peel and stick vinyl tile


  #1  
Old 06-25-05, 02:04 PM
Mom2Z
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Question peel and stick vinyl tile

I'm about to redo our main bathroom and I have to do it on a very tight budget. While the current vinyl floor is in good condition (not peeling or bubbling) it is old and very dingy looking. Rather than have professionals come in and put down new vinyl flooring I was thinking of trying the peel and stick vinyl tiles myself. I've seen it used on a lot of home improvement shows and was wondering if it is a good product. Is there any preparation I need to do to the current flooring (other than a normal cleaning) or do I just stick these things right on it?

Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 06-25-05, 04:20 PM
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if it is over a wooden floor install new 1/4" underlayment grade plywood to install the self stick tiles to. It will be a lasting floor.
 
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Old 06-29-05, 09:02 AM
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Hi!
We just did this ourselves! The original bathroom floor is a solid-sheet linoleum. We cleaned it well, and then peeled & stuck down new vinyl tiles right over the linoleum (they look just like slate tiles, too ).

It was inexpensive, and very simple to do. The toughest parts are the cuts around toilets, etc. But I just used the paper backing from some of the tiles we'd already stuck down (it's almost like tissue paper) as a template, and that worked VERY well.

It's holding up just fine, and we're happy with the results. It should hold us over for a year or two until we're ready to put some money & time into installing an actual slate/tile floor in the bathroom.

Go for it!
-Carly
 
  #4  
Old 07-06-05, 03:51 PM
alene_reich
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peel n stick

I just did this too and I think that if I were to do it again, I'd sand the existing vinyl floor a bit to give it a little more grip.

I used light-commercial grade tiles in my kitchen and I absolutely love them!!! I used thinner tiles in my bathroom and they moved around a little (because they were thinner?)

I used a utility knife to score them and kitchen shears (!) to cut the thinner tiles around the toilet. I also used my scrapbooking paper cutter to score tile- it worked really well.

Another great thing about peel and stick is that they're earth friendly ... if a part ever gets damaged, you can just replace those tiles rather than the whole thing!!!
 
  #5  
Old 07-30-05, 11:38 PM
Em24
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I am doing the same thing with my kitchen , Its pretty big , and the old vinyl tile was stick on also , so I just foced them off the floor one by one and man was that a back and knee killer , I finally got them all off , and I layed the new ones down , I picked out some black tiles with a little white in them , they are supposed to look like marble , and they really do actually , I only paid 30 bucks for a box of 45 in each , which is cheap , one problem is they are too weak , like if I was to take one and bend it in half it will break , thats why there so damn cheap lol , but they really look nice , and I have no kids , and no pets so the floors should last with just me and my husband walking around.It was realll easy to do , I am a dummy and I was able to do it and even my 8 year old nephew helped put about 15 tiles down! as long as the wood underneath is clean and like new , those suckers will stick well , or u can probably get some tile adhesive for an extra hold..
 
  #6  
Old 08-01-05, 04:49 PM
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Vinyl tiles require a very clean and smooth subsurface for a lasting and professional looking job. If installing over embossed vinyl, the pattern of the old vinyl tends to wear through. Thus, 1/4" plywood underlayment is recommended to cover old vinyl.

If installing over old vinyl, it should be stripped of all wax, oil, and soil, and abraded with sandpaper to improve adhesion. Embossing will require using floor patch to provide a smooth surface. Patch may require some light sanding to acquire a very smooth surface. Then, install tiles according to manufacturer's directions. It is recommended that toilet be pulled and tile cut out around flange and then toilet reset for a professional looking job.
 
  #7  
Old 08-08-05, 12:18 PM
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I'm inspired, think I'll try this in my sunroom. It has indoor/outdoor carpet with a subfloor underneath.
 
  #8  
Old 08-14-05, 04:44 PM
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If you don't fill emboss the vinyl, not only to fill in the embossed pattern, but to encapsulate the plasticizers in the wear layer, you might as well send the money to me!!!


