Vinyl flooring is a creative and very affordable solution for any homeowner to tailor their home to their specific needs. But what happens if you look down and realize the years of kids and pets and guests in your home makes your floor look less than desirable? Or perhaps you dropped something and just damaged a small area? Of course it needs to be repaired. But does the task seem too daunting for you? Luckily for you Carolina Flooring Services has put together these simple instructions on how to repair vinyl flooring.
The first thing to do is assess your damage. Is it something small like scuffs or tears or is it something more substantial like pieces or whole tiles missing? Along with that you need to know what kind of flooring you have. There are two types: sheet and tile. Sheet flooring is a type of flooring in which your floor is one sheet of vinyl (similar to wallpapering your floor) that was cut and installed to fit your exact area. When repairing this type you can either use liquid seam sealer for very small jobs or if the job is more extensive you can cut out a piece from an inconspicuous area, such as a closet or under the fridge, to patch the vinyl. The other type is tile flooring, which similarly to ceramic tile flooring, each tile is placed individually and can create a very custom look. When it comes to tile vinyl, you would just replace the tiles that are damaged.
Next we will go into how to repair vinyl flooring. For patching sheet vinyl, this is slightly more intensive but can be achieved with the right tools. You will need to do a technique called double cutting to repair your flooring. You will first need to have your replacement piece cut and ready to be installed before moving on with your repair. First you will take your replacement piece and line it up with the existing damaged floor. Before you cut out the damaged floor make sure every tile and seam will line up to produce a flawless repair. Once you have lined everything up, tape the replacement vinyl in place and cut around the replacement vinyl with a sharp utility knife and pull up the damaged area. There should not be any adhesive between your vinyl flooring and your plywood subfloor. If there is remove it so you have a clean surface to work with. Spread mastic with a notched trowel on your subfloor and press your patch into place. Cover your patch with wax paper and weigh it down with books for 24 hours. Add liquid seam to all of the joints and wait for it to dry before walking on the area.
Tile vinyl flooring is a much simpler task when you have to repair it. After assessing which tiles need to be replaced, you start removing them by blasting them with a heat gun to warm the tile and loosen the adhesive underneath. After pulling up your damaged tiles you will need to scrape away any remaining adhesive from the subfloor so you will have a clean surface to work with. Your replacement tiles may have an adhesive already on them. If so, remove the backing and carefully line up and place the tiles to flow with the rest of your floor. If they do not come with adhesive then apply mastic to the subfloor and replace the tile. As with the sheet flooring, cover your replacement tiles with wax paper and weigh down with books. Wait 24 hours before walking on the area.
However, if this task seems too intimidating contact us today to show you how to repair vinyl flooring. If you decide you want to replace your flooring we can help you find something not only pleasing to the eye but easy on the wallet.
Photo by: Ryan Benyi