I want to tile a kitchen with ceramic tile. It is presently covered with laminate. I will remove the laminate but the original sheet flooring will remain. It is in good condition but yellowed. The current ‘sandwich’ is subfloor (5/8 inch flakeboard) plus 1/4 inch plywood plus the sheet flooring (cushion floor). I will add 1/2 inch plywood using flooring screws every 6 inches into the joists.
Wondering tho’ about the baseboards. At present, the baseboards around the entryway, kitchen, family room and dining room are all on the same level and are equal in height. With the half inch of plywood plus the tile thickness (plus a bit more for the thinset cement) the baseboard is going to appear quite short as most will be ‘buried’.
Should I remove the current baseboard and reposition it higher? Leave it as it is? Or?
Thank goodness for all those who *really* know what they are doing. Those of us less knowledgeable would really be in a bind. Thanks all!
Replies
When all is done, whether you put tile on top of the old layers, or strip down the old, I would being by pulling the base boards off (carefully if you want to reuse them) then reinstall at the new height.
I'm redoing my kitchen right now, and have recently pulled up a tile floor. Perhaps because the tile was so difficult to pull up, our impression was that both layers of vinyl and (asbestos?) 1950s era tiles were a piece of cake to pull up.
It sounds like you'd gain about half an inch or more if you striped off the old flooring and got down to your subfloor. If it were me, I'd take the time to do it.
However, before you decide whether to undertake stripping the old floor layers, I'd consider the following. First, your counter height will decrease by the height you build up the floor; will the new height be better or worse for you? Second, the potentially smoother transition from other flooring surfaces would also be beneficial as big transitions can cause people to trip.
Ok, three options. Sometimes I miss the obvious. One other thing to consider is the dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher and the counter hight won't allow you to remove/repair/replace it, then it's time to start removing the old flooring. I have even seen this problem with a refrigerator if it is under a low cabinet.
Clint
Dunc,
If you don't want it to look tacky you have two choices:
1. Remove the existing heat trim and install a substitute that sits a bit higher and blends in with your new work. I have seen this done sucessfully with both wood and tile and it can actually improve the overall look of your work. With tile it requires a substantial backer so your grout (or tile) won't crack. Make sure you leave a space at the bottom for air flow and at the top for the heat to escape. Also make sure you don't perminantly cover isolation and zone valves. In cold climates I have seen the technique expanded to a low shelf used for thawing snowy hats and gloves.
2. You can raise the heat fin. This is the fastest, cheapest and easiest method for me, but then I used to install and remodel hydronic baseboard heat systems for a living. If you need to, or are required to, hire the work out it may not be a good option.
Clint