Should I DIM?

[Lesley]

Hi, I'm a first-time home owner. My house is going to need some cosmetic updating, including removing a linoleum floor that's in pristine condition but is just too 70s for me to ignore. I want to replace it with press on tiles. I've never done anything like this before. I'm thinking I need to pull up the linoleum, remove any residual adhesive, sand whatever surface is there, vacuum and then apply the tiles.

Does it sound like this would work? Am I leaving out an important step (like call contractor to do the job)? Is this something I should NOT attempt to do myself?

Any advice would be appreciated. Best,

L

[JerryMouse]

Visit why you think you should remove the linoleum.

Do you also plan to remove the paint on the walls?

Absent a compelling reason to do otherwise, overlay the existing floor.

[Casey Stamper]

[e-mail] (Lesley) wrote in news:5866df71.0407230511.375ad0e2 @posting.google.com:

Have you seen any houses w/this kind of tile installed? I installed some and I've never been more disappointed. They tend to shift a lot and the cracks inevitably collect dirt, etc. that is almost impossible to get out. If I had to do it over, I might use the sheet-type of linoleum/congoleum or whatever they're calling it these days. YMMV.

[Doug Kanter]

It's good that you're asking. As you've been in the house longer, you'll find you can't do it all, but you can DIM sum.

[Steve]

Hi, I did the same thing only I installed over the old stick on tiles. (they were all very well stuck. Might have been adhesive) The old tile had a brick pattern I was afraid would show through. I troweled over the old flor with a floor leveling compond to fill in the cracks between the tiles and fill in the pattern.

Like previous poster said. the results of 12 inch square tiles isnt the greatest but I'm not that fussy, it looks much better than the old floor, it was cheap and I could DIM.

Steve

[Lesley]

Because it's just so 70s. That's the only reason.

Yes. Part of the room is a horrible bright yellow which I will paint over, and part of the room (e.g., backsplash) is a horrible faux brick which is again straight out of the 70s. I don't know whether I can remove that and paint the wall beneath it or if I should paint it white. I've seen white brick (not sure if it was real or faux) and it doesn't look so bad. I was thinking of painting it white first, and if it looks bad, then I'd have it removed.

The existing floor isn't smooth. It's got a pattern stamped into it.

But I hear where you're coming from. Perhaps I should reconsider--find a way to decorate that will take people's attention off of the floor. After all, the floor is in great condition--it's just dated.

Thanks for all the good advice from everyone who responded.

Best,

Lesley

[Lesley]

Actually I never have seen this kind of tile installed except on TV home improvement shows. I think I've decided to focus on making other less intense changes in the room (like painting the cabinets and changing the outdated knobs, painting the walls, and I'll be putting in brand new appliances. Maybe with all of those changes the floor won't seem so noticeably outdated.

Thanks for your advice,

Lesley

[Colbyt]

Welcome to the joy of home ownership and repair otherwise called DYI.

The old flooring might contain asbestos and is best left in place. The "press on tiles" are not of real high quality but you should get a few years out of them and they can be an excellent DYI project. Clean the old floor with Parson's Sudsy Ammonia or similar solution mixed to "wax stripping strength", allow to dry and follow the directions that come with your tiles. This cleaning is "an on your hands and knees and frequent rinse water changes operation". Think super clean and dull as your goal.

As another poster mentioned if the existing floor has heavy embossing you may want to skim coat it after you strip the wax, grease and dirt to prevent any pattern transfer to your new tiles.

Colbyt