Laying Vinyl Floor Tiles in the Bathroom

Laying your own floor tiles is not as difficult as you might think. There a few guidelines that you should pay attention to but the job is certainly possible. Vinyl floor tiles work well as bathroom tiles because they are warm underfoot and easy to wipe clean.

Firstly, it should be noted that you shouldn't lay bathroom tiles on existing tiles. The main reason is that the floor underneath may not be as secure as you think, thus making your top flooring unsecure, no matter how well you stick it down.

Old vinyl tiles can be removed using a quality floor scraper and, unfortunately, lots of effort. A hot air gun can help loosen the adhesive, making the tiles easier to remove and the adhesive easier to scrape.

Ideally, the skirting boards should also be carefully removed. When you reinstate the skirting, it will hide and imperfections in your cutting skills. Usually, you will have square tiles, which makes the bulk of the laying easy. The difficulty lies in the bows in the wall and any appliances you need to fit the flooring around, such as the sink or toilet.

The best thing to do is to make a floor plan and cut your tiles according to that. Dry lay the tiles on the floor and mark the floor as required. To cut around awkward shapes, it may be easier to make a cardboard template and using that to guide your cutting. Alternatively, invest in a profile gauge.

When using your adhesive, make sure that it is one recommended by the tile manufacturer. Try not to get out more adhesive than necessary because it will dry before you get a chance to use it. Supply for about 10 minutes if tiling should be about right. Wipe any excess adhesive as you go.
When you have stuck down the entire floor and it has properly dried, you can then re-affix your skirting and admire your handywork.