Craft, Home Interior, Art and Design

With the rise in popularity of people taking on home improvement projects themselves more people are choosing to tile over their old flooring and although you may believe it is saving you time this can actually cause instability of your new floor. In addition, the floor will seldom be level and will cause your new tile floor to have a shoddy appearance. Here are some of the main reasons you should never tile of the old floor.

The surface of a vinyl floor is very slick and shiny, similar to plastic, and almost impossible to adhere to. It is also non porous which also makes it very hard to get a good bond no matter what kind of glue you attempt to use. Even the method of roughening the surface that is recommended by some people is not going to help.

One of the biggest reasons not to lay tile over the existing floor is because the floor may start lifting after you lay it causing you to have to relay a section of the floor or possibly have to redo the entire job. I don’t know about you but I hate redoing anything, I want to do the job once and be done with it. This is exactly why you should do the same and save yourself the trouble of the inevitable replacement of the floor.

Another problem with installing tile over vinyl is that it is extremely tough to get your floor level which is crucial when tiling. Additionally making transitions in areas where the floor level changes or you have to fill in areas is hard to do. It is always best to begin with a fresh, clean surface that the mortar will adhere to.

Most vinyl floors are put down on top of thin plywood or even particleboard which is not recommended at all for applying tile to. Laying tile over floors like these in not only unwise it is unsafe and due to the inherent flexibility of the vinyl the tile is likely to crack and you may have to replace the entire floor.

If you still want to leave the vinyl floor underneath you will have to make some structural changes to the floor by screwing the vinyl down and then putting down a mortar base with mesh and concrete or lay down a plywood sub-floor that may help lessen the possibility of cracking. It is just as much work to do all of this as there would be if you lifted the vinyl up in the first place.

I hope that I have succeeded in dissuading your ideas to install tile over vinyl. Be sure to keep all of the negatives I have discussed in mind because the short cut of tiling over vinyl is really not a short cut, it will cost you more time and money in the future.

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Are you ready for a new bathroom floor? Perhaps your taste is willing to accept a new pattern or design to match recently painted or papered walls, but your wallet may be telling you to wait until the economy takes a turn for the better. If you have been successful in managing a few fixer-upper projects around your home in the past, you may be able to install new bathroom flooring for a fraction of the cost that you would have to pay professionals. All you need are a few simple guidelines and quality floor tile or linoleum.

First, decide what type of flooring you want for your bathroom. Tile works especially well, because any of the pieces that become rotted, mildewed, or damaged are easy to replace without taking up the entire floor. Just be sure to buy extra tiles when purchasing the initial batch so the replacement pieces will match their original counterparts. Linoleum may be cheaper, and some people find it a smoother application and fit than tile. But linoleum can be a little trickier to replace if one part becomes damaged, because you will have to cut away the broken part and cut the precise shape and size of replacement tile, which is no small feat.

Next, buy your supplies at the hardware or flooring supply store. Ask the sales associate for suggestions or help when you go shopping for bathroom flooring needs. Read the directions on the adhesive container as well as guidelines that come with the tile or linoleum. In addition, you can check with the sales associate at the store or visit the manufacturer’s website to get help in planning the installation. If you haven’t already, check out tips for removing the old flooring, and repair or replace the sub-floor.

At home, lay out your materials, choosing a time when other family members will be away or occupied in another part of the house. Open the windows or run the whole-house fan to provide adequate air circulation to offset fumes from the adhesive and flooring product. Start in the corner furthest from the doorway that you will exit after completing the job, and this is where to begin laying the new flooring.

Remove any debris from the exposed sub-floor. Remove or cover wall coving to keep it from getting stained by the adhesive. Then apply the adhesive according to the package directions. After this, lay the linoleum or tile, taking care to put it neatly in place. Make sure it is secure and will hold steady until the adhesive dries. Take a clean towel or rag and use it to wipe away excess glue from between the tiles or around the linoleum. Keep everyone off the new flooring until the adhesive has set.

After installation, follow manufacturers’ guidelines for cleaning and maintaining your new bathroom floor. Never use cleaning chemicals, especially bleach or ammonia (which should not be mixed, by the way, due to harmful vapors that can result). You may be able to dust mop your new floor daily or weekly, and scrub it every week or two to keep the new floor looking great.

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