Should we lay LVT over existing tiles?

Q We’ve bought a renovation project and we’re hoping to replace carpet with luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) or laminate throughout the ground floor. We’ve lifted the carpet in the large extension and have found Marley tiles beneath. They look like they may be difficult to remove. Can we simply lay the new flooring on top? STEPHANIE, EDINBURGH

Marley floor tiles were normally laid by being bedded onto a thick coating of bitumen poured over a sand/cement floor screed. The bitumen acts as a rudimentary damp proof membrane (DPM).

It’s generally better to leave tiles of this type in place where the floor surface is stable. One reason for this is because old ‘thermoplastic’ floor tiles can be very brittle and tend to break if you attempted to lift them. Tiles of this age may also contain very small amounts of asbestos (1% or less is widely quoted) but because it’s bonded within the material they’re generally regarded as relatively low risk. Nonetheless, when working on old floors clad with Marley tiles