Vinyl tiles over cement? (1 Viewer)

[Tim L]

I am looking to use self-adhesive vinyl tile squares on my basement floor- there is no water in the basement- but I was wondering how effective these are- do they lift off after a short time- because every basement has some degree of moisture involved. Anybody have nay luck with this process- let me know- thanks
Tim

 

[BrianW]

The basement may be dry, but that doesn't mean that there's no hydrostatic pressure in the concrete floor.

To test for hydrostatic pressure, duct tape a large (at least 3x3 feet) piece of thick plastic sheeting directly to the concrete floor, making sure the edges are securely sealed. (You can use the items from your Official Homeland Security Kit to do this. ) Wait a week, and then peel the plastic away. If the area underneath the plastic is damp, then there's probably too much hydrostatic pressure for most adhesives to stick very well.

But if your floor passes the test, then go for it. Occasional spills and moisture on the top (non-adhesive) side shouldn't be much of a problem once they're installed.

 

[JasonS]

I didn't know about this test, but I just laid vinyl tiles in my basement. We just used the adhesive that was on the back, but it does not appear to be working on some of them. My suggestion is to get some adhesive in case some don't stick.

 

[MikePeroni]

Did the same thing in my basement years ago and had great results. The KEY is getting the floor CLEAN. Vacuum real good then scrub that cement with soap and water. Then let it dry real good for a day or two. I thought the adhesive that came on them was plenty strong. Good luck.

 

[Greg_R]

My parents have had vinyl tile in our basement for 10yrs+ w/o any of the tiles lifting off. There was a lot of cleaning and treatment before placing the tiles...