How to Install Vinyl Self-Adhesive Tile in a Bathroom
Bathroom floor tiles play a large part in the total look of your bathroom. When the tile is in good shape the bathroom looks bright and clean, but once the tile dulls or scratches the bathroom becomes a dreary place that no amount of cleaning can brighten. Changing the tiles can be a laborious process, but by using vinyl self-adhesive tiles you can cut the install time drastically, removing the need to tear up the old surface or mortar the floor prior to install. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Floor cleaner
- Pry bar
- Plywood sheets 5/8 inch thick
- Chalk line
- Measuring tape
- Vinyl self-adhesive tiles
- Vinyl tile cutter
- Floor roller
Instructions
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Measure the floor space you'll be covering to get the square footage of tile needed. Purchase your tile from a home improvement store, adding in an extra 10 square feet just in case mistakes are made or you have to cut multiple tiles to cover smaller areas.
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2
Inspect the condition of the present flooring. If the floor is in good condition, level with only minor scratches or gouges, you can lay the tiles right atop the existing floor. If the floor is heavily damaged or has peaks and valleys you'll need to remove the old flooring and lay a subfloor to serve as a base for your vinyl tiles
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3
Remove any trim installed around the floor. The trim can be reused so remove by applying careful pressure with a pry bar at the nails holding the trim in place.
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4
Remove the old flooring if necessary, using the pry bar, and nail a new plywood subfloor into place. If the old floor will do, clean the surface completely.
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5
Measure each wall, finding the center point down the wall length and making a mark on the floor. Take the chalk line and run it between opposing walls. Lift the line slowly and then let go, snapping it against the floor and leaving a chalk line. Do this for both the length and the width of the room, leaving a crossing point at the middle that shows the direct center of the room and crossing guidelines for the tiles.
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6
Lay practice rows of tiles with the adhesive backing still in place. Use the lines as a guide to determine the tile placement and the number of partial tiles needed at the edge of the floor. Remove the practice rows.
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7
Remove the adhesive backing from a tile and place it in the center of the room along one of the angles created by the guidelines. Press it firmly into place. Using the edge of that tile and the lines as guides, place the remaining tiles, working outward from the center toward the walls until all full sized tiles have been placed.
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Fill the gaps at the edges with partial tiles. Measure the gaps and then cut the tiles using the vinyl tile cutter, which you can rent at a home improvement store or equipment rental shop.
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Roll over the tiles using a floor roller, which looks a bit like a rolling pin on a pole, to make sure the tiles have been firmly placed and adhere completely along the entire surface of the tile. Replace the trim and enjoy your new floor.
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Tips & Warnings
To make creation of partial tiles easier, place a whole tile against the wall edge. Using a straightedge, draw a line across the tile surface where it meets the edge of the gap and crosses the tile bordering the gap. Cut along the line.
