Tiling over existing sheet Vinyl

[Travee]

It's up to you. Whatever fits your budget and timeframe. If it was me, I would ignore the glue completely and just put a skim coat of modified thinset over it, and if it's too uneven, I would scoop some thinset in the low spots, and drag a 4 foot straight edge across any areas that had valleys, and be done with it. Even if I was using a self leveller, I would do a thinset, or floor patching compound skim coat/float coat/ scratch coat, whatever you want to call it. To make sure the leftover glue didn't interfere with the primer that the self leveller requires. Be careful with the mixing of the self leveller if you choose to go that route, follow the instructions carefully it cannot be mixed by eye the way thinset can. Also, another thing to watch with self leveller, it will flow quite freely, so as I am doing a skim coat of thinset, I would look for anywhere the leveller might flow, under walls, around plumbing openings, cabinetry, and either plug these spaces with thinset during the skim coat, or some kind of caulking or Silicon.

But really, I wouldn't use self leveller because it's expensive, complicated, and not the most diy friendly. Just fill the low spots with modified thinset, and drag a straight edge/ or flat piece of scrap lumber across to get it mostly even. The same way a drywaller flattens a wall with drywall mud. It doesn't have to be perfect or even pretty, just good enough for tile, or whatever membrane is going on first.

"Modified" thinset just means it has been given some kind of polymer to make it more sticky or give it characteristics such as flexibility or crack prevention. Most thinset mortars are modified thinsets, just check the bag whichever type you buy to make sure it's Not UNmodified. 😁

 

[davidjohnsir]

I am going to agree with others on scrapping the old tiles first. There is various stuff online that can be used to remove the vinyl tiles like a pry bar, scraper, and homemade methods like a wet towel and heat gun. Try doing the wet towel method too. It can be useful.