Self-Stick Vinyl tiles ToughGuard Armstrong

[kayeV]

Need some real advice on installing 12x12 self-stick tiles(Armstrong ToughGuard) in my kitchen. We want to install over vinly sheet tile that came with the maufactured home. Is this going to make a difference since the sheet tile is not glued to floor? I guess this is the way the do it from the manufacture. The sheet vinyl is 6 years old but now showing wear.
Here are my questions:
1.) Do we need to use the embossing product? Have you ever not used it and not had a a problem with embossing coming through?
2.) If you do use the embossing product over the sheet vinyl, do you sand it afterward?

Any suggestions we are happy to receive. Have you done this, did you like it, what would you have done different?

Thank you in advance - Kaye

[JD]

Hi Kaye and welcome to the forum.

I have not install peel-n-stick tile and don't know if you can install over edge glue sheet vinyl. But I have done a lot of sheet vinyl over sheet vinyl.

I use Armstrong S-199 embossing leveler. I try to only fill the depressions in the pattern of the original vinyl. We are talking real thin here. I always plan a second "dress up" coat for areas that did not smooth out completely or got a piece of wood splinter or something in it. You can sand the leveler compound, but you are taking a chance of fraying the original vinyl, which would also photograph through the new vinyl. For me, I have found best results just using the trowel or putty knife to "shave off" trowel marks and little bumps that come from particles getting into the compound.

My tools of choice is 2 trowels and a putty knife. One trowel has rounded corners and one smaller angled edge trowel. The rounded corner trowel leaves less trowel marks, the smaller edge trowel gets into corners and small places. The putty knife scoops the compound from the bucket to the floor to keep the trowels cleaner. I also use it as a picking tool to get those bumps out and to scrape off the trowels. The S-199 is a one part compound, just scoop it out and use it. Nice for small rooms because you can get it smaller quantities. When doing a lot of yardage, I will use a latex additive in my regular floor compound, Ardex Feather Finish. The later all needs mixing but is more economical in large quantities. The one part S-199 is probably better for DIY use.

That is just my experience with it. Hopefully we get some other ideas posted for you. Maybe a flooring pro could tell us about putting peel-n-stick on edge glued vinyl.

JD

[kayeV]

Thanks for your quick reply. For some reason the person at the store gave me a product titled TEC VersaPatch latex modified floor patch & leveler. Would this be okay to use for covering the embossing on the original sheet vinyl? Also I was given vinyl tile floor adhesive. Is this another product I have to use also? Seems like a bit to go through compared to some folks who just cleaned their floors and stuck the tiles down. Kaye

[JD]

The Versa-Patch stuff will work fine. It is basically another brand of the same type of product. I get most of my flooring supplies from a company that supplies flooring guys, and the Armstrong product is what they use. I think the Versa-Patch is the stuff they carry at Lowe's. If it is, I have used it before too. Works the same as best I can tell.

I have heard (on this forum) of people using an adhesive with the peel n stick tile. I have also heard some tile products instructions say not to use it. I have never laid a peel n stick (I usually advise against it, but no one wants to hear that) so I wouldn't know whether it is a good thing or not.

Using a preliminary adhesive, and letting it dry before laying the peel n stick tile does make sense to me. Seems like it would be like a primer. Also, a product like Wil-Bond, which cleans, preps and deglosses surfaces might make the peel n sticks stick better. Again, this is conjecture on my part. I have never tried it.

JD

[kayeV]

We have 3/4 of the floor done. We used a small spot of Liquid Nails on the corners & center of each tile. So far, no tile has come up at the corners. I wanted Lino but my husband is this do-it-yourself person and lino he cannot handle so he opted for the self-stick. It does look nice and so we will see how it goes. It does take a lot of prep and more time than some have said. The prep is very important and of course the cutting of some tiles to fit around cabinets, etc. We plan to keep a few boxes of the tiles in case we have a disaster of some type. I believe anything that can happen will... Thank you everyone for the advice on these tiles. Kaye