Articles By Syndicated Columnist
Dan Thomas
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Improvement Inside And Out
Repairing
Resilient Flooring And Tiles
To replace a damaged area of resilient flooring, make a perfect patch from
scrap flooring by
placing the scrap piece over the damaged area so that it
overlaps sufficiently. To hold it in place use some tape. Cut through
both layers at the same time to make a patch that is and exact
duplicate. Replace the damaged area with the tightly fitting patch.
Sometimes bulges or curled seams in a linoleum or vinyl
resilient floor can be flattened by placing aluminum foil over them and
"ironing" them with your steam iron. (The heat will soften and
reactivate the adhesive.) position weights, such as stacks of books, over
treated areas to keep them flat until the adhesive cools and hardens.
To patch a gouge (not a dent) in a resilient floor, take a scrap of the
flooring and grate it with a food grater. Mix the resulting dust with clear
nail polish and plug the hole.
Another way to camouflage a gouge or hole in a resilient floor is with
crayon wax. Choose a crayon that matches the floor color, melt it, fill the
gouge or hole, and then wax the floor.
Laying resilient floor tile is easier if the room temperature is at least
70F before you start, because tile is more pliable
at higher temperatures. Put all boxes in the room for at least 24 hours
prior to positioning them on the floor. Try to keep the room temperature at
the same level for about a week after laying the tiles. Then wait at least a
week before washing the floor.
After laying floor tiles, help them lie flat by going over them with a
rolling pin.
To remove a resilient floor tile for replacement, lay a piece of aluminum
foil on it. Pressing down with an ordinary iron set at medium. The iron's heat
will soften the mastic, and you can easily pry up the tile with a putty knife.
Another method for removing a resilient floor tile is to cover it with dry
ice. (Caution: wear work gloves to protect your hands.) Let it stand for
ten minutes and then remove any remaining ice. The cold will make the tile
brittle. Therefore, it will shatter easily. Chisel out the tile from the edges
to the center.
