After being complimented over and over on their beautiful Beadboard walls, Bill and Sandra were ready to tackle their next project, laying a new vinyl tile floor in the kitchen. Like many new do-it-yourselfers they were ready to run out to the home center and buy “self-sticking vinyl tile” until I advised them against using it. I told them that if a job was worth doing its worth doing right and that means doing it the way a professional would do it, doing it the old fashion way using vinyl tile and mastic. Self-sticking tile goes down quick and easy with no muss and no fuss but it can come up just as quickly and just as easily and it usually does at the most inconvenient time. No self respecting professional would ever use self-sticking tile. I used it once years ago to cover the cement floor in a wiring closet only to have to replace it a few months later using conventional tile and mastic.
Tools and materials that you will need
· 16oz claw hammer
· A Dremel Multimax tool
· Nail set
· Flat, trim pry bar
· Locking tape measure
· Carpenter’s square
· Chalk line
· Blue or red chalk
· Goggle
· Notched trowel
· Smooth edged trowel
· Floor roller
· Pencil
· Utility knife
· Vinyl tile
· Vinyl tile adhesive
· Embossing leveler
· Adhesive solvent cleaner
· Sponge
· Rags
How much material will you need?
Measure the length and width of the room and multiply them together to get the rooms area, then divide the area in inches by the area of one tile in inches to get the number of tile that you will need. To illustrate, let’s say that you have a room that is 20 feet long by 14 feet wide. The area in square feet equals 20X14 = 280ft2. Now convert to square inches by multiply 280 by 144 since 1ft2 = 144in. 208ft2 = 40320in2. If we are using 12” square tile we would need 280 tiles but if we were using a larger tile, say an 18”X18” tile we would need 40320/(18X18) or 40320/324 or 124.44 or 125 tiles. To this number add 10 percent to compensate for any mis-cut tiles. Even the best of us make a wrong cut here and there.
Once you have purchased the tile allow them to sit in the room where they are going to installed for at least 24-hours before installing them so they become acclimated to the room’s temperature.
Preparing the old floor for the new tile
Vinyl tile can be applied directly over other vinyl tile if it’s in good condition. If the tile has a raised pattern, has rough spots or if it has some dings and dents you should apply a thin coat of Embossing Leveler using the smooth edged trowel to create an even, level surface before applying tile adhesive. If you don’t apply an Embossing Leveler the new tile will eventually take on the texture of the old flooring.
If the old tile is damaged or lose it will need to be removed before you can lay the new floor. As a rule the old tile comes up relatively easy once you get the first one up but if removing the old proves to be too difficult you can lay new ¼” BC Plywood over it. If you lay a new substrate i.e. ¼” plywood, take the final thickness of the finish floor into consideration and notch any the bottom of any door molding protruding into the room so you can slide the plywood under them. Nail down any loose floor boards and set the nail heads below the surface and then fill the holes and any cracks with filler. When laying a new underlayment stagger the seams and allow a 1/32” space between the panels and allow a 1/8” space between the panels and the walls. This spacing is necessary to allow for expansion and contraction of the underlayment with changes in temperature.
Laying out the floor area
If you have used Embossing Leveler to smooth out the old floor wait for it to harden completely before laying out the floor for the new installation.
Tile looks best when centered in the room. To do this find the center point of the two end walls and then snap a line between them Then find the center point of the two side walls and snap a line between those two points. Where the two chalk line cross is the center of the room.
After locating the center of the room lay a row of tile down the length of both lines without apply adhesive to the floor. Your goal here is to end up with equal space between the last full tile and the wall all the way around. Adjust your lines as needed to achieve that goal. Having the tiles along both side walls the same width and having the tiles along both end walls the same width is the sign of a professional job. Once you have the lines adjusted as needed you are ready to apply the adhesive and start laying the tile from the center of the room out.
Using the notched trowel apply the tile adhesive to a small area of the floor, approximately 2 foot by 2 foot, at a time beginning at the rooms center. Comb the adhesive outward according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The areas between the ridges should be almost barren of adhesive.
Place the first tile where your two adjusted lines intersect and then use the line as you work your way outward towards the wall. If any adhesives squeezes out between the tiles, wipe it off immediately with a sponge or rag soaked in adhesive solvent. Use the solvent recommended by the adhesive manufacturer.
After you have several rows of tile in place, bond them firmly to the floor by rolling over them several times using a floor roller. In a pinch you can use a regular rolling pin like the one used to roll baking dough but a floor roller works best because of its weight.
If you must kneel on freshly laid tile as you continue the installation, place a thin piece of plywood down on the tile and kneel on that. The plywood spreads out your weight and the tiles are less likely to slip out of place.
Lay all the full tiles before laying the partial tiles around the room’s perimeter and/or other obstacles in the room. For tiles that simply need to be cut to length place one tile directly on top of the last full tile and then placed another tile tightly against the wall. Mark the tile that you have placed directly over the last full tile, the line will duplicate the contour of the wall because the tile pressed against the wall is your marking guide. If the cut involves an irregular shape it’s always best to make a cardboard template first and then use that to transfer the cut lines to the tile.
Conclusion
With all the tiles laid, pause for a moment to admire your beautiful new floor. After congratulating yourself on another job well done clean your tools with the adhesive solvent and store them in a safe place for future use. Last but not lease, allow the recommended time to pass before allowing anyone to walk on your beautiful new vinyl tile floor.
