Self-stick vinyl tile — Think before you stick!
The previous owner of my duplex installed some of the self-stick stuff in my rental unit, in the kitchen and bathroom, right before selling the house. It made the house look nicer for the sale, and he, of course, wasn’t concerned about the longevity of his improvement.
However, exactly 12 months after the installation, I got a note from my tenants, saying that some of the tile had started to “flip up.”
When I went upstairs to investigate, it apeared that some of the tiles had been nudged into spaces that were maybe 1/32 of an inch too small, and the adhesive wasn’t holding on those tiles, causing them to pop out of their spots. Now, perhaps this guy wasn’t that skilled in the installation… maybe ALL vinyl tile doesn’t start to fall apart in only one year… But since an all new seamless vinyl floor installation isn’t directly on the horizon, I went to the store and bought a box of matching replacement tiles to have on hand. And I’ve needed several of them already.
How to fix the flipped up tiles? I popped them out, took a metal ruler and x-acto blade, and carefully trimmed off about 1/32 of an inch on one side. I cleaned off any grit and sand that had stuck to the adhesive, and applied some simple Elmer’s Glue-All to the bottom of the tile. I put a brick on it to hold it in place until the glue dried. It must’ve worked, because although I got a new note from my new tenants last week, saying that “some tiles in the kitchen are starting to flip up,” they were different ones than the ones I had previously repaired.
So, while the self-stick vinyl tile might be fine for a temporary solution, or a closet, or in a house where people will be careful with it, it’s not the kind of durable solution that you want to install in a rental unit. I have “new flooring for the upstairs kitchen and bathroom” on my list of upcoming improvements.
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Entry Filed under: Improvements, Repairs and Maintenance
Technorati Tags: tiles stick tile vinyl flip adhesive glue installation self stick vinyl tile apartment duplex rental tenant landlord vinyl tile do it yourself kitchen floor bathroom floor flooring durable install self stick tiles self stick self adhesive tile
5 Comments Add your own
1. Matt | August 11th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
I found you’re blog about 2 weeks ago because you mentioned the self stick tiles in a previous post; I was contemplating installing them in my plex aswell. After reading about the pitfalls of having this stuff in bathrooms, I opted for vinyl sheeting instead. And now you’re posting about tiles peeling up. I empathize with you, but it makes me feel better about my decision. Sheeting cost me about $300 more to have it installed, but it’s the right move in the long run.
2. landlady | August 11th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Thanks for your empathy
Good call on the vinyl sheeting, it will definitely be in my duplex’s future.
3. Floor Tile Designs&hellip | November 17th, 2006 at 3:23 am
Dave
Interesting topic… I’m working in this industry myself and I don’t agree about this in 100%, but I added your page to my bookmarks and hope to see more interesting articles in the future
4. Tom Wilson | February 18th, 2008 at 12:08 am
I have laid self stick vinyl tiles in many places in my life time. First of all the flooring underneath has to be in good shape. That is the key. And dont buy any tiles made in Japan or China. Don’t lay tile on a hot humid day. If there is any dirt on the floor you are laying the tile on,the tile isn’t going to stick very well,it will lift up in time.
I never had a problem laying self stick tiles.And also don’t but the cheap tiles. As of January 2008 a good quality single tile should cost arond $1.00 each. If you work with cheap China tile and bad flooring the tile will lift in time. Always be afraid of buying cheap stuff to remodel your home or apartment. Like the saying goes “You get what you pay for” Plus the fact you have to roll over the tiles with a roller that can be rented,I bought mine.It looks like a rolling pin,but is rubber and weighs about 20 pounds,and has a long handle on it. If your tile lifted up at spots,it wasn’t laid right or it was cheap tile. Plus the flooring wasnt prepared right before laying the tile down. So DON’T be afraid of buying good tile,and the floor has to be free of dust,dirt,moisture,and nails sticking up. Good Luck !
5. jjmmee7733 | April 11th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Wow what a beautiful story. I have read your blog for a long time and have never posted a comment…It is no wonder that you often don\’t open up comments with all the wack jobs out in this world.
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