Installing Armstrong Self Stick Vinyl Tiles
Installing Armstrong self-stick vinyl floor tiles can add beauty to a floor plan with a minimum of construction labor and cost. Armstrong.com provides a large variety of self-stick tiles and other products, and gives detailed do-it-yourself instructions for a number of projects. You can install your own self-stick vinyl tiles in only a few hours. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Armstrong Self-Stick vinyl tiles
- Thin cardboard
- Leveler
- Underlayment
- Smooth edge trowel
- Chalk
- Chalk string/line
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Kitchen rolling pin
- Ruler
- Utility knife
Instructions
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Clean and Prepare the Subfloor
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Clean the floor, ensuring it is cleared of any debris. The best surfaces for laying tile are dry concrete or plywood.
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Level the floor if it is not already leveled. For any low spots or cracks, use the smooth sided trowel to smooth underlayment product according to package directions. Smooth and level the entire floor surface that you will be laying the tile in, and let dry for 24 hours prior to laying tile. Start at a back corner of the room, working backward toward the door so that you don't box yourself in.
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Using your chalk and chalk line, find the center point between the two longest parallel walls. To do this, take a tape measure and measure along one wall of the room. Use a pencil or chalk to mark the center point along that wall. Repeat this step on the opposite wall. Stretch your chalk string from one mark to the other, and snap it to create a line across the room. Repeat this process on the opposite walls. Your room should be divided into four "quadrants" created by the chalk lines. You will begin to lay your tiles in one corner where your chalk lines intersect.
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Begin laying your floor tiles from one corner of the chalk lines you just created. Peel the backing from the self-stick Armstrong tile and place the tile in one corner of the center point. Making sure the edges are flush with the chalk lines, press the tile firmly onto the floor.
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Lay all full tiles in that quadrant, ensuring that they are flush with the chalk line and the tiles you have already laid. Repeat this process in each of your floor quadrants, until all full tiles have been laid. Now, you should be ready to lay the partial tiles around the edges of the room.
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Lay partial floor tiles. To measure your partial self-stick Armstrong tile, lay one full tile over the closest full tile, and then lay another full tile against the wall to overlap the tile you will be cutting. Using the wall tile as a "ruler," mark a pencil line across the tile you will be cutting. This should ensure that the tile piece you are laying will be cut exactly to fit. Using your utility knife, cut along the pencil line. Before taking the backing off of your partial tile, make sure that it fits the space. Make sure not to try to force it--the tile should fit without forcing into the space between the wall and the closest full tile. Make any necessary cuts or adjustments if the tile is too large to fit. Once the tile fits properly, peel off the backing and press the tile firmly into place, with the cut edge closest to the wall. Repeat this process around the room for all partial tiles except where there are corners.
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For corner pieces, or to fit around any pipes or other permanent objects, make a cardboard pattern as a guide to use when cutting the corners or around permanent objects. Cut tiles to those patterns so they will fit specifically around the objects. Always check your fit before peeling the backing away from the tile and placing it.
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When you are finished installing all of the tiles, use the rolling pin over the entire floor to make sure all tiles are firmly adhered to the floor.
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Tips & Warnings
According to the Armstrong.com website, it is best to leave the vinyl tile in the room you will be laying it for 24 to 48 hours prior to installation. This ensures that the tile is at the same temperature as the room itself, which can aid installation.
If you have radiant heat flooring, make sure that it is never heating the floor over 85 degrees, as this can loosen tile adhesive over time.
When moving furniture back into a freshly tiled room, use a blanket or hardwood piece gently laid across the vinyl to protect your floor from nicks or gouges.
For a truly professional look with no messy edges, remove baseboard flooring before laying tile, and replace it after the tiles are laid, so the tiles "disappear" under the baseboards.
Always assume that any previous flooring may have contained asbestos in some form, and make sure when you are cleaning it to wear a face mask and other gear for protection.
References
- Photo Credit Tile wall image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
