Installing Vinyl Tile Over Concrete

Self adhesive tiles can reduce the installation time offering you a fully professional look.

Installing vinyl tile over concrete.

Always be sure the existing surface has been cleaned and leveled. While you can install tile directly on concrete problems erupt when the concrete cracks or shifts. For these same reasons many people choose to install vinyl plank flooring in bathrooms and basements but you can also install vinyl plank flooring in your kitchen or bedroom. Sheet vinyl can be installed over concrete if the surface of the concrete is clean smooth and dry.

To install vinyl plank flooring on concrete you ll first need to clean the concrete with soap and water and fill in any cracks with concrete filler. Any minor bumps can be removed with a masonry chisel and small sledgehammer. Don t sand vinyl flooring as it may contain asbestos. If you want to install the tiles properly you should prepare the floor making sure that the surface is clean without any remains of sealers adhesive or anything else.

If you were to remove a cracked tile from concrete undoubtedly you would see the same crack pattern below. Although vinyl flooring is flexible it will separate if you install it over an uneven surface so if the concrete has high spots you need to grind them down and if it has low spots or cracks you need to fill them with concrete patching compound. Tape a large piece of plastic over the concrete floor securing all edges with duct tape. Cracks in concrete immediately become cracks in the tile.

Use a self leveler on low spots and or sand high spots of wood or concrete. Repair any holes or cracks. You can easily install it over any rigid and level surface including concrete wood or even up to one layer of other vinyl. Self leveler is available in powder and pre mixed form and is used to create a flat smooth surface in flooring projects.

So technically if you are installing vinyl plank flooring onto concrete you already have a subfloor. All of the movement in concrete is transferred to the tile. Ceramic tile over wood tile concrete or vinyl should be installed by using appropriate products that will allow the right adhesion between surfaces. Then use a level to find any spots where the ground is uneven and apply concrete self leveling compound to even it out.

The concrete floor must also be free of cracks or the vinyl tile will eventually sag into the gap. You can lower high spots with a grinder. However some people prefer to add another thin layer of subflooring between the concrete and vinyl.