A thin layer of joint compound suitable for indoor use spread over the old vinyl floor will patch up any gaps or dents and the holes left by removing the broken bits of the old vinyl floor.
Flooring you can place on your old flooring.
In most cases you can install vinyl flooring on top of existing flooring.
But you can do the same to prepare your floor so the new vinyl flooring will have a perfectly even surface to adhere to.
If this is not an issue you can sand off the old finish and or high spots then prepare the flooring by making any repairs or replacements of loose boards then thoroughly cleaning the floor.
Things needed cleaning supplies vinyl tile cutter vinyl tile adhesive trowel floor roller.
For one thing if you ever want to revert back to the original hardwood you can simply pull out the laminate and the old floor has suffered no damage.
If you currently have wood or vinyl flooring you may be able to lay the carpet over your existing flooring instead of tearing it out.
If the hardwood floor is wavy you will need to do some work to level it out before installing your laminate floor.
A good flooring to install over an existing floor is rigid vinyl core.