Peel and stick vinyl floor tiles are easy to install by any Do-It-Yourselfer. Peel and stick tiles are typically installed in kitchens, bathrooms, foyers, halls, laundry rooms and mudrooms. The two most important considerations are preparation of the floor, and make sure you read the installation instructions thoroughly that come with the product, before beginning the project.

PREPARATION

When you receive the floor tile boxes, place them in the room they will be installed. Allow them to sit for 48 hours before installation, so the tiles will be at room temperature.
Be certain that the floor you are laying over is clean, dry and flat. Any imperfections in the floor will show up in the tiles after your project is completed. If not perfectly flat, our recommendation is to first install a subfloor of 1/4 in. plywood underlayment. Fill in the cracks, nail holes and gaps in the new subfloor with a filler material, available from your local DIY store. Let it dry, sand, and then install your new floor.

For installing tiles over a concrete floor, there cannot be any moisture seepage existing on the floor. This problem would have to be resolved before attempting installation of your vinyl tile for the adhesive to work. Concrete floors should be perfectly flat before beginning. Patch holes and low areas with a concrete filler, and sand the floor to remove bumps, and high spots. Sanding the whole floor will also help the tiles adhere to the floor.

If your room has an existing vinyl tile or sheet vinyl floor, you can install vinyl tiles on top of this with the proper preparation. The first consideration here is to make sure the existing floor is securely fastened to the subfloor. Remove any wax buildup or grease, using an all-purpose floor cleaner. Second, the floor must be perfectly flat, dry and clean. If necessary, fill in any gaps or indentations in the tile with floor leveling compound. This includes any heavy embossing, that could transfer through to the surface of the new tiles.

If your room has base molding and quarter-round molding, my recommendation is pull up the quarter round, and after your tiling job, replace it with new molding. Do not try to save it. Quarter-round is very inexpensive, and also comes in a finished white color, no painting. If you only have base molding, either remove the molding and replace after the tiling job, or tile up to the base mold then put down new quarter-round on top of the new tiles for a nice finish.

INSTALLATION

Ok, at this point your floor preparation is complete, smooth and level. Your tile boxes have been in the room at least two days. You are ready to start seeing some progress. Let's get started.
Let's lay some lines on the floor first. A chalk line works best for this. Find the center point of the room by measuring the width of the room at one end and mark the midpoint. Repeat for the other end. Then measure the length of the room at one end and mark the midpoint again. Repeat for the other end. Then using a chalk line or other marking tool, make a line on the floor going across the room from one midpoint to the other. The line should divide your room into two sections.
Then repeat this process in the other direction. The two lines you have drawn should cross each other in the center of the room, creating four quadrants.

Beginning in the center of the room, start with your first piece of peel and stick tile. Before removing the paper backing, notice the arrows that point in one direction. Always lay your tiles so the arrows point in the same direction. Remove the backing and place the corner of your first tile on the crossing point of the two lines, with the edges of the tile lining up with the two lines. Press the tile down firmly. Remove the backing from the second tile and place it tightly against the first tile.
Note: The best way to accomplish this is to hold the tile up at an angle, with only the edge of the tile touching the floor close to the edge of the first tile. Now you can slide the tile slightly on the floor as needed, to align it perfectly with the first tile, and hold it firmly against the first tile before pressing it down to the floor. Continue placing tiles one against the other, following along the line until the last full tile is in place near the wall. Now repeat this process from the first tile at the center of the room, at a 90 degree angle to the first row. Then completely fill in the first quadrant with full tiles.
Repeat the process for the other three quadrants.

At this point all the full tiles have been laid, and the cutting fun begins.
When laying the cut tiles, always start in the center of the walls and work your way to the corners of the room. You don’t ever want to have to place a tile between two fixed tiles, as you would if you started on both ends and worked your way to the middle.
Cutting the edge pieces is not that difficult. You will need a sharp utility knife, (keep extra blades handy), a metal straight edge to cut along, and a board to lay the tile on while cutting. You can measure to space for cutting the tiles if you want, but an easier way is to lay a full tile with the backing still on it directly on top of one of the installed tiles. Now take a second full tile with the backing still on it and place it on top of that first loose tile, and slide it up to the wall. (You should leave about a 1/8 in. gap between the edge of the tile and the wall or molding). Hold tightly in place while you put a pencil mark along the back edge of the tile onto the lower loose tile with the backing still attached. The lower tile is the one you are going to cut along that line, and it will fit perfectly between the fixed tile and the wall. You will find if you score the tile two or three times with the utility knife, you can bend it back and forth to snap it off. It is not necessary to cut completely through the tile. Continue this process for the remaining cut tiles. If you are tiling around pipes, doorframes and other obstacles, do your cutting carefully for a nice finished look. You may want to make a paper template first and use it to mark your tile for cutting, in order to avoid waste.
If you are tiling a bathroom, we recommend that you remove the toilet first, tile beneath the toilet then replace the toilet. You should also purchase a new wax seal for the toilet at this time.

FINISH UP AND ENJOY

Hopefully you have a few tiles left over now, that you can save just in case a tile or two get damaged in the future. You can pop out the damaged tile and replace it without having to redo the entire floor.

After you've installed your new vinyl tile floor, replace the moldings to cover the small gaps at the edges of the tiles. Sweep the floor to remove any dirt or debris from your installation. If you have any spots with adhesive on them, clean it off with paper towels dampened with hot water. You may want to go over the entire floor with a roller, to ensure that the tiles are well adhered to the floor beneath. You can walk on it now, but you should let the glue set for a few days before you wash the floor.

If you need help in deciding what to buy, what will work with your lifestyle and budget, and guidance in how to do the installation yourself, email or call our customer service department, sales@amazingrugs.com, (800) 495-0488. Check out our tile catalog first before buying your peel and stick vinyl tiles: Vinyl Floor Tiles Catalog. We have many styles to choose from including Black and White tiles that can be installed in a checkerboard pattern, and Wood Grain designs in vinyl tile.