We want to pull out our carpeting and use self stick linoleum tiles. What do we need to know?
You will need a sound subfloor. If you are working with a wood subfloor, just clean it up after pulling the carpet and tack strips. If you are working with a basement, you have to be concerned about moisture coming up through the concrete. That will lift your tiles very quickly. You might be able to seal the concrete and they can tell you that at a flooring store. The tiles are easy to put down, but you want follow good procedure for making them straight and neat. Lots of websites showing how to do that. I have seen some great new tile products that look like ceramic tile or other natural products. Some use a lock down seam to avoid the problem of the tiles moving apart and showing a gap.
No. the moisture will soften the joint compound, Buy Flashpatch or Dashpatch, both are floor patching products. Not one knowledgeable answer in all the previous answers. Why do these people who lack any know-how attempt to mislead?
They work best when You apply a thin coat of vinyl floor glue to the floor as you go. This works much better than relying on the self stick glue. Otherwise some tiles may come loose or move. And like others said, the wood floor must be clean and smooth.
You want a clean, flat surface to place your tile on. You can buy leveler at your local hardware store or you could overlay your floor with luon which is a very thin plywood to help level your floor and have a clean surface to work with. You want to start at the center and square out your floor with chalk line. You want your cut pieces on the edges. My husband also used an adhesive to ensure the tiles stayed put, but ask to see if this is necessary. My floor has been in for about 10 years now and the edges are still tight.
Consider the color options, cost per tile and the conditions that the tile was designed for. Some tiles have adhesive that will work in wet environments, like the bathroom or kitchen while others do not hold up as well. Figure out the rough area of the floor you want to cover and buy about 1/4 more. When you buy, be sure to get tiles from the same manufacturers batch to ensure that the tile color is consistent. This is why you want to have some extra for future repairs too. If the floor is uneven you will need to level it by applying a floor leveling patch - it's kind of like putty or spackle for your floor. Instructions for installing the tiles will be included with them and are pretty straight forward. Just make sure you set your first row so that it is straight and even so the rest will be too. The edges take the longest but are actually not too bad. Tiles can be cut with a utility knife.
