Adhesive

The Secret To Laying Vinyl Floor Over Old Vinyl Floor

Vinyl flooring is cheap, cost effective and perfect for areas such as kitchen or bathroom that have to deal with high levels of humidity. However, after a few years it is likely that you will need to replace your old flooring… if you choose to try your hand at laying vinyl floor over old vinyl read this article first so you get the best results possible from your new floor.

Problems When Installing Vinyl On Vinyl Substrate

There are two common issues when installing new vinyl flooring on top of old one:

The texture of the old vinyl is still visible on the newly installed one
Marks, pokes and bubbles from the old flooring show up instead of being covered by the new vinyl layer.

These two common problems with installing vinyl are caused by the same reason: vinyl sheets or tiles are very thin and will show any imperfections in the substrate, no matter how small they are.

How To Install Vinyl on Vinyl Substrate Like A Professional

The first thing you need to do when installing vinyl flooring over old vinyl is preparing the substrate. Remove all the furniture and the base board moulding, and make sure there is nothing in the way.

Once you have cleaned the area it’s time to check the old vinyl flooring for bubbles, holes, dents and areas that are loose or loosening up from the substrate. Use a razor blade to cut out and remove all these areas. Don’t worry, the next step will fill in any holes or gaps.

Vacuum the floor and remove all dirt and debris, so you are ready for the next step: applying a skim coat. Skim coating is often used in walls, before painting, in order to achieve a perfectly smooth surface. But you can do the same to prepare your floor so the new vinyl flooring will have a perfectly even surface to adhere to. A thin layer of joint compound suitable for indoor use spread over the old vinyl floor, will patch up any gaps or dents and the holes left by removing the broken bits of the old vinyl floor.

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Follow the instructions of your chose skim coat product and mix it with water, and use a masonry trowel to spread it all over the entire floor. This will ensure the texture of the previous vinyl cannot be transferred to your new flooring. In areas where there are deeper gaps or dents use a thicker mixture of skim coat and water. Pay attention to this bit and make sure to do it right: skim coating the old vinyl floor is the secret to install vinyl on vinyl flooring like a professional.

You will need your skim coat to be as perfectly flat and even as possible, so after waiting for it to dry (which can be 14 or 18 hours, particularly if the room has poor ventilation) go through it with the trowel and gently scrape off any drips or lines left when spreading it. Some people even suggest lightly sanding any imperfection, particularly if you are installing the flooring on a room with very intense lighting. Spend time doing this, and your new floor will be perfect.

Once this step is complete, you can continue installing vinyl flooring as with any other substrate. While there are different types of flooring you can choose (vinyl planks, luxury vinyl, vinyl tiles or even wrap vinyl) using a skim coat to even the floor surface is the secret to laying vinyl floor over old vinyl successfully.

How to Install Ceramic or Porcelain Tile Flooring

Filed Under: DIY Installation

Learning how to install ceramic or porcelain tile flooring can save you a lot of money if you decide to remodel your home yourself, and the results can be as good as if a professional installed it. However, it’s a project that requires a certain amount of preparation, some tools and time to get everything perfect. The complexity of the project will depend on how you want to lay the tiles (traditionally or diagonally across the room) and whether you need to cut out holes to accommodate radiator pipes, or other integrated furniture.

Things You’ll Need

Besides a generous assortment of tiles (always buy some spare in case some get broken or damaged while cutting them) you will also need:

Tile adhesive
A notched trowel
A tile scored and a diamond hole saw
Grout (and optionally, grout sealer)
A rubber float
A tape measure
A level
Chalk and pencil, or other washable media to mark the floor and tiles
In order to clean the tiles afterwards you will need a bucket of warm water and a sponge.

Preparing the Floor To Lay Ceramic Tiles

You can lay ceramic tiles on concrete or over timber deck. In order to lay ceramic tiles on concrete, you will need to make sure the floor is perfectly even, clean and dry. If the floor is uneven, you will need to apply a self-levelling compound to fill in gaps and holes, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you leave it to dry for as long as required, which is usually overnight. Use a coarse sandpaper block to smooth any remaining ridges.

If you are laying porcelain tiles over timber floorboards you will need to first fix a layer of plywood to the floor of at least 12mm thickness. You can just screw it down to the timber before you lay your tiles.

If any doors to the room open inwards you will need to remove them and may need to adjust their height as tiling will change the height of the floor, and the door may not fit anymore.

Do A Practice Tiling Run

If you want your new floor to look as professional as possible, you will need to carefully plan the layout so the rows are straight and evening spaced. Start at the room’s door, as that first row of tiles is the most visible. To get your new ceramic tiles to align perfectly, draw a perpendicular line to the doorstep using chalk, and starting laying your tiles (without adhesive!) following that line to the other side of the room. A spacer can be used to ensure the tiles are evenly spaced.

When you reach the other side of the room, you will find yourself with space for less than a whole tile. Draw a chalk line perpendicular to the tiles and check that the space between the chalk line and the wall is the same at both ends of the room. If that’s not the case, your room is not perfectly square, and you should adjust the line so the ending tiles on both ends of the room are of the same size.

