Now, we all have heard the term overlay wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much. We can’t deny the fact that it is getting more popular nowadays.
So, what is overlay? Simply put, it is the process of putting a new layer of finishing ABOVE your current finishing. Usually it only applies for flooring & wall finishing. It is especially popular in BTO & Resale housing.
Why do people do that?
Because it lowers the price significantly and it saves the hacking time. Popular materials that supports overlaying includes vinyl flooring & tiles.
Of course, overlaying comes with its own disadvantage also. From our friends at Woodculture, it is not recommended to overlay vinyl floor onto parquet or existing vinyl/laminate flooring. Reason being the original material are of ‘soft’ nature. They are probable to ‘move’. When that happens, it will affect your new finish, causing it to dislodge. And warranty will NOT cover the extra cost that you have to incur to rectify the damage.
Heck, we have seen & heard stories of tiles breaking by themselves due to old age & vibrations!
Imagine having to rectify the original finishing, and to pay extra for the new finishing. You are paying twice!
How to prevent this? We recommend overlaying ONLY on floor tiles not older than 10 years old. Of course, if budget & timeline allows, we recommend replacing the flooring entirely.