Apply bonding agent and floor leveling compound on top of the existing floor. Luckily my home is “young” enough that I didn’t have that issue, but to your point, it’s wise to be careful with sanding if you have an older home. Thank you for sharing this one. Vinyl and cork are other types of resilient floorings. It can also serve as a vapor barrier. Once you’ve removed lose or broken pieces, patch the empty sections with a liquid cement or mortar, letting it settle level with the tile floor. But if you’ve ever thought about using peel-and-stick floor tile and want to know some of the key considerations you should weigh before deciding whether it’s the right choice for your project, then read on. Why is that, you ask? Unless you’re a professional you won’t detect those imperfections until you actually start your tiling. I’m going to put a rug runner over most of the floor for extra protection, but our existing floors definitely need a makeover. And yes, I’ve seen plenty of people use grout with their peel-and-stick floor tiles — I just didn’t choose to go this route so I’m afraid I can’t make a grout recommendation based on my personal experience with this kind of tile. I didn’t use additional adhesive or grout. Good luck! That said, before you decide to sand —and no matter when your floors were installed and what material they are — please consult a professional to determine whether sanding your flooring is safe for your particular home. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 40,081 times. An underlayment is a thin layer of material sandwiched between two other materials. Some compounds begin to set up in a matter of minutes. In most cases, you’ll only need a layer between. Framed the mirror and was looking to upgrade the flooring. Good advice, Debby! You can place the peel-and-stick tile directly on top of the linoleum with no additional adhesive. I so wish I had known this prior to our laundry room makeover. I’d love for you to report back and share your thoughts on it once your project is complete! Copyright 2019 by Kate Dreyer of Kate Decorates.Thanks for sharing my content! I now know i can do this. You can use what's called "underlayment leveling compound". What shape is your breezeway? I just do not know what type of adhesive and is adhesive the same as primer? Thx! Hi Leslie! Fill cracks in concrete subfloor and make sure the filled areas are level before cleaning the subfloor. However, given the average thickness of the floor, this can only be done once. If you suspect that you’re working with an off-level foundation, you can get it ready for installation quickly by using a floor leveling compound. You can either layer on the new tile without grouting and leaving space in between (I would only recommend this in low-traffic areas that aren’t prone to water), or you can use peel-and-stick tile with grout just as you’d use ceramic tile. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. For the strongest, most durable finish possible, be prepared to let the compound dry overnight. It currently has linoleum flooring and I believe it is the original with the sub-flooring, which was built in 1988. Laminate flooring planks can be installed over almost any surface, as long as its level and in good condition. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. ), The million-dollar question is: “Is peel-and-stick floor tile a good choice?”. 42582. Any additional use of content on this site must be approved in writing. https://www.lowes.com/projects/build-and-remodel/prepping-a-plywood-subfloor-for-hardwood-or-laminate-flooring/project, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afrUJ1YBtdE&feature=youtu.be&t=92, https://www.askthebuilder.com/how-to-level-a-floor/, https://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_level_a_floor_before_putting_down_hardwood_flooring, https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-pour-self-levelling-cement/, https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-level-a-subfloor/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFxjkS91hhU&feature=youtu.be&t=153, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Go with SAKRETE, The Pro's Choice since 1936. That said, regardless of what size tiles you choose, you should be prepared to make some cuts so that they fit the area you’re tiling. I’m so happy this post was helpful, Stacey! We did an 8 x 10 Landry room plus a small connecting bathroom yesterday and no noise at all when we walked on it? You do not have to move the toilet to lay the peel-and-stick tile down, but you WILL have to cut the tile to fit around the toilet, which you can do with a tile scoring tool. It didn't dry smooth and after it dried little concrete nuggets kept appearing from no where no matter how much I swept. Aside from the basic facts about peel-and-stick vinyl floor tile that you can get from any home improvement store website, these are my “I tried it” secrets that I’m sharing that will hopefully help inform your decision about whether peel-and-stick vinyl floor tile is right for you. Consider splitting your project up between 2 days—you can pour and smooth the compound on the first, then come back and touch it up on the second once it’s had a chance to set up. From someone who has made a mistake and got lucky. Oh no, Shelly! You may need to use a separate edge or corner sander to hit the areas closest to the walls. Thank you so much.. i just changed the faucet. These tiles are pretty durable, I must say, but you do need to handle them with care, and making too many cuts — or making cuts that aren’t angular — can cause them to snap in half if you’re not careful. An electric drill with a mixing paddle attachment will make mixing quicker and more efficient so you can spread the compound before it hardens. Perhaps another round of cleaning with a wax remover might be in order. Also, because it is bathroom, I am going to use a adhesive under the tiles because of moisture. Vinyl is plastic with a printed pattern. You definitely don’t want water and other debris seeping between the tiles. Pressing down too hard on the compound while it’s still wet could accidentally form depressions. Making sophisticated cuts to the individual tile pieces — like the ones that might be required if you have to account for