Place all the tiles without gluing them, and check that you are happy with the pattern.

Laying Ceramic Tiles

You can start laying the ceramic tiles on the floor at the point where the two chalk lines intercept. Using a notched spreader apply adhesive to a square area of the floor of about 3×3 tiles wide (though as you get quicker at laying tiles you may want to increase this to 4×4 tiles). Fix the tiles to the adhesive, using spacers to make sure the space between tiles is the same.

With a spirit level check that the tiles are level (check each row across and diagonally). You can lower tiles that are too high placing a bit of wood and hammering softly on it, but tiles than are lower than the others will need to be removed, and reinstalled with extra adhesive.

Leave the adhesive to set and do not step on the tiles. You will need about 24 hours for the tile adhesive to cure enough for grouting.

Preparing Tiles For The Border

You will most likely need to cut some tiles to size so they fit snuggly against the walls. You can measure tiles exactly by laying them upside down over your last full tile row, and marking them. Then you can cut them with a tile cutter or saw.’

Grouting

Mix the grout following the pack instructions. Depending on the effect you are after, you can choose a grout mixture that dries on a contrasting colour to your tiles, or one that blends with them. This process is very similar to installing vinyl floor grout.

Using a rubber-edged squeegee held at 45-degree angle fill the spaces between tiles with the grout, after removing the spacers. You can use a damp sponge to remove any stray grout that falls on the surface of a tile, but be really careful not to remove the grout you just applied in between the tiles!

Once the grout has cured you can use warm soapy water to clean up the floor, just make sure to use products suitable for the type of grout and ceramic tile you installed. Some people prefer to use a grout sealer at this point to make sure bacteria and dirt can’t enter the porous grout. If you are installing ceramic tiles on kitchen or bathroom surfaces this step is advisable for hygiene reasons.

Tips For Laying Ceramic Tiles On Uneven Surfaces

How to Remove Floor Tiles

Filed Under: DIY Installation

Before you can install your new flooring, you need to get rid of the old one. Learning how to remove floor tiles quickly and efficiently will save you lots of time and money, even if you choose to have the floor installed by somebody else. Depending on the type of tile, this process can take from a few hours of light work to over a day of hard work, lots of noise and dust if you need to remove ceramic tiles attached to concrete.

Removing Vinyl Floor Tile

If you are removing a vinyl floor, whether it is made of self adhesive vinyl floor tiles or vinyl planks, the job is usually relatively easy. In many cases, you can use a utility knife to cut the tiles into strips, and cut the adhesive below to separate the vinyl sheet from the floor. However, this won’t get rid of the adhesive glue and if you want to install a new type of flooring on top of it you’ll need to clean it up scrapping, or using chemical solvents to remove old vinyl.

Removing Vinyl Adhesive Video

Removing Ceramic Floor Tile

Depending on the base to which the tiles are glued, the process will be more or less difficult, but keep in mind that invariably you will produce lots of noise, dust and flying particles, so make sure you wear the right protective gear and warn your neighbours before they call the police to complain.

Recommended Protective Gear

Don’t leave anything to chance and protect yourself from damage when removing porcelain or ceramic floor tiles.

Leather gloves, thick long pants and a thick long-sleeve shirt that will protect your body from flying bits of porcelain (which are very similar to glass and can cause deep cuts).
Wraparound safety googles
Ear protection if you are using power tools (and you should).

Ceramic Tiles On Concrete Slab

This is the most difficult type of floor tiles to remove, as the tiles need to be broken in order to remove them from the concrete slab. You can do that with a small sledgehammer, or rent a power scrapper or chipping hammer to pulverise the tiles in a fraction of the time.

To remove ceramic tiles on concrete slab start with breaking up the tile using one of the above tools. Then loosen any remaining tile fragments with a hand-held scrapper on a long pole or with a putty knife, using a hammer to hit the handle. The result will be sharp shards of tile everywhere (particularly with porcelain, which reacts pretty much like glass when struck), which you will need to either sweep using a broom or vacuum.

Watch This Video To See How To Remove Ceramic Floor Tiles

Ceramic Tiles On Cement Board

If the ceramic flooring you are trying to remove is attached to a cement board, the best and quickest option is to remove both at the same time. To do so, you will need to start removing the flooring at the place where it ends and a different type of flooring (carpet, wood) starts, and you will be able to use a spade to separate the cement from the wood substrate by lifting it.

Start by using the hammer to pulverise the tiles on an area that is as wide as your shovel and a few inches into the vinyl floor. You can try to use a putty knife and a hammer to chip out the grout, and prying up the tile by wedging the knife under it. Once the tile and tile fragments are removed, you will need a hammer to pulverise the cement board.

Once you have enough room to push the spade under the board, you can use a pry bar or a flat spade to pry up the cement board. If the board was installed with screws, you may need to remove them separately.

How to Remove Vinyl Floor Tile Adhesive

Filed Under: DIY Installation

If you have turned to the Internet to learn how to remove vinyl floor tile adhesive, chances are you have all but given up and are ready to call a contractor to do the work for you. Sore knees, blistered hands and hours scrubbing the floor and trying to get rid of those vinyl tires, and they still don’t go away.

