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HOW TO LAY PEEL AND STICK TILE THAT LOOKS LIKE WOOD

Guys I’m about to fess up to a project that we should have done 2 years ago – peel and stick tile.  Read on for how to update your house in as little in one day by learning to install peel and stick tile.

When we moved in we had to add carpet to the basement.  There is a small ‘landing’ outside of the basement door that was covered in carpet (that matches an adjoining staircase). When it came time for the new carpet to be added we thought it would look odd to have a seam where the two different carpets met.  Additionally the carpet on the landing area was looking a bit dirty and matted since it’s the entrance to the house from the garage.

After pulling up a corner and seeing that there was laminate under the carpet, we decided to go ahead and pull out the carpet square.  Eventually when the upstairs floors are redone this little square will get updated too.  Our thought was to just live with the old laminate until we got around to the rest of the flooring.

how to replace carpet with peel and stick tile in as little as one day

We quickly pulled up the carpet and pad.  Things were looking fine until we looked at the threshold of the basement door.  The vinyl was ripped and part of the cement basement floor was showing.  At this point in owning the house we were just trying to settle in and this spot was not a priority at all.  So we threw down a mish-mash of left over throw rugs that we weren’t using and called it a day.  That was 2 years ago.

How to replace vinyl laminate with peel and stick tile

We have been working on our basement since we moved in.  It’s been a loooong process but it’s finally starting to really come together.  We’ve taken on our biggest DIY to date and it’s looking great (I’m biased, but it looks awesome).  While we’ve been down there that little landing mish-mash keeps catching my attention.    So I was at Lowes on another supply run, this time getting paint mixed.  I had a few minutes to wait so I started wandering around.  I have another project in mind with tile so I wandered over to the flooring section.  While I was there I stumbled into the peel and stick tile. Hmmm, the wheels started turning.  I snapped a few pictures of the different color options, grabbed my paint and headed home.

I floated the peel and stick idea to Chris and he didn’t balk at the idea.  On my next supply run I grabbed 14 planks of peel and stick fake wood tile.  We have a lot of wood in our house so I wanted to try and find a tone that wouldn’t immediately jump out and clash with the existing wood. Each tile cost 0.98.

Chris was still working on the basement when I got home so I got to work pulling up the laminate flooring.  I’ve never removed laminate vinyl flooring so this was a new experience.  I would equate it with removing a very thick wallpaper.  The bulk of it came up easy.  The patterned top layer peeled right off.  I think all of the patterned area was off in about 15 minutes or less.  But similarly to when you removed wallpaper often the bottom layer is trickier to remove than the top, and that was certainly the case here!  I started this project Sunday late afternoon and I have to say my arms were not ready for the workout!

How to use a 5 in 1 tool to remove old vinyl laminate flooring

I used a 5 in 1 tool to remove the vinyl.  I started scraping the glued on vinyl backing and quickly realized it wasn’t working.  That glue was serious!

Removing vinyl laminate flooring from a concrete subfloor with water and a 5 in 1 tool

Removing vinyl laminate flooring from a concrete subfloor with water and a 5 in 1 tool

Removing vinyl laminate flooring from a concrete subfloor with water and a 5 in 1 tool

After thinking it over for a minute I decided to rely on my wallpaper removal background (aka our entire first house).  I pulled out a spray bottle and filled it with hot water.  Then I went back to the floor and sprayed the paper that remained.  I find it’s best to spray, wait for it to sink in and then spray again.  Once you’ve sprayed/waited a few times it will be MUCH easier to remove.  I still had to put quite a bit of arm work into it to get it all up all the glue but it all came up.  In total I spent about 1-1.5 hours getting the vinyl up.  After you get it all removed use a shop vac to get any little pieces and particles left behind.  Also wipe the concrete and let it 100% air dry.  You can not lay the peel and stick tile if there is dust or water on the floor.

Ginger Weseloh of Grand Little Place How to Remove Vinyl Laminate Flooring from Concrete Subfloor with water and a 5 in 1 tool and lay peel and stick tile

Concrete subfloor after vinyl laminate flooring has been removed

The next morning I woke up determined to finish this project.  45 minutes later I was 100% complete!  I had let the concrete floor air dry over night but I went back over the floor with the shop vac a few more times to make sure there was no dust.  During your install you may want to keep your shop vac handy.  I found as I was working that errant dirt kept appearing.

You’ll notice from the image above that there were some spots that the concrete wasn’t 100% even.  I probably should have used some sort of leveling agent to make sure the surface was totally solid and level.  I didn’t do this because this area isn’t a focal point in my house.  Therefore it wasn’t worth the time, effort, and expense that leveling it for the purpose of adding sticker tile.  Call me a renegade 😉

Cutting the tile is very easy.  For most of the cuts I used a straight edge and box knife to score the paper side of the tile and then bent the tile until it snapped.  This resulted in very clean straight cuts.  Towards the end I had a few small areas that needed some curved cuts that I couldn’t do with the box knife.  After trying the knife several ways I decided to use my kitchen scissors.  I used those because they are the most heavy duty scissors we have and I can sharpen them.  (I scrubbed & sharpened them when I was done.)  The scissors worked perfect!

