A FAST & EASY DIY lino floor

The painted 90s lino flooring had been bothering me for a long, so I thought it was time to take action. Though the time isn't right now, we hope to renovate this bathroom completely at some point. Instead, I made the decision to use these reasonably priced peel and stick tiles to temporarily update this floor in a quick and easy manner. No demo, fancy tools, or expertise are needed!

Prior to supplies

Metal T-square or straight-edge pencil utility knife with an additional razor blade

Measurement tape

Chalk Line Peel and Stick Tiles Goo Be Gone

SETTLING THE GROUND FOR THIS INVESTMENT

Give the tile 48 hours to settle in and become acclimated to the room's temperature before beginning.

It is advisable to take off the trim. Although I'll be installing new trim, you are welcome to take off and repurpose your current trim. If the tiles are positioned behind the trim instead than directly against it, the final product will have a much better appearance. Although it requires an additional step, I believe the ultimate result will seem more professional and is well worth the effort.

I then gave the current floor a thorough cleaning to make sure all dirt and debris was gone. I strongly advise using Simple Green or TSP to thoroughly clean and degrease the floor. It's crucial to confirm that the previous floor was smooth and free of any elevated areas. If the flooring is loose or uneven, do not put tile.

APPLICATION GUIDE: PEEL AND STICK FLOORS

I measured the centre of the floor in both directions with my tape measure. and after that put a tile in that centre. To ensure that, if I started in the exact middle of the room, I wouldn't be left with any little slivers by the wall, I laid out extra tiles in the row. Fortunately, this wasn't the case, allowing me to begin in the exact middle of the space, where my initial tile was located.

Align the tile's centre with the mark designating the room's centre. Next, follow the tile's left edge as it lands.

When installing the flooring, make sure to draw a chalk line where the left border of the tiles should go to maintain a straight path.

After removing the backing, start applying the tiles.

Turn the tile over and position it so that it is flush with the wall when trimming it to fit against one. Mark the area where the previously applied tile meets with a pencil. Score the tile with a utility knife and straight edge. After that, snap the tile in line with the score.

Use a piece of unused paper backing and position it on the ground in those hard-to-reach places, such as the corners or the regions leading into the closet that needed unusual forms. Next, immediately transfer the outline onto the backing piece of paper. Lay the paper on a tile, cut along the pencil line, draw the contour with a pencil, and then cut out the required shape. These homemade shears were quite helpful!

The metal doorway separating the bedroom and bathroom was there. To slide the edge of the lino tile below, I carefully lifted the transition piece with a metal spackle blade. I then gave it a little tap down with a hammer. Although it just took an extra minute, the final product looked considerably better.

AN ADEQUATE MODERN TRIM

I discovered this MDF trim at Home Depot for just slightly more than $1 per linear foot while perusing the store. We don't have a large bathroom, so I was able to get the 13 feet of trim I needed for only $15! Without a doubt, the improvement was valuable.

I have had great experience painting MDF using Behr's Urethane Alkyd Enamel paint, using a Satin finish for the trim, because MDF might react differently to different types of paint. This kind of paint performs like an oil-based paint and cleans up easily with soap and water. This paint may be mixed to any colour, but I naturally went with my favourite white, Polar Bear from Behr.

Although I adore the easy and cost-effective upgrading that these tiles provide, I must admit that there are a few disadvantages to employing them:

After a few hours, I observed that the corners of a few tiles had risen just a tiny bit. That seemed to have fixed the issue, so I used E6000 to glue them down and placed some weight on top while it set.

This tile set is not something I would suggest utilising if you are a perfectionist. The picture below illustrates how the white portions' points don't always line up precisely. This isn't the result of a botched installation or lack of effort. Rather, because to the low cost of this tile, the tiles are not printed or cut consistently, thus even while the pattern seems fantastic from a distance, you can see that the tiles don't always line up exactly every time.

Last but not least, as the image above illustrates, there are a few places on the tile where the adhesive transfers during installation, creating a tiny dark patch. But don't worry, Goo Be Gone makes it easy to remove! Although it was readily washed off, it wasn't a huge concern. I just wanted to let you know that I was surprised by how frequently this occurred.