Laying PVC tiles on the floor do it yourself

The choice of flooring is a responsible event, in which it is important to take into account several factors at once: wear resistance, price, quality of materials, compliance with current trends, physical properties and appearance. To find the best option with this range of indicators is not easy.

Currently, the market of building materials and goods for repair provides a wide range of laying coatings on the floor. In addition to the main and well-known, began to produce new items, which incorporates the best properties of the existing ones. These innovative materials for the floor include PVC tile.

PVC tile is an improved and modified version of linoleum, cut into equal pieces. The industrial composition of the material consists of polyvinyl chloride plastic in the form of high-quality granules.

The floor tile consists of six layers: base made of PVC, two minor layers with the addition of quartz, balanced fiberglass, and then decorative and protective. This form of PVC is made using hot casting. The main material is melted and poured into a special form, after cooling, which is extracted from it ready to use tile.

The coating has a dense stable shape, which is formed as a result of pressing under high pressure. In a similar way, manufacturers create not only a smooth surface, but also an original relief. Therefore, buyers can choose any model of flooring.

The second stage in the creation of linoleum tiles - quality control. This product is a kind of innovation in the construction market, and it has high requirements for several indicators at once: fire safety, physical stability, anti-slip properties, attractive appearance.

Due to the great popularity of such a tile, it had several similar names: vinyl, linoleum, polyvinyl chloride, quartz vinyl, modular, plastic.Therefore, referring to the advice of the seller of building materials, you can safely call this material any convenient option. You will understand and show the available range.

However, this tile has several advantages:

• Convenience transportation. Tiles loaded in boxes. Linoleum is rolled up into a long heavy roll, which is extremely inconvenient to drag on yourself.
• Although vinyl tiles are more expensive, there are practically no scraps from it, which cannot be said about roll coating.
• Easy installation.

There are other advantages to linoleum tile:

• Aesthetic appearance. There is a large variety of colors of vinyl tiles, among which there are bright colors, beautiful drawings and imitations of natural materials (wood, stone).
• Comfortable use. It's nice to walk on this floor. It does not slip, even if it gets wet.
• Unpretentious care. The material has a smooth surface, which eliminates the accumulation of dirt. The coating is easy to clean.

Like ceramic tiles, PVC tiles can be laid in different ways depending on the type of substrate. The main thing - to lay tile in straight rows. It is suitable for covering both wooden and concrete floors.

• Type of laying "Square". This is the easiest and most frequently used method. Square tiles are stacked one to the other, fully connecting the sides, upper and lower ends. It is difficult to make a mistake here.

• Type of laying "Herringbone". With this method of laying it is important to start laying in the middle of the room. Each "branch" of a conditional Christmas tree should consist of 2-4 tiles. Then on the sides of the main "tree" you need to put one more in a similar way.
• Type of laying "Deck". The main rule is to start laying elements perpendicular to the short side of the room. Then each subsequent row is shifted by a third from the previous row.It turns out a kind of "ladder".

For laying the floor alone linoleum tile is not enough. Will require more and additional funds. The list of auxiliary tools includes things that are in almost every home:

• roulette;
• clerical knife in order to cut the excess coating;
• paper tape 5 cm wide;
• steel ruler with a length of 1 meter;
• wooden block for grinding, upholstered in fabric or felt;
• notched trowel with small teeth (in case you have chosen adhesive tile).

Before proceeding directly to the installation, you need to prepare the base. The floor must be even, dry and firm. If the original flooring does not meet the requirements, then you need to bring it in good condition.

Usually, for an uneven concrete floor, it is enough to fill it with cement mortar and distribute it over the entire surface. Next, you should wait for complete hardening. Cement becomes as dense as possible in a few days.

Wood flooring should be leveled with plywood 12-15 mm thick. Fasteners must be hidden, and the gaps must be filled with acrylic, then impregnated with primer for greater strength.

Next you should check the humidity of the base. According to the rules, it should not exceed 5%. In the construction of this procedure is carried out using a special device. But rarely anyone can meet him in the household. However, there is an alternative method.

To do this, you will need tape and polyethylene without holes. Cut a small part of the cellophane and glue it with tape in the base. It is important that everything is tight. Leave for a day. A good indicator will be the absence of condensate. The floor is ready - you can start laying.

