Laying ceramic tile over an existing floor begins with a rigorous inspection to confirm the subfloor is stable, level, and compatible with a tile overlay.

Start by removing trim and molding and measure floor level across the room using a straightedge and a four foot level to find any high or low spots; repair hollows by filling with a cementitious leveling compound and sand down high spots so variations are no more than one eighth of an inch over a ten foot span. Test the existing flooring material for adhesion and water damage; rigid materials like thinset-bonded ceramic, porcelain, or well-adhered vinyl are typically acceptable to tile over after proper preparation, while cushioning vinyl, laminate, or floating floors must be removed because they compress and will cause tile to crack. Mechanically fasten or replace loose substrate sections and ensure the floor does not deflect by checking joist spacing and adding blocking or a plywood layer if needed; for wood subfloors apply a minimum of five eighths inch cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane rated for overlays and fasten per manufacturer instructions. Prime porous surfaces and clean greases and residues with a trisodium phosphate solution or a dedicated cleaner, then allow full drying; nonporous surfaces may need a bonding primer designed for tile. Lay out a balanced tile grid by snapping chalk lines from the room center so you do not end up with narrow slivers at walls, dry lay a row of tiles to confirm cuts and spacing, and use tile spacers to maintain consistent grout joints. Use a polymer-modified thinset mortar appropriate to the tile type and substrate, notch the mortar with the correct size trowel for tile back coverage, butter the backs of large or textured tiles when necessary, press tiles with a slight twist to collapse ridges, and use a rubber mallet to seat them to the proper height; wait the recommended cure time before grouting and choose a grout type for joint width and expected movement, then seal grout if using a cement grout.

Common mistakes include skipping the substrate inspection and overlaying a floor that flexes which leads to tile or grout cracking; fix this by reinforcing joists, adding a proper underlayment board, or removing the old floor if it cannot be stabilized. Another frequent issue is poor adhesion from using the wrong thinset or not cleaning the surface; always match the mortar to the tile and substrate, prepare and prime surfaces, and follow manufacturer open and working time guidelines. A third problem is an imbalanced layout that leaves very narrow edge cuts and a visually weak field; avoid this by snapping a centered layout, dry laying tiles along reference lines, and adjusting the starting point so edge pieces are larger than one quarter of a tile.

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