The right way to remove vinyl tile glue depends on the kind of glue used to install the tiles, and its age. Vinyl tile adhesive that is really old and dry will require the use of harsher chemical solvents, whereas removing the tiles you installed last winter will be much easier. There are many different ways to remove vinyl tile adhesive, once you have removed the vinyl tiles using a knife and pulling them off the floor, and you may need to use some of them combined.

Scrapping

The first thing you should do when removing vinyl floor tile adhesive is using a scrapper to manually remove as much glue as possible by purely physical means. This is hard work in an uncomfortable position, so don’t try to get it all done in an evening and make sure you rest your back and even wear a supportive waistband to prevent damage. This should get rid of the bulk of the vinyl glue and the flooring itself.

Solvents

No matter how much you scrap, there will be some resistant vinyl adhesive that refuses to go. In order to soften old glue for vinyl flooring you may need to use solvents. Vinyl solvents come in a variety of types and strengths, from easy to use citrus or soy based ones to highly toxic harsh chemicals, so choose the milder one that still does the job. Chemical solvents can be dangerous, and it’s extremely important to follow all the safety measures provided by the manufacturer. At the bare minimum, make sure you wear protective clothing and work on a well-ventilated area, and take frequent breaks. The solvent will soften the adhesive, and you can then scrap it off easily.

Using a Heat Gun

You can use a heat gun to remove vinyl floor tile adhesive effectively, but this method is not without risks. To start with, you could start a fire or get burn, or even suffer from poisoning from inhaling the noxious fumes that will result. So using a heat gun should be your last resort choice, used only when all else has failed.

Dry Ice Method

A nice industry trick to remove vinyl floor adhesive is to use dry ice. Using protective gloves, place a block of dry ice on a tile for 5 minutes. The tile will become brittle and pop out, and you can remove it easily. Place another dry ice block on the remaining adhesive to make it shatter, and another block on the next tile so it starts freezing. This way you can remove vinyl flooring glue with the least possible back pain.

Health Warning: Vinyl Tiles and Asbestos

If your tiles are old, there is a chance that they contain asbestos. Vinyl tiles containing asbestos were used until the mid-80s, and if your house is older or has vintage tiles it could be a health hazard to try and remove those tiles yourself, as a shattered tile will release asbestos in the air. If you suspect your flooring contains asbestos, contact a specialised removal company that will seal the room and vacuum away any asbestos dust released when removing the tiles.

Installing Vinyl Tiles With Grout

Filed Under: DIY Installation

If you are after a flexible self-adhesive tile that is sealed like a ceramic tile floor, installing vinyl tiles with grout gives you the perfect alternative to more costly natural stone or ceramic flooring. However, grouting vinyl tile is totally different from grouting ceramic or natural stone tiles for several reasons. To start with, groutable vinyl tile flooring uses an acrylic based grout instead of traditional cement-based products. Groutable vinyl floor tiles are also thinner, so the joints will be shallower. Installed properly, grout vinyl tile flooring can offer you years of service and look great with minimal expense.

Lay Down the Vinyl Tiles

To lay down vinyl tiles with grout the first step is placing them on the area where they will be installed, paying careful attention to the joints. Groutable vinyl floor tiles come in different styles, but the majority will have either rounded edges or bevelled edged. If your grout vinyl tile flooring has rounded edges, you will need to space them as you would ceramic tiles. Otherwise, they need to touch each other and the grout will be placed right above the joint. You may need to cut some tiles to fit the edges of the floor. If you already know how to install vinyl floors, the procedure is exactly the same at this point.

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Attach the Tiles To The Subfloor

If you are using peel and stick vinyl tile squares you will need to remove the backing and glue them to the floor. For non adhesive vinyl tiles you will need to use vinyl floor tile adhesive to make sure they are perfectly glued to the floor. The floor needs to be perfectly clean and flat in order for the vinyl to stick. If the floor isn’t dry or clean enough, or the surface is not even, the tiles will lift up and you will need to glue them again. Use a vinyl tile roller to make sure there are no bubbles and the tiles stick to the floor. You will need to leave the vinyl tile adhesive to dry for a few hours, usually overnight, but check out your manufacturer’s instructions.

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Installing Vinyl Tiles With Grout

So far, installing vinyl tiles with grout is not very different from installing normal vinyl tiles. So the next step after the tile adhesive is dry is actually grouting your new vinyl floor. You will need to mix the grout following the manufacturer’s instructions, and scoop a bit of it with a grout float. Place the grout on the joints of your groutable vinyl floor tiles and drag it carefully, making sure to cover the joint while remaining level with the tiles. Start with a small amount of grout to avoid making a mess and remember you will need much less grout than if you were installing ceramic tiles.

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Once your new groutable vinyl tile flooring is done, you will need to use a damp grout sponge to wipe the tiles and shape the grout lines. However, you will need to be extra careful because the grout joints at this point are very shallow and you could just wash out the entire thing and would need to start again. Once you are done, you will need to wait between 24 to 48 hours before walking on the floor to give time for the vinyl tile grout to dry, and then it’s time to enjoy your new grouting vinyl tile flooring.