How to Install Vinyl Tiles on Walls

Laying vinyl wall tile

Installing vinyl tiles on the wall is similar to laying vinyl tiles on the floor. The same measuring steps apply. The crucial step in laying vinyl tile on your wall is getting the exact center measurements. If you start laying vinyl tile on a wall that has not been properly centered, then the vinyl tile will be crooked by the time you finish laying the tiles.

Things You'll Need

• Vinyl tile
• Utility knife
• Measuring tape
• Chalk line
• Carpenter's square

Instructions

1. Clean the area of the wall where you will be laying the vinyl tile with soap and water so that the vinyl tile will stick.

2. Take a length measurement from one end of the wall to the other. Divide the overall length by two. This will be the center length measurement.

3. Take a pencil and mark the center length measurement on your wall.

4. Measure across the center length mark from the bottom of the wall to the top of the wall to get the center width measurement. Divide the overall number by two and this will be the center width measurement.

5. Take a pencil and mark the center width measurement across the center length so that you now have joining marks.

6. Have someone hold one end of the chalk line on the end of the wall while you hold the chalk line on the other end of the wall so that the chalk line is directly in front of the center length mark. Snap the chalk line to get the center length line.

7. Have someone hold the chalk line at the top of the wall while you hold the chalk line at the bottom of the wall directly across from the center width mark. Snap the chalk line to get the center width line. You now have two perfectly centered lines on the wall. The markings on the wall should look like a big plus sign.

8. Remove the backing from one of the vinyl tiles. Put the tile on the left-hand side of the center line so that its right-hand side aligns with the center width line, and the bottom of the tile aligns with the center length line.

9. Add another piece of tile to the wall directly above the first piece. Making sure to keep the tile straight with the center width line and the center length line.

10. Continue laying the tiles to the left of the center line. Then move over to the right-hand side of the center line and finish laying the tiles all the way to the right side of the wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the utility knife and the carpenter's square to cut the tiles for corner pieces and short pieces.

References

• Wall tile tips and methods for installing
• Wood Deck in a Weekend

Resources

• How to make a wall back splash with vinyl tiles