How to Install Peel and Stick Vinyl Plank Floors in One Day
Need a quick refresh or temporary fix for your old, outdated floors? Don’t want to spend a ton of money? Peel and stick vinyl floor tiles may just be the option you’re looking for.
Ok, ok, let’s get it out in the open: peel and stick vinyl wood floors will never, ever be on the same level as actual wood floors.
No matter how good the printing has become over the years (and it has become pretty darn good), it will never have the same depth and warmth that comes from real wood.
BUT that being said, given the right situation, they are an amazing option that should definitely be explored.
Maybe your floors are in desperate need of an update but the budget just doesn’t have room for the thousands of dollars to install fancy wood floors. Or maybe you need a temporary fix before doing a bigger project in just a couple of years.
For us, we had painted cork floors (our temporary fix to the once very cool but stained cork when we moved in 5 years ago) that were peeling up, scuffed, gouged, and just overall in really bad shape. We are also planning on completely changing the layout in a few years and adding a bathroom, so we weren’t willing to spend a lot of money to fit it.
So exploring the options brought me to the peel and stick tiles. (And I thought “Peel and stick tiles! I can’t put that in our bedroom!” 😆)
But we had was the worst floor ever. So anything from there would be an improvement.
We went with Traffic Master’s Honey Oak peel and stick tile from the Home Depot (not sponsored– but I could be! Hit me up Home Depot! 😂 ). The reviews on this particular floor were excellent and pictures looked decent so we went for it.
And I am so pleasantly surprised with how they turned out. They are beautiful and the perfect choice for the situation.
Again, it won’t look like hardwood, but it was SO MUCH BETTER than what we had.
Why Peel and Stick Floors are great:
1. The cost
Peel and Stick floors are very affordable. They will work well for any budget, and you really get that “bang for your buck” as you get huge impact for just a little bit of money.
The floors we chose were .97 cents a square foot. 97 CENTS!!! We did the entire floor in our huge room (about 352 sq. feet) for about $350. This was the biggest factor in our decision.
2. Easy to install
These floors are literally like stickers, you just peel off the back and place them down where you want them. With the help of my in-laws (our DIY MVP’s!) we were able to complete this entire project in just two days.
3. No need for an underlayment
In most situations, peel and stick flooring does not need an underlayment, unlike other flooring options. This saves you time and quite a few bucks.
They stick right on top of most floors, like concrete, plywood or vinyl. We were able to just lay it right on top of our old cork floors without a ton of prep.
Always check your manufacturer’s recommendations to be sure.
4. No need to level
Since these tiles just stick right to the existing floor, you don’t have to fill in any uneven surfaces prior to installing. They just cling down to what’s there.
The floors in our room are not level and have lots of uneven surfaces. These floors saved us so much time and work as we didn’t have to fix all that first. For this reason, this floor probably worked better than a more expensive floating floor would have.
5. Durable & Pet Friendly
These floors are stain, scratch and mark resistant so it’s a great option if you have pets or kids, or just if you’re hard on your surfaces.
This was important for us as our bedroom is really our cat’s space. He eats and hangs in there all day, so it was important that they will hold up to the wear and tear.
6. Water resistant
While they’re not waterproof foors, they are water resistant and you can very easy to wipe up any spills.
This was great for Little Man’s water bowl (and the amount of times that I accidentally knock it over throughout the week 😆)
7. Easy to clean.
Everything wipes up really quick and easy on these floors.
Our floor’s directions say not to use any abrasive cleaners or soap and water as those will leave a haze on the tiles, so be sure to check your manufacturer’s recommendations.
8. Many flooring options
As printing has improved over the years, the options to choose from has also increased. You should be able to easily find something beautiful that will fit in with your space and decor.
How to Install Peel & Stick Tiles
1. Measure
As with any DIY, you must be aware of how much space you’re working with first in square feet.
To get the square feet of your room, you simply multiply the length by the width. If you have any additional smaller spaces that you want to put the flooring on, like a closet or alcove, measure the length and width individually and then add it to the total.
For example, we have this area by the door to the balcony that is set off from the rest of the room. We multiplied the length by width of that smaller space, then added it to the total of the rest of the room.
It is also helpful to draw out a map of the room, especially if it’s not a simple square.
We included our built in bookshelves (which I just built new DIY MDF cabinet doors for!) as well as the little foyer space to the balcony on our map.
It (obviously) doesn’t have to be anything professional, but it always helps me to be able to visualize what I’m doing.
It is suggested to buy an extra 10% of materials to make up for waste or mistakes.
When I heard this I thought “we just won’t be wasteful or make a mistake,” but this isn’t realistic as there’s a very small chance that your floors are the perfect size to fit a full length board.
For example, the planks we purchased are 3 ft long, so unless your room’s length is exactly in a multiple of 3ft, there will be some leftover from planks that need to be cut to make up the remaining space.
So always purchase the extra 10%. There’s nothing worse than having to stop in the middle of a project to go get more supplies.
Plan how you will cover up the seams at the wall.
No matter how perfect your cuts are, the wall side of the floors will look pretty sloppy where the floors meet the wall.
