I have a black and white tile linoleum floor in my kitchen and a few of the tiles have become pretty damaged. This morning I found extra linoleum tiles from when they put the original floor in. Is it possible to remove random tiles of linoleum without destroying the whole floor? It’d be cool if I could replace the damaged tiles with some new ones.
Thanks in advance.
Terminology clarification: True linoleum is a sheet product made from linseed oil applied to a jute backing. Many people incorrectly use the term to address all forms of sheet flooring, not unlike calling all photocopiers Xerox machines. Since you have individual tiles, you’re most likely dealing with either VAT or VCT. VAT is vinyl asbestos tile and was widely used in commercial and residential applications through the late 50’s-early 60’s when the issues of asbestos caused it to leave the market. VCT is vinyl composition tile, a less environmentally evil substitute for VAT.
Removing the damaged tiles isn’t terribly difficult-you could use either a hair dryer with healthy wattage or an electric heat gun, but be careful not to damage the adjacent tiles. The idea is to warm the flooring and soften the mastic sufficiently to let you pull it up. Then, you’ll want to scrape any glue residue from the subfloor so the replacement tile will have a clean surface for bonding. Try to do this with just heat, as old adhesive removers are either toxic (many contain methylene chloride-a carcinogen) or could possibly cause disbonding of adjacent tiles when it wicks under them via capillary action. Just don’t damage the edges of the surrounding tiles with excessive heat or aggressive tool action. If there’s any chance that the tile is VAT, use respiratory/eye/hand protection, and realize that what you’ve removed is technically hazardous waste.
Installing the new tile is either dirt simple if it’s peel and stick, or a little more involved if it’s dryback, as you’ll need to get a quart of appropriate mastic and the proper notched trowel for mastic application. Read the can thoroughly for details so your job doesn’t go sideways.
Good luck.
Thanks guys!
You’re right, its not linoleum, but Congoleum that’s on the floor.
Thanks again.
When I was a kid, I accidentally found out you can remove some tiles with a drain plunger (plumber’s friend.) I was playing around with it, and I squished it down 'til there was a good seal against the tile. I pulled up on the handle and, to my horror, a tile came up with it.
One additional hint – run a utility knife down the seam between the damaged tile and the surrounding good tiles. I’ve had a tile break on me just because of the edge-to-edge bond between the good tile and the bad tile.