Q: I recently had Armstrong tile laid over old tile. Approx 10 to 20 percent of the tiles raised up on the corners and are now crumbling on those corners
This tile was laid approx. one month ago.
I certainly hope you can solve this problem for me.
Flo
Here you can see some of the tiles in question from the pictures Flo sent in. Notice the large area of damage in this photo.
Here you can see the tile raising away at the seam.
In this picture you can see both a damaged corner and the seams raising up.
A: After talking to Flo a bit and with some great insight from Gene D., we figured out the problem to this dilemma. This self-adhesive vinyl tile was installed over an older embossed tile. She had the tile installed by her grandson after purchasing her tile from local Lowe’s stores.
With how the self-adhesive tiles are made, they rarely adhere well to any surface that is not perfectly flat and well prepared. Vinyl tile especially is very fragile until it is well adhered to a subfloor, which is why Flo encountered the crumbling corners on her tiles. The embossed tile makes for a difficult surface to adhere to, which is why the seams were raising. Although Flo’s grandson rolled the floor, the roller he used was not a 100 lbs. roller, which is what a job like this calls for.
Luckily, Flo contacted Lowe’s and they offered to supply enough new flooring to replace all of her damaged tiles along with any adhesive she would need to complete this job. Both Gene and I applaud Lowe’s for this great customer service to help Flo out, as it can be very rare to get such from a big box store.
Here’s a few tips for an installation of vinyl tile:
- Make sure your subfloor is clean and flat. If you’re installing over a tile surface similar to Flo’s, make sure to use a good adhesive or contact cement.
- Gene suggested 2 coats of contact cement on the subfloor and one layer on the back of the vinyl tile over this to ensure a great bond.
- After installing the tile, use a 100 lbs. roller once per hour to ensure the floor stays flat and adheres properly.
- Finally, remember that these types of tile tend to be somewhat fragile until fully installed, so take caution until the floor is installed and the adhesive is cured.
