I doubt if either of those methods will be OK. Hopefully a flooring professional will answer, but everything I've read and experienced says you need a much more firm base than you've described here. If anything under the ceramic tiles has the slightest give or flex, the grout will crack. You gotta use cement board or something similar to support the tile.

In our house, the previous owners put a real wood floor over the old linoleum in the kitchen. (They may have even laid down a thin subfloor over the old linoleum--I haven't pulled it up to look.) The problem is that the floor is now too thick since they left the old floor on. They sheared off the top of the air vent so it would still fit under a cabinet, and the stove and dishwasher are now behind the "lip" of the new floor as well.

Just something to think about since you'll be adding some thickness to your floor. Any trim or moldings will need to be mounted higher, and if you have any doors or pantries that open into the space, they may need to be trimmed as well. If you have an air duct that exits from under a cabinet, it may no longer fit.

Ideally in our kitchen, I'd take out the floor and put in ceramic, extending it into the dining area (which is now covered with off-white carpeting...NOT smart for a dining area with younger kids!). And I'd also think about doing the ceramic tiles with the grout lines on the diagonal. Granted, a lot more work, but it would be unique!

-= N =-

[This message has been edited by Rudy64 (edited October 18, 2002).]

If the vinyl is securely glued down to the subfloor with out any bubbles or looseness, you can use a floor leveler on it to make is smooth and tile right over that. If in doubt go to a tiling store where the pros go, and not home depot or ***** and ask them. You want to find a store that also does the instalations with their own crew, they would have the most knowledge in that matter.

As I replied in another thread, and as Rlplxqrtsuv replied, you can lay vinyl over vinyl, but not ceramic tile over vinyl. It will not adhere properly, and will "give" too much so as to make the ceramic tile crack. It also could rot under the ceramic, which could create voids and almost ensure that the ceramic will crack.

Plus, as someone else pointed out, you loose room space by not removing the old flooring.