How to Lay Self Adhesive Laminate Flooring
- 1). Measure the length of your room and multiple the number of feet by the width of your room. If you use 12-by-12-inch self-adhesive laminate flooring, the number you calculate is the number of tiles you need in your space. It's smart, however, to have extra tiles on hand in case you make a cutting mistake that you can't repair.
- 2). Clean the floor thoroughly where you will install vinyl tile. You can install vinyl tile directly on the subfloor, but you can also install it over a sheet of laminate or any other smooth surface. Wipe the floor with bleach to wash away any stains, then allow the floor to air dry. Sweep away any dust or particulates on the floor to prevent the self-adhesive laminate flooring from sticking to the subfloor.
- 3). Stretch a chalk line between the middle points of opposite walls and snap the chalk line across the room. Make sure the lines cross at a 90-degree angle. This should give you a middle point in the room where you can begin your self-adhesive laminate installation.
- 4). Peel the paper backing off a vinyl tile and lay the tile in the intersection where your chalk line is. Remove the paper backing off your next tile and lay it right next to your first tile. There is no grout between vinyl tiles, so take your time to make sure you lay your vinyl tiles where the edge of one tile meets the edge of the next tile. If your vinyl tile features a pattern, make sure you lay each tile so the pattern matches appropriately.
- 5). Continue laying full-size tiles until you reach the wall where cutting is required. Lay as many full size tiles as you can, saving all of your cutting for the end of the project.
- 6). Turn a piece of self adhesive laminate flooring over so the paper backing faces up. Slide the tile, with the paper backing facing up, into position where you need to make the cut.
- 7). Line up the tile so it sits flush against the wall and is straight with your row of tiles.
- 8). Mark both sides of the paper backing where you need to cut the vinyl tile so it fits in position.
- 9). Line up a ruler between both of your markings, then use a razor blade to cut your vinyl tile. Stick the tile in place after you make the cut.
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Cut all the tiles that require cutting in this way until you complete the room. If there are unsightly gaps between your vinyl tile and the wall, consider adding a piece of wood trim around the room to conceal the edges.
