My brother is redoing his kitchen for the second time. On the floor now is the original linoleum, on top of that is 1/4" plywood and a layer of tile. He now intends to put, on top of that, another 1/4" layer of plywood and the newest layer of linoleum. He feels the extra height won't cause him any problem at the doorways. Is there any reason he shouldn't put on this third layer of flooring without removing what is underneath? If he has to remove what is underneath, how much to remove?
Answer:
The tile that's there is called "Cushion" floor and that should tell the whole story. I would not dare leave the old 1/4" underlayment and tile there; this is after some four decades of seeing it done both ways. Does he have a dish washer and if he does, is the countertop still at a height that it won't interfere with servicing such an appliance? How high up the baseboards is the shoe mold? Does the fridge still fit into its spot under the cabinet? Does he need stairs to go from the kitchen to adjoining rooms?
