Lay peel-and-stick vinyl tiles on a concrete floor — HomeGraft

Prepare, clean and level your concrete floor, then peel, stick and trim vinyl tiles for a smooth new finish.

FL-01Clear the room and strip old flooringMove out furniture and take up any old carpet, vinyl or underlay down to the bare concrete. Pull out old gripper rods, tacks and staples, and scrape off old adhesive residue. Vacuum thoroughly so you can see the true state of the concrete underneath.

1 each · Pry bar

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1 each · Heavy-duty scraper

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FL-02Check the concrete for damp and damagePress a strip of clear tape onto the concrete overnight; condensation underneath means the floor is damp and you'll need a damp-proof membrane before tiling, or the tiles will lift and the concrete may keep rising damp. Also check for loose, crumbly or dusty patches, and for large cracks. Solid ground-floor concrete without a damp-proof membrane underneath is the main risk case — if you're unsure how old the slab is or whether it has one, treat it as damp until proven otherwise.

1 roll · Clear adhesive tape

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1 pack · Damp-proof membrane (DPM) liquid or roll

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FL-03Fill cracks and level low spotsBrush out any cracks and fill them with a flexible filler. For dips, hollows or an uneven surface, mix and pour a self-levelling floor compound following the bag instructions, spreading it with a trowel or smoothing tool. Peel-and-stick tiles will show every bump and dip underneath, so it's worth getting this flat now.

1 tube · Flexible floor filler

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20 kg bag · Self-levelling compound

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1 each · Plastering trowel

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FL-04Let the floor cure, then clean itLeave levelling compound to cure fully — check the bag, but allow at least 24 hours before walking on it and longer before tiling. Once cured, vacuum and then wipe the whole floor with a damp mop and a mild cleaner to remove all dust, grease and grit. Let it dry completely; tiles will not stick to a damp or dusty surface.

1 bottle · Floor cleaner (mild, no residue)

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1 set · Mop and bucket

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FL-05Mark out your layoutMeasure the room and find the centre point of each wall, then snap two chalk lines across the floor at right angles through the middle of the room. Check the lines are square using the 3-4-5 method (measure 300mm and 400mm along each line from the crossing point; the diagonal between those two marks should be 500mm). Starting from the centre avoids ending up with thin slivers of tile at the edges.

1 each · Chalk line

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1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Set square

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FL-06Dry-lay a test rowLay a row of loose tiles (no backing peeled) along one chalk line to check how the pattern falls and how wide the cut tiles at the edges will be. Adjust your starting point if you'll be left with very narrow slivers along a wall — it's better to shift the centre line slightly than end up with 20mm strips.

FL-07Peel and stick the first tilesStarting at the centre point, peel the backing off one tile at a time and press it firmly into place along your chalk lines, working outward in an L-shape or pyramid pattern. Push down from the centre of each tile outward to squeeze out air bubbles. Keep tile edges tight together — peel-and-stick tiles don't need grout gaps.

1 box (covers approx 1m²) · Peel-and-stick vinyl floor tiles

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FL-08Cut tiles to fit edges and obstaclesFor tiles that meet a wall, mark the cut line by placing the tile in position and scoring it with a utility knife against a straight edge, then snap and finish the cut. For pipes or awkward shapes, make a paper or card template first and transfer it to the tile. Warming a tile slightly (leave it in a warm room, not near a heater) makes it easier to cut cleanly.

1 each · Utility knife

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1 each · Metal straight edge

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FL-09Fit threshold strips at doorwaysAt doorways or where the tiles meet another flooring type, fit a self-adhesive or clip-on threshold trim cut to width with a hacksaw. Stick or clip it down over the tile edges so nothing can lift or catch underfoot. Avoid screwing through the concrete for this job — a stuck or clipped trim is enough for a floating vinyl finish.

1 each · Self-adhesive threshold trim

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1 each · Hacksaw

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FL-10Roll the whole floorOnce all tiles are down, go over the entire floor with a floor roller (or a rolling pin for small areas), pressing firmly in overlapping passes to bed every tile down and force out trapped air. Pay extra attention to edges and seams, which are the most likely spots for a tile to lift later.

1 each · Floor roller (hire or buy)

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FL-11Clean up and leave the floor to settleVacuum any offcuts and dust, and wipe the surface with a soft, dry cloth — avoid wet mopping straight away. Check the tile packaging for the recommended walk-on time (often a few hours) and full traffic time before moving furniture back. Keep the room ventilated but not too hot or too cold while the adhesive sets.

1 each · Soft cloth

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