There’s two main options:
- Remove your the baseboards, install the floor, and then reattach them. This will look the best but requires some extra work to remove the trim without damaging the wall.
- Alternatively, you could install the floor with the trim down and cover it up with quarter round baseboard molding.
We decided to use quarter round to cover up the side pieces, mainly because I was unable to get the trim up as the last few floors were installed without moving them, so they were kind of buried under the floor.
It would have been way too much work to try to get them up. Also, we have the quarter round in a few other areas of our home.
Purchase your materials.
It’s a really good idea to try and get the same lot number when picking out your planks to avoid any noticable changes in the planks between batches.
2. Prepare
First, make sure you keep the tiles in the room they’re going to be installed in for a few days so they can acclimate to the temperature. This will avoid any contraction or expansion in the tiles as the temperature changes.
Clean
When you’re ready to install the peel and stick tiles, the floors must be cleaned and completely dry. This is very important as the tiles won’t stick if there’s a lot of dirt or dust or if they’re still wet.
Find the middle of the room
Measure to find the middle of the room on both the length and width and snap a line in both directions to make a cross in the center of the room.
Lay out your tiles
Starting in the middle of the room at your cross, lay out your tiles to visualize how the edges of the rows will look and if you need to adjust the placement before actually laying them down.
When laying wood planks, remember that you don’t want to lay each row out the same way, but instead make a “stair step” effect to mimic the look of real wood and to break up all the lines in the tiles.
It’s also important to keep in mind that you don’t want to cut any planks shorter than 6” because it will just be a sad little sliver at the end and it won’t look right.
For example, if you have a room that measures 21 feet and 4”. What you can do instead of having one 4” piece at the end, is moving the planks so that you can cut the two end planks to 20”, which will to make up for the 4” and ensure you have enough tile length at either end of the room.
Then for the next row you could do 10” and 30” to alternate your planks.
For the width, you also want to make sure that you have at least half a tile width at either end of the wall. For example, instead of having a full wide plank at one end and one inch at the other, move the planks down a few inches so that you have 3.5” wide boards at both ends.
Laying out your tiles first will allow you to work out the right measurements easily the first time. You don’t have to do the entire room, just a few rows, but this absolutely will save you time and frustration (and money if you have to rip up the tiles and do it again!!).
3. Install the tiles
On the back of the planks, there are arrows that indicate the direction the pattern on the tile is going. Decide which way you’re going to put the arrows and stick with it so that the floors looks uniform when they’re laid.
(Honestly, I don’t know how much of a difference this made for our actual floors, but we stuck with the arrows in the same direction anyway.)
Laying the first row is the hardest. Once you have that one in properly, the rest will be easy.
Based on the way you laid out your tiles, lay the first row along the line that you snapped in the center of the floor, making sure it is even on both sides for the whole row (measuring if necessary).
Once the tile is on the floor, you will be able to adjust it slightly if you need to by sliding it into place
After it’s laid, each tile has to be rolled to secure it to the floor. You can purchase a tool that is made specifically for this job.
We used an old rolling pin and it did the trick just fine for us.
It’s also helpful to have a rag to wipe the floor one last time as you move along the floor to ensure it’s clean and free of debris.
We had a system going where one person cleaned the space the tile was going to be laid, one person stuck the tiles down, then someone came in after the tile was down to roll it.
This made the process go really fast and we were able to get the majority of the floor down in just a couple hours.
Cut boards to size.
When we got to the end of a row, the remainder of the board was cut to size (the inevitable waste).
To do this, flip the plank so that the arrows face the opposite way, then mark where the tile meets up with the adjacent board. Use a square to get a straight line and score the tile with a box cutter. Trace that same line several times and you’ll be able to simply snap it off.
Then flip the board back the other way so that the arrows are facing the proper direction and the cut side is along the wall where it can be hidden by your molding.
If you have any strange angles that need to be cut, like at a door or at some built-ins, it’s a great idea to make a template first out of some of your extra waste materials.
You can simply line it up and eyeball the cuts, or measure if you like to be exact. Then once you get the right angles, you can just transfer the template to your plank and get it right the first time.
4. Replace your baseboards or install quarter round
This is the last step to ensure a finished look. Always be careful ensuring you don’t damage the floors or walls when you’re installing your molding.
While you can complete this task with a simple hammer and nails, it is so much easier if you have a nailer. If you don’t have one, borrow from a friend or rent one. It will be worth it.
5. Sit back, relax and enjoy your work
These floors really are an amazing product. We were shocked at not only how easily they were installed, but also how good they looked once they were in.
While, again, they’ll never be mistaken for real wood, they are a million times better than that sad old floor that was there. It makes the room look bigger and is so much neater.
Remember the simple steps:
- Measure & plan your space
- Prepare by cleaning and laying out your tiles
- Install (dust, stick, roll)
- Cut the ends to size
For such an inexpensive and easy fix, these floors are a no brainer and we hope you love them as much as we do.
Stay tuned for the big reveal of the completed bedroom makeover. We’re almost there!
Questions? We’re here!
Let us know in the comment box below if you’ve installed peel and stick floors or if you’re planning on it, what room you put them in and how they’ve held up over the years.
We love to hear from you!
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