Measure your space and factor in extra materials
Most retailers offer handy charts or calculators for determining how many tiles or packs you need to purchase, but to be safe, most recommend ordering at least 15% more than what you think you need.
That’s for two reasons: First, there’s always a chance you’ll need spare tiles to accommodate wonky spots or uneven cuts. And second, having extras accounts for tiling overflow areas, such as under appliances or other features, which helps make the space look more finished.
Still, perfectionism isn’t always essential for a visually impactful peel-and-stick project, especially if you’re watching your budget. Dorie ended up not tiling under her kitchen appliances, and says this approach might be a way to cut down on overall costs.
Prepare the installation surface
Prepping your floors or walls before installing peel-and-stick tiles is half the battle in getting a sleek and long-lasting final result, so you shouldn’t skip this step. Errant crumbs and grit can translate to bumps and bubbles in your “tile,” so the cleaner the surface, the easier installation will be.
For floors, start by sweeping or vacuuming to pick up every last crumb. Even the tiniest bits of food, dirt, or hair can prevent tiles from sticking or produce an uneven finish. Pay extra attention to corners and crevices between tiles.
For walls, cleaning is equally important. If you’re working on drywall that has uneven spots or holes, patch and sand those areas before applying your tiles. For small holes, I love the DAP DryDex spackle that comes in a tube, because it tends to stay fresh longer than the tub variety; plus, it goes on pink and dries white, so I know when it’s ready to be sanded. Sanding with 150- to 180-grit sandpaper and then removing fine dust particles will get the surface smooth and ready for tile application. To be extra thorough, I like to use a tack cloth (a gauzy cotton fabric coated in sticky hydrocarbon resin) for eliminating every last bit. For larger holes of more than about 0.5 inch in diameter, we like the Gorilla Wall Repair Kit (we tested four such kits).
Finally, to ensure strong adhesion, wipe the wall or floor with a bit of rubbing alcohol applied to a paper towel or reusable cloth to remove lingering oils and allow the adhesive to bond to the surface.
Read instructions and do a dry run
Always read the instructions that come with your peel-and-stick tiles. I am prone to tossing them in the trash immediately, but they contain some helpful tidbits that you might not have thought about. For example, both FloorPops and Chasing Paper recommend waiting at least 24 hours after your tiles are delivered to let them settle and come to room temperature.
It’s also a good idea to do a dry run before you commit. Lay the tiles down without removing their backing to test the layout and see if it works and if you’ll need extra materials. This is a chance to experiment with different layout approaches. For example, you might want to try leaving the grout of your existing tiled floor exposed and covering only individual tiles, which can limit indents where grout and tile meet and make the finished project look a little more like real tile.
Start with the easy spots and then move to trickier areas
Now it’s time to get started.
You need a utility or craft knife with a new, sharp blade for cutting around obstacles such as at corners or against walls. A pencil and a ruler or some other straight edge come in handy here for achieving straight, even cuts that look professional, especially against walls and trim. Don’t sweat it too much if your cuts are a little uneven at first—you’ll get the hang of it. Plus, that’s what ordering extra tiles is for.
You can start tiling anywhere, but a good rule of thumb is to begin at a wall or in a corner. Working off an existing edge helps you align your tiles as you go.
The process is straightforward: Peel off the paper backing and lay a tile down, check that it’s aligned and fitting tightly against the edge, and proceed to the next tile, working off the previous one. Go for a tight fit between the stickers, which helps prevent them from migrating, peeling, or sliding later on.
If you’re working with thinner vinyl, which isn’t as stiff, there are some tricks to make installation more manageable. First, don’t peel the backing off completely—peel only the corner, align the tile on the floor, and then slowly peel the backing while smoothing the tile down as you go, using your hand or a squeegee.
To prevent bubbling around debris, which is more likely with thinner vinyl, use a piece of tape to gently pull dirt off the sticky back. If the tile does form an air bubble, your best bet is to remove the tile and restick it. When all else fails, a little prick from a pin should allow the air to escape enough for you to smooth small bubbles out.
To navigate tricky spots, such as around outlets, toilets, or sinks, the best method depends on the thickness of your vinyl. If you’re working with thin tiles, you can work the material against or over obstacles, getting as close as you can to the edges and cutting any excess off as you go.
For thicker tiles, which can’t flex over obstacles, a template to cut around will help. To make one, use a spare piece of paper, butt it against the edge of the obstacle, and mark where you’ll need to cut. Then cut the template with scissors and trace it onto your tile with a pencil. This process can be frustrating at first, but it’s sort of like making pancakes—it will get better and easier as you move through the project.
Alternately, Gater recommends picking up a contour gauge, which holds the shape of whatever you press it against, and from there, you can trace the shape onto your tile and cut it with your utility knife. Some trial and error will certainly be involved here, so take a deep breath, maybe have a snack, and don’t be afraid to take a break.
For extra polish, focus on the edges
If you want the most realistic finish, it’s all about the edges. That’s where you can create the illusion that your stickers have depth, like real tile.
One trick I like is to slide edge tiles in the small space between the floor and the baseboard so that it produces the illusion of flooring that has always been there.
You can go a step further and seal all the edges around each vinyl tile with silicone caulk. Though that takes extra time, Gater recommends this approach to hide imperfect cutting and to prevent moisture from getting underneath the vinyl through the seam.
As with the caulk in your bathtub, you can remove silicone caulk with a utility knife when you move out or eventually renovate—just be aware that getting it all off will take some scraping.
Be gentle with your finished peel-and-stick project
Peel-and-stick tiles are not as durable as real tiles are, nor are they watertight. That said, vinyl tiles that are properly installed (read: with minimal gaps between the stickers) are water-resistant, so they should be able to hold up to damp mopping and wiping. FloorPops warns against using too much water or liquid cleaner, which can settle between the seams and lift corners or promote mold.
Personally, I vacuum my peel-and-stick kitchen floors with the fluffy hard-flooring head on my Dyson stick vac, and I use the crevice tool to clean the corners of the room. Instead of mopping with a traditional wet mop, I either wipe the floor down with all-purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth, or I use my Swiffer with a reusable microfiber pad. As always, follow manufacturer instructions.
What you need for removal
- heat gun or hair dryer
- putty knife or scraper
- adhesive remover, like Goo Gone
