flooringlinoleumtile
We have three rooms that have linoleum, which we'd like to tile. They all transition flush to 3/4" thick hardwood flooring at the same height, so I have to assume there is some kind of additional substrate under the linoleum???
Can this layer be removed, and does anyone have suggestions on how to remove it? I just need to know how much of a job I'm in for and that I have all the tools I'll need.
I'd question how waterproof you need this to be. Will there routinely be water sitting on the floor? If not, you may be over-engineering things.
That said, off the top of my head, one option for waterproofing the subfloor would be to paint on Redgard:
It's a 'paint on' waterproofing membrane that you'd typically use behind tiles on cement board and the like.
You should be able to remove the carpet and padding without disturbing the tile. Then you can install a floating laminate wood floor without any concern.
A hardwood floor that requires nailing would be a bigger concern.
Best Answer
Linoleum can be a total bear to remove in and of itself. If the substrate is screwed or nailed down then it shouldn't be too bad but if it's glued to the sub-floor then you're gonna have a bad time.
If I had to guess then there might very well be hardwood flooring beneath the linoleum which may have been sanded down to accommodate the linoleum's thickness. If this is the case then ripping up hardwood flooring isn't too difficult unless it was glue down.
As you can see, without knowing what your substrate is, it is impossible to know how big of a challenge you have ahead of you. There could be several linoleum layers for all we know.
So:
Step #1: remove at least one piece of linoleum from an inconspicuous location such as a pantry or closet since you might decide F*** it after all
Step #2: take a picture of the substrate and edit it into your question
Step #3: you probably won't need someone here to tell you how difficult things are going to be as you'll have a general idea of what you are up against