Laying tile over tile, with squeeky floor

I want to lay ceramic tile over some thin linoleum type tile (not sure if linoleum, but it is thin and brittle when attempting to remove) installed in my 1971 house, but the subfloor squeeks. Is it ok to just put screws through the existing tiles to tighten the floor, and before laying the ceramic tiles, making sure the thinset mortar levels the dimples where the screws are located?

[Edited by cliff on Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 1:48 pm EST]

The "dimples" are the least of your worries. Squeaks indicate movement of course and movement under a ceramic tile floor installation is fatalistic for the tile installation. It depends on where the movement is coming from.

If the movement is simply a lack of fasteners in the subfloor (to the joists) then yes by all means screw through the tile. If this stops the squeaks your in luck. The problem is: Why would you want to put the life of the ceramic tile installation in the hands of the adhesive holding the vinyl in place?

The industry recommends that all previous floor coverings be removed before attempting a new installation of ceramic tile.

I thought about the removal of the tile, but that would not remove the squeeking, and the tile is so thin, that when I started peeling it up, it broke up and it had like a black tar backing to it. Do you recommend I remove the floor to expose the joists underneath. That sounds really major. I would then have to put a new floor in before I lay tile.

Do you recommend I remove the floor to expose the joists underneath.

HECK NO! Why would you want to do that?

How many layers of WHAT are on the joists now?

All I have is the one layer of old tile. 12 in square tiles, laid down some 30 years ago on top of plywood. They have a few ripples in them (the tiles), which is probably not good. Taking up the tile will leave this black tar like substance (glue) that was used to adhere the tile to the plywood. Would you liek to see some pictures?

[Edited by cliff on Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:41 pm EST]

The old black tile adhesive isn't an issue. There are thinsets available to deal with that stuff. Pictures are always helpfull. Remove the tiles.