Floor renovation without removing the tile: the Glue-Down SPC solution
It is the question every homeowner asks one day: can I change my floor without breaking out the tile? The answer is yes — provided you choose the right material and respect a few rules. This is precisely the scenario Glue-Down SPC (LVT) was designed for.
Why demolition costs so much
Retiling a room is not just buying tile. It means breaking the old floor with a demolition hammer, hauling hundreds of kilos of rubble (often down the stairs), releveling the exposed screed, laying, grouting, cleaning — and living in dust for one to two weeks. In an occupied apartment, this is often what kills the project.
Installing over existing tile: how it works
Glue-Down SPC is only 2.55 mm thick and bonds fully to the substrate. Over sound tile, the method is simple:
- Check that the tile is well bonded (no tile sounds hollow) and the floor is flat.
- Degrease and lightly abrade the surface.
- Skim the joints with a floor compound — a few millimeters suffice — to obtain a continuous surface.
- Glue the planks in the chosen pattern: straight, herringbone, chevron or Hungarian point.
A living room is transformed in one to two days. And thanks to the 2.55 mm, doors rarely need trimming.
What it changes in practice
- Zero rubble: nothing to break, nothing to haul.
- A short site: days, not weeks.
- A livable home: no demolition dust through the apartment.
- A superior result: a warm, silent, waterproof floor, warrantied 25 years, in fourteen wood and stone decors.
The limits, honestly
Installing over existing tile assumes a sound, flat substrate. If whole zones of tile sound hollow, if there are significant level differences or rising damp, the substrate must be treated first — sometimes down to removal. A professional sees it in ten minutes: it is the first service an Academy-certified Herculex installer provides.
Where to start
Simply photograph your room and try the Herculex AI visualizer: you will see your own living room with the decor of your choice, in straight lay or herringbone, before any commitment. Then an authorized reseller checks your substrate and quotes the project.