Vinyl plank flooring but Cracking/Loose tiles

[Dtrader40]

Hello,

We are going to be installing vinyl plank flooring on 500 sq ft of our main floor. There are currently 12x12 ceramic tiles that were installed when the home was built(2000).

Here's the issue. There are a few cracked tiles and missing grout throughout the entirety of the floor . There is a lot of crunchy sand sounds basically everywhere we step but most noticable near higher traffic areas. Removing the floor vent I am able to see there is a 1/2 concrete board under the tile/thinset. I am guessing the current construction of the home isn't necessarily best suited for ceramic tiles as the flex when walking is quite obvious.

It there any way around NOT having to remove all the tiles and cement bed. Could I possibly remove broken tiles and fill with a flexible patch compound and then skim coat everything (grout lines and tile texture) with a self leveling concrete? I really want to avoid the work of removing it all and then building up the floor but the last thing we want is a problem under the vinyl 5 years from now.. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[JPfloor]

Flex while walking is quite obvious? With ceramic? Sorry to say this but that sounds like a major problem. No patching or floor covering of any kind is going to resolve that. Sounds structural. Subfloor needs attention to say the least.

 

[Tile Tom]

Get it all out of there and start fresh.
Sounds like you'll need a lawyer of 3/4 plywood after tile demo. You can't have any deflection in the subfloor.

 

[Dtrader40]

Yeah, that's kind of what I figured..

Moving on.. The tiles pop off pretty easily but this cement board has me a bit concerned for my overall physical well-being. I figure I could cut around the cabinets in the kitchen and leave them resting on the current subfloor, yes? I also noticed this cement board has been attached to the plywood under it with screws. Is it normal practice? I would assume they used glue as well as screws?

Scouring the internet for answers it seems the easiest path forward would be to remove all tiles with a hammer and chisel, cover everything with plastic and rent a hammer chisel from the Depot and get at it?

 

[havasu]

They have companies with motorized "walk behind" tile removers. Might be a tad expensive, but so is a sore back for weeks, maybe months.

 

[Tile Tom]

Normally the cement board gets mortared down and screwed.

I would bet dollars to doughnuts that whoever did that job obviously didn't know how to do tile correctly so I doubt they glued down the wonder board.

If it's not glued down just get under it with a pry bar and start tearing it out in pieces. Then go back for the screws.

 

[highup]

How about install a butler motor for fasteners into the cement board?