Cutting peel and stick hardwood tile planks from lowes with a straight edge and box knife

Use a straight edge and box knife to score peel and stick tile. Then snap it to create a straight cut

Using scissors to cut peel and stick tile

How to lay peel and stick tile:

  1. Dry fit all of your tile pieces and plan what pattern you want to use.  While laying out the pieces figure out which direction they should lay and what the center point should be.
  2. Choose a piece to start with. Laying the peel and stick tile is very straightforward.  My area was square and didn’t require a specific center focal point so I laid my first piece against the wall.
  3. Double check for any dust on your floor, vacuum as needed.
  4. Carefully remove the paper backing.  The adhesive is very sticky.  Once you lay a piece you won’t be able to relay it.  You will be able to remove it from the floor but it probably won’t stick in a 2nd location well (which is why you should continue checking for dust).
  5. Lay your tile on the floor and firmly press down.  I had a rubber mallet that I used to gently tap them around the edges.  I’m not sure that it made a huge difference but it made me feel like they were getting ‘stuck’ a little more.
  6. Once you have your first piece in, simply continue laying them in the pattern you had originally settled on.  Continue checking for dust and vacuum as needed.
  7. I didn’t add a transition trim piece because my tiles fit perfectly against the carpet transition so it felt like a step that wasn’t 100% needed.  I kind of figured that I’d watch and see what happened to see if I should add one later.  We have been walking over the edge for a month now and there doesn’t seem to be any issues or need for a transition.  Of course you will need to judge this for yourself, I would guess that it would be a good idea in most instances to add one.

How to lay peel and stick tile

 

I purchased 14 tiles and ended up with 4.5 left over!  That means that this project cost me less than $10!  I already explained how & why I ended up deciding to try peel and stick tiles but in the effort of transparency – these are still peel and stick tile.  They made a HUGE difference in the functionality & enjoyment of this small space. I would personally be a little more leary of using them in a space much larger than a bathroom.  They don’t feel like tile or hardwood, and there is a definite ‘vinyl’ feel.  BUT for $10 and 2.5 hours was it a good semi-temporary solution?  YES!  I’m linking below to everything you’d need to complete this project for yourself.  If you’re evening considering it I highly recommend you do it!

(This post contains affiliate links.  If you shop from one of these links it helps support this blog.  Products do not cost more when you shop through an affiliate link.  To read all of this blogs disclosures and policies click here.)


We have lived with mish-mashed throw rugs in a high traffic area for 2 YEARS.  Not only did it look terrible, it wasn’t overly safe as the rugs were always moving around.  They also collected a ton of dirt.  At some point we want to add hard wood flooring and update the tile upstairs.  When we do that we’ll upgrade the flooring on this area too.  But until then – this is amazing!

There are many peel and stick tile options, I probably used the most basic design!  There were even ones you could grout so it had a more ‘real’ look and feel.  Would you be willing to try peel and stick tile? How do you feel about making ‘in-between’ upgrades to your home?

Don’t forget to pin!

How to install peel and stick wood tiles for kitchens bathrooms entryways and backsplash

How to use peel and stick tiles

How to lay peel and stick tile in as little as one day!

How to remove vinyl laminate flooring

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15 responses to “HOW TO LAY PEEL AND STICK TILE THAT LOOKS LIKE WOOD”

  1. Bethany Avatar

    Yes!!! I needed this! We just bought our first home in August and all of the flooring matches except the laundry room. It hasn’t been updated in who knows how long! Our water heater is also in there. But, we are about to upgrade to a tankless water heater and that will save tons of floor space. SO, I’m thinking this would be perfect, inexpensive, and easy!! Thanks!

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      It sounds like the perfect option! There were a lot of different options available – hardwood and tile looks. Good luck!!!

  2. Rebecca Rice Avatar

    My hubby and I have hardwood floors throughout our house that we need to refinish eventually but we have been struggling on what to put on the floors in our game room! It is off the garage and currently carpeted but we are looking to go with something that matches more of the rest of the house. We are going to look into doing some peel and stick tile! That will be the best for us and it seems like something we can do on our own 🙂

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      Oh you can totally do it! It was SO easy. Honestly the biggest thing was just to continue vacuuming up the dust because that was what made me waste a few pieces. It sounds like your space is similar to mine with it being off the garage. This is a great option because of cost, convenience, and how easy it is to clean. Good luck with your project!

  3. Ayanna @ 21FlavorsofSplendor Avatar

    I love how easy it is. This looks like the perfect solution for entries like this.

  4. Vanessa Avatar

    Pinning for later! We were considering doing this upstairs and removing our carpet (it’s old and gross) and this looks like a cheaper option than hard wood 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      It is definitely cheaper than hardwood. Know going into it that it isn’t going to feel as durable. It’s a great easy update tho!

  5. Leslie Avatar

    Awesome! I’ve been wanting to do this in my bathroom but I had no idea it would be as easy as it seems. My bathroom might get an update after all, hah. I like that I could do it by myself over a weekend.

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      You could definitely do this in a weekend! Good luck!

  6. Linda Avatar

    Oh! We need to change our bathroom floors (vinyl) and have trying to figure out what to do. I think you’ve just given me the right idea! Thanks for the tutorial too – I’m very excited now to start!

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      Good luck! It is super easy!

  7. Kenyatta Avatar

    I used these in a small bathroom and love them, but definitely not a whole house thing. They look great in your basement.

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      I totally agree. I think it’s great for the small area I used it in (or in a small space like a bathroom) but I wouldn’t do it in a large space.

  8. Isis Avatar

    This is awesome! I am flirting with the idea of creating a “rug” with vinyl tiles. I’m very allergic to dust mites and other things. And The floor is a tile floor but I really dislike the separation between tiles and seeing grout. It gives me sort of a checkered feel
    :-/ And I am thinking maybe vinyl tiles mocking rugs could work. Just a crazy idea that might not work out.

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      Hmm, kind of hard to imagine without seeing it in person, but it sounds like it could work. Good luck!

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