The principle of laying linoleum tiles in the apartment with their own hands depends largely on the type of fastenings of the flooring. There are four types of them:

• Castle tile. Coupling of individual elements occurs due to fastenings similar to puzzles. Such a device tiles reliably connects the parts together. The glue base is no longer required. It is enough to have a flat floor with a permissible transition of 2 mm.Tight entry of parts into each other is achieved using a rubber mallet. A plus to the convenience and reliability is the fact that such tiles can be assembled and disassembled several times.
• Tile on glue. There is a glue specially made for vinyl tiles. Laying it is easy - glue is applied to the inner side of each element and is laid on the floor in the most convenient way. It is not recommended to glue the coating in the rooms of frequent stay, as glue fumes can be harmful to health.
• Self adhesive coating. Unlike glue tiles, where you need to saturate the elements yourself, here the glue is already initially applied to the tile, it remains only to lay it, removing the protective film.
• "Free" fragments. The principle of laying, like the laminate, goes "joint to joint". On the sides of the elements there is a thread that easily enters the thread of the adjacent fragment. Thus, it is easy and convenient to lay tiles.

Before you put the coating, it is recommended to heat the individual elements with a hair dryer to make them more elastic, which will simplify the process of flooring.

Installation of tiles "under lock" correctly start from the corner of the room.Put the groove to the wall from left to right. Rough edges along the wall then cut with a knife. When the first row is completely laid, and you reach the second wall, then you will most likely have extra distance that does not include another fragment. In this case, cut off from the whole element the part that will enter the remaining space.

To do this, measure the distance with a ruler or tape measure. Then do the markup on the tile and cut along the line. First cut with a knife the upper layer of the fragment, and then break it. The remaining part can begin to lay the next row.

For PVC tiles it is worth buying a special glue. It can be any, but designed specifically for this material. Apply glue to the tile with a spatula, evenly distributing it over the surface.

Spread the first row strictly on the designated line. If you use the "square" method, then such a line will be a wall. If we are talking about a “fir-tree” or “deck”, then the control line should be drawn independently, after measuring the boundaries.

After you have glued the first tile, run it with your hand, pushing the air out from under the material. Then stand on the tile foot, a little stand on it for better fixation. Next, stack the rest of the elements in a similar way, checking that the tile is “butt-to-butt”.

When laid two rows, you should take the bar and hold them across the entire width. So the air finally out of the cover. For greater reliability, you can use a rubber mallet, knocking the floor with it.

Self-adhesive linoleum tile fits the same way as the tile on the glue, but still a little easier, because to apply glue in this case is not necessary.

You can start the installation from any point of the room: from the corner, in the middle or near one of the walls. Before gluing an element, remove the protective sticker from it.. Masoning occurs at the junction. After the first row is laid, roll on it with a roller to expel the air.

Be sure to leave a distance of 5-6 mm between the tile and the wall. This is necessary because at higher temperatures, for example, in summer, the material expands. In order to avoid waves or bubbles it is better to leave a place in advance.Such a gap can be hidden by installing baseboards around the perimeter of the room.

In addition to the basic step by step instructions for laying modular tiles, there are still a number of tips identified through accumulated experience.

• Do not start laying immediately after purchasing the material. Allow the tile to rest for 24 hours. So it will heat up to room temperature and will take the correct form.
• Before starting work, check whether the floor is dry. If for any reason it is not completely dried, then laying the coating is highly undesirable. In this case, there is a high risk of mold under the tile in the near future.
• After covering the floor with vinyl tiles, consider the fact that its thermal resistance is in the temperature range from -20 to +300 degrees. PVC coating is excellent for the “warm floor” system.
• Flooring is available under certain markings, which belong to different types of premises. For the house fit tile marked 21-23, for public spaces - 31-33.
• Do not allow acetone and other solvents on PVC flooring. The tile surface may suffer.

Having stopped the choice on a vinyl tile, you will not regret. You can appreciate its convenience from the moment of laying. Having determined for yourself the most appropriate type of flooring and deciding which method of installation to use, feel free to get to work. Our instructions will help you to lay the flooring quickly and without unnecessary trouble.

For information on laying PVC tiles on the floor, see the following video.