Plasticizer migration, will soften and eat at the adhesive on the back of the tiles.


Once the embossing leveler is cured and completely dry, a prime must be used. Or again, you can just send the cash to me, same thing, with a lot less work.
 
  #9  
Old 08-15-05, 08:22 AM
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Just chiming back in to say to fellow laypeople DIYers, don't be intimidated by all the prep work that the mods and professionals recommend! I'm sure that these are excellent recommendations, but if you're simply looking for a short-term solution, I don't necessarily think you necessarily need to do all of this.

We slapped down peel-and-stick vinyl tiles over embossed linoleum, and we didn't do any of these things. We cleaned it, and then we went to work. The tiles are holding quite fine, and even if there are a few indentations here & there, it doesn't matter to us because it's not a permanent solution & we weren't looking for absolute perfection. (Ironically, it came out even better, and is holding up even better, than we'd ever expected it to. And lots of people think it's actual slate until they examine it (if they do) more closely.)

I'm not dishing the pros, just wanted to add a word of encouragement to folks who might be discouraged by a list of "to do's" that take more time and money than what they'd be spending on the floor! For us, we're not hoping for 5-10 years out of this floor, just 2 years or so until we're ready to put in real slate (and do work on the subfloor itself at the same time).
 
  #10  
Old 08-15-05, 04:04 PM
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Another FYI...my grandfather put down 1/4 " underlayment and peel and stick vinyl tiles over old vinyl, 20 years ago, did all the prep, and it still looks good! So the prep work is well worth it!
 
  #11  
Old 08-16-05, 03:35 AM
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The glue on the back of peel & stick tiles produced today, is not the same adhesive as it was 20 years ago. Waterbased vs. oilbased. The EPA has made the adhesives produced today, more "green" with less VOC's


If this is all just temporary, then yes skip the required prep. Then place and wait
 
  #12  
Old 09-02-06, 09:52 PM
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Thumbs up self stick tile

we just bought some tiles to place on the basement floor over concrete. I hope it works out
 

Last edited by drb9333; 09-03-06 at 10:37 AM.
  #13  
Old 09-02-06, 10:14 PM
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Trafficmaster Prep

Thinking of installing peel & stixk over old sheet vinyl. The heet vinyl is glued to basement concrete>

What embosser should I use?

Primer ?

Thanks DN
 
  #14  
Old 09-02-06, 11:33 PM
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I am a professional floor installer for last 15 years now..
And I 've told to all my friends dont ever use peel ant stick tiles ever nowday...especially on baths you'll be flooting around with them after the first shower or bath!!
There is a reason WHY they are so cheap!!..
I have been removing these tiles on every other job I do!!
GL anyway just my honest opinion
 
  #15  
Old 09-03-06, 07:08 AM
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I agree with Carpets - the glue today is not the same, and for the DIYer (like me), this is good and bad. With the old stuff - you got one chance to put it down, and removing it destroyed the tile(but it stuck) With the new stuff sometimes you have to use a weight on a couple pieces to get it to stick. I've even used a hair dryer (low heat) to reactivate the glue.

As for putting it over embossed tile or vinyl - you can get away with this in a small bathroom, but I wouldn't in a large area. The thickness of the new tile is also a factor, as well as how long you intend to live there. ( the next time you have to remove two layers !)

I recommend removing the toilet - Murphy's law states it will leak one month after the new tile (been there). If the wax ring is fairly new - a careful cut and caulk looks OK - but if the ring leaks - you'll never know until the subfloor is damaged. Lucky for me I'm on a slab.

One method I used to remove old self stick was a steam iron over a damp towel.

Good Luck.

PS -These opinions are base on experience, and make no claim as actually knowing what I'm doing.
 
  #16  
Old 10-17-06, 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by drb9333
we just bought some tiles to place on the basement floor over concrete. I hope it works out
How did it work out?
 
 

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