands are fitted first; a floating floor is never pinned under heavy fixed units.
Expansion gaps. 5–10 mm at walls, pillars and frames depending on the product, hidden by skirting and profiles.
Underfloor heating. Only floors approved for it, usually with the surface kept at or below 27 °C.

When not to lay over tiles

Hollow, loose or cracked tiles that have not been fixed.
A floor that is out of flatness and will not be levelled.
Showers and wet rooms with a floor drain — see waterproof flooring for kitchens and bathrooms.
A damp slab with no damp-proof membrane.
When doors, shutters or appliances cannot take the extra height.
Thin flexible vinyl over unfilled grout lines.

Is a particular floor suitable?

Over-tile suitability is a product-specific condition from the manufacturer, not a general promise. On every Vantafloor product page, the Over existing tiles row (Specifications → Installation) shows the condition only once that product’s datasheet or installation guide is published; until then it says “Spec sheet on request”. Ask us for the current sheet for any floor you like. Browse SPC and laminate.

What we check

Where we offer site measurement, the visit includes a tap test of the tiles, a flatness check with a straightedge, grout-line depth, slab moisture and door clearances, and the quote lists any levelling as its own line. Elsewhere, your installer can make the same checks with this list.

Costs to expect

Skipping demolition saves the removal and re-screeding work, but levelling compound, door trimming and profiles may be added. See the SPC price guide and the laminate price guide for current market ranges, and work out boxes with the flooring calculator.