Lineloeum Tiles

DIYWannabe

I have to replace my kitchen floor and have a zero budget and no one to help so I was thinking I could buy the squares and do it myself! Before I try this I would like some input from anyone who has tried this.

Thanks guys,
DIY Wannabe

Floorwizard

Not usually the best result, but for the price it can fit into great low budgets.
they tend to peel up on the corners or sometimes have trouble sticking at all.

Keyo77

I have done this, with good results. The linoleum in my kitchen was stained and ugly but in good shape physically so I was able to lay the tiles right over the old lino. (I'm talking about self-stick vinyl tiles, not ceramic or stone.) Make sure the old flooring is really, really clean with no soap residue left on. It will ensure better adhesion of the new tiles. Measure the area to be tiled and find the center. Use a chalk line tool (pretty inexpensive) to snap a line down the center of the room, and then another one intersecting the first line so that the x marks the middle of the room. Line your first tile with one of the corners of the x and go from there. Use an X-acto knife or box cutter to cut the edge tiles to fit. Make sure you place a piece of cardboard or wood underneath. If you score the tile a couple of times, it should snap apart at the cut line.

**Helpful hint - Since you will need more than one box of tiles, make sure the batch codes on the boxes match so you don't have color variations. Also, buy a little more than what you think you'll need so you'll have extras for any repairs or replacement later on. Good luck!

hyunelan2

Not sure how needed it is with self-stick tiles, but I've found that a useful tool to have for vinyl tiles is a rolling pin - like a baker would use. The tiles in my house are the glue-down type, when replacing a few damaged ones the rolling pin helped me make sure they were pressed down evenly and the glue beneath wasn't pooled up to make a bump anywhere. It may be useful to make sure the tile is down firmly.

As for durability, my parents put peel-&-stick tile down in their basement. It's still there now, about 10 years later, and none have popped up or anything. I have seen random tiles let go in other houses though. Just keep a few extra around to replace some down the road.

Solosrose

I agree with making sure it's stipped. Assuming you actually have sheet vinyl (made of actual vinyl) instead of linoleum (pressed paper product w/linseed oil) this is the steps you can take to ensure you're job will last as long as possible. The best thing is to strip the floor using something like Armstrong's NEW BEGINNINGS. It'll get rid of any residue from previous cleanings. Next, if the floor has a raised pattern, you'll need to use a leveling embosser to smooth over the patter. Reason for doing this is because any pattern on your previous floor will eventually transfer through onto your new floor. Then you'll need to use a latex primer for self stick tiles. Armstrong recommends this so that the tile will have maximum grab and less lifting. Find your center with a chalkline, as someone else here said. Now it should look like a giant cross having the intersecting lines being your center start point. Now, you'll have to make sure that the angles made are a perfect square, otherwise you'll be out of measure by the time you get to the otherside of the room. Use the 3,4,5 rule. From the very center measure 3 ft up, mark, then 4 feet horizontally, mark. Now measure from the first point to the second. If you get 5 ft, then you're starting corner is square and you may begin laying your tile. Dry lay some tile to make sure you've got a good patter. Don't forget to lay them all in the same direction as per the arrows on the back. Now if you're happy at how it'll look, lay your first tile lining up both edges again the chalk line you've made in the center. Then lay one to the right, and the other on top so it looks like an L. Continue to lay them in a piramid style to ensure you've not defiated from your measurements. Do 1 quadrant at a time, always starting from center. Have fun and hope this helps. ALWAYS FOLLOW MANUFACTURE INSTRUCTIONS SO THAT YOU DON'T VOID ANY WARRANTE.