VCT tile installation question

rfuerst911sc · 04-02-2011, 12:28 PM

I ordered black and white Armstrong VCT tile for the garage. I'm going to do a checkered flag pattern install. My question is regarding the top vs. the bottom of the tile. These are commercial tiles so there is a flat/dull side and a shinier side. When removing the tiles from the box with the " this side up " in the up position the tiles come out of the box with the flat/dull side up. So I assume I have to flip every tile to have the shiny side up ? Or just flip the box over ?
Now onto the install. Do I have to do a quadrant chalk line or can I just start in a corner and work my way out ? I haven't installed VCT tiles in a long time so any tips are appreciated.

peppy · 04-02-2011, 12:37 PM

I start in the middle, but I am no pro.

Zeke · 04-02-2011, 01:36 PM

IIRC, the dull side is the top and you seal it when finished laying. I would not start in a corner nor against a wall. By starting in the center, you get 4 chances to louse up your work and get slightly off. Start in a corner and when your layout goes astray, you will have a mess by the time you reach the opposite corner.

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

i used that exact flooring on the dance floor in the club. some guy ordered a ton of the black tiles (which actually have flecks of grey in them) from Home Depot, so they sold it to me for like 20 cents a square. got a smoking deal, and bought a couple of extra boxes just to have spares.

it doesnt matter what side the box is, just be careful while handling those tiles. the corners can be brittle, and it's easy to chip a corner on them. they were easy to cut with the scoring/snap method.

i just chalk marked the center of the dance floor and started from there. turned out great.

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

i did shiny side up, sealed it, and buffed it afterwards. i didn't know what i was doing, but it turned out perfectly

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Make two chalk lines that cross in the very center of the floor and start from there. Open a couple of boxes of each color and mix the tiles, as the color can vary from box to box. It may not be noticeable since no two tiles of the same color are going to be adjacent. Also, make sure the floor is PERFECTLY clean. One grain of sand will show up as a bump in the tile in a couple of years. I put mine shiny side up and they've looked good for 10 years.
Wait ...
Here is a pretty good step by step:
How to Lay a Vinyl Tile Floor | Step-by-Step | Floors | This Old House - 5

Zeke · 04-02-2011, 02:02 PM

Most tiles have a grain therefore there should be a directional arrow stamped on whatever the bottom side turns out to be.

john70t · 04-02-2011, 02:13 PM

In the condo, I had a square kitchen, a long hallway, an entryway, then another section of hallway leading to bathrooms.
A bit complex.
Since the opposite wall of the hallway to the kitchen/living room was the most visible upon entry(most used), I snapped a line to base the first run, then based everything else off that.

In a different senario, I'd still recommend using the most visible wall to base the first run off of. If there is a great difference in widths, you can also divide the difference to avoid making the floor looking slanted to the room.

rfuerst911sc · 04-03-2011, 03:42 AM

Good feedback thanks. I'm going to start in about an hour just waiting for it to warm up a little. It is supposed to be in the 70's today so should be good for laying the floor. Yesterday I washed the floor with TSP. I gave it two washings with a good rinse in between washings. The floor cleaned up nicely. I'll hit it with a broom one more time then I'll lay down the chalk lines. I'll post some pics when done. I still have to figure out if I'm going to do one tile each or four tiles each. I'll lay some down dry and make up my mind. This is a big step for the man cave.

john70t · 04-03-2011, 07:51 AM

I read that the tile should be kept in the same space for a few days before laying to equalize. 70-80 degree temps would be perfect.

For my interior application onto luan board, I made the mistake of bringing cold tile in and installing it soon after. Got some seperation and some crowding areas.

A garage floor is going to get oil and solvents inbetween the cracks and eventually bubble the edges. Not sure what the best seam sealer/adhesive on the market would be. The same color would be best.

rfuerst911sc · 04-04-2011, 01:53 PM

I finished the install today and I'm real happy with the results. This weekend I'll seal the floor and move on to building the work bench. The ultimate man cave took another step forward

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Jandrews · 04-04-2011, 07:34 PM

Looks great!! How many square feet did you do, and how long did it take you start to finish?

JA

rfuerst911sc · 04-05-2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jandrews

Looks great!! How many square feet did you do, and how long did it take you start to finish?

JA

It is 598 s.f. and it took me 3 days. One day to clean/wash the existing floor with TSP and then two days to spread glue and lay tile. I did it by myself having a helper would have made it easier. Waiting for the glue to dry took the longest as it takes about an hour to become " clear " before you lay the tile. I still have to apply the floor finish but that should be quick.

Di B · 05-31-2013, 12:10 PM

I recently had VCT installed (270 sq ft). Once finished there were huge long bumps (like speed bumps) which were very obvious and ugly. I originally scheduled 2 days but the company cut me short to “finish another job” putting this job to a “one day” completion. As soon as the installers arrived they started tearing up the old vinyl, cleaned (swept), spread a filler (mud looking liquid), dried it, glue, then VCT tile. When I mentioned the bumps I was told “Sorry, that how your floor is, nothing we can do”. When asked about unevenness early on I was told they would level it. Is this the norm to have big bumps? They did not use a level, 2x4, machine or cement to straighten this out. Is this the norm for tile work? Had I been informed early on I could have had options. The job has not been fully paid for. Any advice?

rfuerst911sc · 05-31-2013, 03:06 PM

Di B it sounds like your installers are a bunch of clowns ! What was your agreement with them in regards to preparing your floor ? Was leveling the floor part of the conversation/contract ? The tile will only look as good or bad as the floor it is being installed over. This is why I do stuff myself it's hard to find good outside labor.