Vinyl tile installation
Help: Here’s The Ultimate Vinyl Tile
Installation Checklist
Vinyl tile installation does not have to be a difficult job.
Yes there are professionals available whom you can hire, but
the fact is, you could do the job yourself. There are 2 main
reasons because of which you may want to do it on your own.
Firstly, it could save you a lot of money, and secondly, it
could be a lot of fun. But before you are ready to proceed, you
will need to ensure that you have the right tools and
equipment. Yes, choosing the tile you are about to install is
always important, but without these tools and equipment, you
cannot get the job done efficiently.
Tools And Equipment – Here’s A Checklist To Help The
Do-It-Yourself Installer
- Do ensure that you have your sub floor plan right in
front of you on a piece of paper. Take it to the shop to
buy your vinyl tiles. Buy a few more inches because you
will need to trim the edges to fix it properly. When you
are buying your tiles, you must also get the
adhesive.
- Get yourself one notched trowel – this will help you
spread the adhesive. Once the adhesive have been spread
over the surface, you must use the trowel’s notched side to
make sure that the coating is even.
- Check whether the surface on which you are tiling is
completely even or not. In other words, there must be no
bumps or depressions as otherwise, the tiling job will not
be good. And if you find any bumps or depressions, you will
need to smoothen or fill them up as the case may
be.
- Keep a pencil handy because you must mark the places
where the tiles must fit when you are doing the laying job.
The pencil will also help you mark the pieces that you must
cut.
- You must also get a tile saw if you want to carry out
the residential or commercial vinyl tile installation job
yourself. You can get the saw on rent – there’s no need to
buy it, because you may not have a use for it later. But do
ensure that you read through the instructions before you
actually begin to use it. Remember, the saw is often
dangerous. Other than this, you must also get a tile
ripper.
- It is also essential to arrange a non-sanded or sanded
grout. Which one you will need will depend on the space you
want to maintain between the tiles. The sanded variety
works better when you want to keep more space. The tile
spacer will be very handy because you will want the spaces
to be consistent.
- Get a drill that comes with an attachment for mixing.
You will need this to mix the grout and the
adhesive.
- You will need to smooth up the grout in between your
tiles, and also ensure that the spread is even. For this,
you should get the rubber grout float.
- When you are installing vinyl tiles, you will need to
keep them straight and even, and for this the tools you
will need is the carpenter's square and tape. These tools
will help you maintain consistent spacing too.
- Once the vinyl tiles are in place, get your rubber
mallet. Using this, you should tap on your tiles softly.
The rubber will ensure that the tiles are not
broken.
- Get some sponges and a bucket to clean the adhesive. Do
so before it becomes hard.
- You need goggles and gloves too for maintaining
safety.
This checklist should help you get the tools that you need
for vinyl tile installation on the floor. Remember, the job is
easy, provided you have the right equipment and know how to do
it. So go ahead and get what you need, and once the job is
done, stand back and admire a job well done.
| 