Vinyl is certainly not as resistant to tears and scratches as ceramic tile is, but most vinyl does have an inner layer built into it now which tends to resist tears quite well. I wouldn’t hesitate to consider it in a high traffic residential area.

We generally recommend that the underlayment be removed because the subfloor may not be adequate to support tile. However, if your existing vinyl floor was installed over an adequate subfloor using a full spread installation method then yes, it can be done if you use the proper installation products.

No, unlike hardwood flooring, once laminate is worn it cannot be refinished.