Laying Peel and Stick Tiles on Top of Vinyl

Leave a vinyl floor intact and lay peel-and-stick tile on top of the vinyl for an economical and practical solution to the dangers of removing improperly installed vinyl. Peel-and-stick tiles are relatively inexpensive to purchase and easy enough for most people to install themselves. The advantages of using peel-and-stick tile will disappear if you damage the subfloor trying to remove the old vinyl. If you can remove the vinyl flooring easily, then remove it to give yourself the best options, otherwise lay the new flooring directly over the old.

Blade or box cutter
Floor cleaner
Leveling compound

Instructions

- 1
  Move the peel and stick tiles into the room at least 48 hours prior to installing them to allow the tiles time to acclimate to the room’s humidity levels.
- 2
  Clear all furniture out of the room.
- 3
  Cut away upturned corners of the vinyl flooring with a sharp blade to create as smooth a surface as you can manage.
- 4
  Slice through air pockets where the glue no longer holds the vinyl down and push the vinyl down flat or cut it off.
- 5
  Clean the vinyl floor to remove debris, grease, paint, sealers and wax to create a suitable surface for the glue on the peel-and-stick tile to adhere to the vinyl beneath it.
- 6
  Spread a self-leveling compound across the floor to fill in grooves, patterns and low spots. Allow the compound to dry according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
- 7
  Lay the peel-and-stick tiles on the floor without removing their protective paper backing to identify potential fit and placement problems.
- 8
  Remove the paper from the back of the tile, starting with the center of the room. Press the tile firmly in place. Continue the process of peeling and sticking the tiles to complete the room. Cut tiles with a sharp blade at the places you identified during the dry fit.

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