Question from Charise
Will putting ceramic tile or another non-toxic floor over vinyl flloring seal in any fumes from the vinyl underneath?
Debra’s Answer
Ceramic tile will seal it in for sure.
What you need is for the new flooring to be air tight, which means that the flooring itself needs to be impermeable (wood is not, but ceramic tile is) and the spaces between the flooring tiles need to be filled with impermeable material.
Installation can make a difference. If you cover the flooring with something impermeable, then lay the floor on top of it, that would do it. So that would be something like an impermeable vapor barrier sealant or sheet of vapor barrier.
One thing I would check, however, is if whatever floor you want to install CAN be installed over a vinyl floor. It may not stick.
I’ve installed many floors and have always removed whatever existing floor was there.
