There are many ways that you can improve your home, but one of the very best ways to quickly change the look and feel of your home (particularly your kitchen or bathroom) for the better is by laying vinyl floor tiles.
The reason for this is that by laying vinyl floor tiles you can immediately revamp an entire area without having to replace furniture, change kitchen units or redo any plumbing or electrical systems. So it is a change that can be made very quickly, and also it is much more affordable than you may realize to go about laying vinyl floor tiles, because you only need a very limited amount of equipment to do a great job.
Here are some factors that you may want to consider when looking at laying vinyl floor tiles:
1/ Play close attention to the colour scheme and plan accordingly
It is important to realise that laying the tiles themselves is only half of the story, and that's the most important part is still picking vinyl tiles that actually match your décor. So look at the colours that are currently in use in the furniture, walls, fixtures and fittings in the area that you think of laying the tiles before deciding on the type of pattern on your tiles that you should go for.
Additionally, it is a good idea to lay a few of the tiles out together (without gluing them!) first so that you can get a better idea of how the whole pattern may look, before committing to purchase. The fact is that whilst one tile may look good in a zany pattern that a whole bunch of them together may look awful, and so become aware of that before finalising your purchase.
2/ Buy spare vinyl tiles.
Although laying vinyl floor tiles are actually quite simple (it is a bit like constructing a jigsaw puzzle); the fact is that you will most likely have to cut into at least some of the tiles to get them to fit neatly around curved features in your kitchen or bathroom. And whenever you have to make cuts, there is always the potential to mess things up and ruin a few tiles.
In itself this is no big deal and is to be expected, and as vinyl tiles are relatively inexpensive, it is also no problem from a financial perspective. But the one area where it may be an inconvenience is in the extra time it takes you to go and buy extra tiles. So try to avoid that by buying some spares ahead of time.
3/ Get the right equipment.
Laying vinyl floor tiles are quite easy, but there are a few tools of the trade that you should purchase in addition to the tiles themselves, that will make your whole job of laying them that much easier.
These would include:
- Vinyl Tile Adhesive
- Vinyl Tile Adhesive Comb and Spreader
- Cleaner for the floor (once it has been laid so that it shines!)
- A DVD Guide to Laying Floor Tiles
- A Sharp Stanley Knife with multiple Blades
Each of these cost less than £10 individually (though the tile adhesive may cost more cumulatively, depending on how much of it you need), and so there is no excuse for not coming to the job fully laden with all the equipment.
One area that you should pay close attention to is the sharpest knife, because you will find that it is ultimately a false economy to ‘make-do’ with anything less than a new blade when cutting vinyl tiles.
Whilst the tiles are undoubtedly easy to lay, they are nevertheless still relatively tough to cut, and so a sharp knife is essential to ensure smooth, easy cuts.
The good news is that laying vinyl floor tiles is far easier than you may think, and that transforming the look and feel of your home is easier than ever before as a result.