molding or a curved toilet base —  aside from simply scoring them in a straight line can get tricky. Hi Jessica! Keep in mind that “flat” isn’t the same thing as “level.” Minor defects may not be noticeable to the eye, but they will be to your level. We love how it turned out but about 6 months after it was laid we had some glue coming up along the seems in 1 area and now it in about 6 or 7 area’s. By using our site, you agree to our. Hi Kimberly — Congrats on your remodel, that sounds like a great project! Hello, I noticed you said you heard a crackling noise after installing. I’m not familiar with a base layer that goes under the peel-and-stick floor tiles, but that sounds promising. (which ours aren’t!). I imagine that they do damage the original flooring. #2: The size and shape of your room also matters. Make sure the substrate you are pouring over is secure and the tiles are adhered. I have an enclosed front sun porch on an 85-year-old home with an slightly uneven floor covered with a faux brick linoleum sheet floor with asbestos matting underneath. Answered 20th Jul 2015 Like 1. Using Underlayment. Reply . A search there for levelling floor returns hundreds of threads on the subject. A bathroom? All of those variables impact the outcome and long-term durability of the project. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. I’ll update the post. Hi Cathy! The floor has held up really well, it’s been about 17 years. I haven’t laid tile over vinyl, just cement and wood, but I used a floor roller after installation. Great advice and tips — thanks for sharing! Instead, consult with a professional first — you two should then jointly determine the safest next steps for updating your flooring. wikiHow's. To learn our Carpentry reviewer’s tricks on using a bonding agent to help the leveling compound last longer, scroll down! References. Hi Kate! % of people told us that this article helped them. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Also can I finish the basement bath with a subfloor or just bring the cement up to the sub-floor level to keep the floors even and level? How about the edges? So I have existing 8×8 tile in my laundry room that I want to do the peel and stick tiles on. Yes, it’s true that peel-and-stick floor tile can be placed right over linoleum. I truly appreciate any feed back you can give me and anyone on this site, please feel free to join in..Big hugs…Kimberly. Hi Holly, thanks for the good feedback! That said, if you’re looking to upgrade your flooring and you’re renting, you may want to look into tile stickers. !” I’ve been there — and today I’m going to tell you everything you need to know before using peel and stick vinyl tile. Sanding old tile could be hazardous to your health and those in your house if it contains asbestos. If the area is very large, use a long, straight 2 in × 4 in (5.1 cm × 10.2 cm) board and set your level on top of it. Although in America the terms linoleum and vinyl are commonly used in relation to vinyl flooring, they are actually completely different products. We put our peel and stick floor down about 5 years ago now and it still looks great. If you’re installing a new floor, skip to checking the level and making a note of where the foundation should be worn down or built up. Use the trowel again to remove any excess leveler, and make sure that you have filled every indentation and pattern of the old floor. Do you recommend using the Vinyl Tile on the sub-floor or would you try it over the linoleum? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. It's used to help insulate, absorb sound and reduce wear on your floor. Another tip I have heard is to not forget knee pads! Bill August 9, 2010 at 12:37 pm. Apply the embossing leveler onto the floor with a flat-edged trowel, at an angle of about 45 degrees. Your flooring may have been put in after 1980 but people reading this post might not know about asbestos in linoleum. How do you deal with the transition at the door way and staircase? Not sure if the cold will hamper the adhesion so the glue may help? Good to know about the roller, Debby. Hi Fraddy – In my experience, the tiles are pretty durable. Hi Shell, how are the tiles holding up in your bathroom? You could certainly move/lift up those items in your room, though, to avoid having to make additional tile cuts. You should still run a level across the surface, however, to double-check for gaps or rises. Linoleum predates vinyl and is linseed oil and wood based. If the floor is uneven, lift up the board until it is level so you’ll know how much flooring compound you’ll need to even it out. LevelLite Self-Leveling Underlayment helps LevelLite Self-Leveling Underlayment helps level floors prior to the installation of ceramic tile, natural stone, resilient flooring, carpet, wood and other floor coverings. Cutting straight lines is fine, but if you’re tiling a space that requires curved cuts (e.g. One question, do i have to take the toilet up? Armstrong S-184 Fast-Setting Patch & Underlayment with water or S-194 Patch & Underlayment with S-195 Latex can be used for overall leveling of approved suspended wood underlayments, but are not recommended over stripwood floors. Focus on lumps and contours where the different pools have dried separately and formed noticeable seams. My question is at any point you want to remove peel and stick flooring. Available in 22.7 KG bags. You are so awesome for letting me the facts. like would they leave a dent? Personally, I think peel-and-stick vinyl tile is a good flooring choice for a mudroom or utility closet that doesn’t yet have existing tile, laminate or hardwood — laying this over concrete would really be ideal. Thank you! This is probably my biggest gripe about using peel-and-stick tile that I wish someone had told me before I started this project. (This is going to be a temporary fix…the plumbers also had to gut my masterbath and took out part of the kitchen floor.) Hi Eric – You’re absolutely right. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/40\/Level-a-Floor-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Level-a-Floor-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/40\/Level-a-Floor-Step-1.jpg\/aid9459573-v4-728px-Level-a-Floor-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"