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Now
that you have chosen a vinyl tile pattern, there are several
steps in preparing to lay your new flooring. First, you will
need to determine how much tile will be needed. You may use
our flooring calculator or you
can do the following...
Measure the length and the width of the room. If the room
has alcoves or offsets, measure these separately. Determine
the number of 12"x12" tiles needed for each area.
We recommended that you purchase about 10% extra to cover
mistakes, trimming and for future needs. Check the run numbers
on the cartons to ensure you get tiles from the same production
run. This avoids any shaded variations.
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Each tile is unique and it is essential that you shuffle the
tile from all cartons and lay out the individual tiles to
ensure the most desirable pattern effect on your floor. Some
of the tiles have patterns that go in a certain direction.
These tiles will have directional arrows printed on the back
of the tile. There are three ways to lay the tiles:
1. SINGLE DIRECTION: Lay all tiles with the
arrows pointing in one direction.
2. QUARTER TURN: Turn tiles by laying each tile at 90 degrees
to the adjacent tile.
3. RANDOM: Placing all tiles without regard to the adjacent
tiles.
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To install
Home Depot's self-adhesive vinyl tile you will need the
following tools:
• Scissors
•
Utility Knife
• Carpenter's Square
• Chalk
• String
• Pencil & Paper
If you are removing any existing flooring, we recommend
an Electric Tile Knife/Scraper. It makes removing adhesives,
paints and sealers much faster and easier.
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An electric tile knife is available at any Home Depot Rental
Center.
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An
Important Note about Removing Existing Floors
If you plan to remove a preexisting tile floor that is 20
or more years old, you must first check to see if the old
adhesive is BLACK. If the old adhesive is black, it is most
likely Cut Back Adhesive. Extra care needs to be taken when
dealing with Cut Back Adhesive since it can be toxic and flammable.
Cut Back Adhesives can also destroy the adhesive backing on
peel-and-stick vinyl tile.
If you find black adhesive when you remove the preexisting
tile floor DO NOT proceed with the installation. Call our
customer service team at 1-866-843-8453 for more assistance.
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The
surface upon which your new tile is being installed is referred
to as the sub-floor. The finished floor will be no smoother
or stronger than the sub-floor. Check the sub-floor to be
sure it is free of dirt, grease, paint and other foreign matter
prior to installation. The best sub-floor is a smooth underlayment
of plywood. DO NOT apply to particleboard (and the warranty
does not cover this).
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Grade is very important when preparing to lay your vinyl flooring.
Sub-flooring needs to be free of any moisture prior to application.
Home Depot self-stick vinyl tile can be installed on, above
or below grade (ground level). However, DO NOT INSTALL BELOW
GRADE WITHOUT FIRST USING TrafficMaster
Pro Basement Proofer®. Our Basement
Proofer allows installation of peel-and-stick tiles in basements.
It utilizes a high quality penetrating copolymer resin for
sealing basement floors.
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Concrete
floors must be smooth and dry before installation and remain
dry after installation. For a smooth floor, use a professional
leveling compound and sand any high spots. Floor primer must
be used over concrete prior to installation. Never install
self-stick vinyl tiles over raw concrete regardless of grade
level. Failure to use primer over concrete voids your warranty.
If you do a moisture check (at right), and you find moisture,
call our customer service team at 1-866-843-8453 for
more assistance. This means that the sub-floor must be treated
for any moisture condition prior to installation.
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Do this simple check for moisture on your sub-floor. Tape
down a thin plastic film of about 18"x18" and
leave for 24 hours. If you notice moisture on the film or
darkening of concrete, DO NOT install the tile.
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The
final step in preparing for installation is storing the
tile at room temperature of at least 65 degrees F for 48
hours before installation. Remove the tiles from their carton
and stack in small piles. Be sure the sub-floor is also
at least 65 degrees F.
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