Vinyl tile flooring lifting at joints

Causes

General wear 

Inadequately glued during installation

Poorly prepared substrate

Moisture getting into the joints

Listed under: Interior, adhesives and sealants, adhesives, finishes, tiles, vinyl flooring, floors, moisture

Cause

General wear 

Repair

  • if the vinyl tile flooring has lifted sufficiently to be a potential tripping hazard, fix it without delay
  • when regluing the vinyl tile edge down, use a glue designed specifically for the purpose. (Some glues/contact adhesives are solvent based and may dissolve some vinyls/plastics, so always test the adhesive on the flooring product somewhere that is not obvious to be sure there is compatibility)
  • ensure the area to be reglued is clean and dry, with old glue removed. Mineral turps is often recommended for this
  • in some cases the vinyl tile may be bent or otherwise difficult to put back into place. Applying heat, for example with a hair dryer, may soften the vinyl and allow it to be glued back into place more easily
  • when applying the adhesive, ensure the room is well ventilated by opening doors and windows and avoid inhaling the glue vapour
  • follow the instructions of the glue manufacturer. For many products, the glue is applied to both surfaces – the substrate and the underside of the tile – with each surface completely coated. Some products require the surfaces to be kept apart until the adhesive is almost dry
  • once the glue is applied and the surfaces are brought together, use a heavy object such as a brick to hold the tile edge in place, and leave the brick for 12 hours
  • be aware that many of these types of adhesive grab immediately on contact and do not allow for easy repositioning
  • when moving heavy floor-standing appliances or furniture across a vinyl tile floor, lift them rather than dragging them across the surface of the tiles

 

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Cause

Inadequately glued during installation

Repair

  • if the vinyl tiles were installed in recent years by the supplier or a tradesperson, call them back
  • refix the tile edges as described in the repair above
  • when moving heavy floor-standing appliances or furniture across a vinyl tile floor, lift them rather than dragging them across the surface of the tiles

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Cause

Poorly prepared substrate

Repair

  • if the vinyl tiles were installed in recent years by the supplier or a tradesperson, call them back
  • ensure that the subfloor is completely clean before regluing the tiles as described in the first repair
  • if the subfloor cannot be prepared well enough, or if there are problems such as cupped floorboards, the only effective long-term solution may be to lift the flooring and lay sheets of 5–6 mm thick, high density fibre board, plywood or similar board over the substrate. Products specifically made for this role are often called underlay or underlayment in the flooring trade. Lay and fix this as recommended by the manufacturer. Onto this, relay the existing flooring if possible, or lay new flooring
  • when moving heavy floor-standing appliances or furniture across a vinyl tile floor, lift them rather than dragging them across the surface of the tiles

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Cause

Moisture getting into the joints

Repair

  • reglue the edges as described in the first repair, ensuring that the surfaces to be glued are completely clean and dry first
  • identify the source of the moisture problem
  • in wet areas such as kitchens or bathrooms, install a rangehood or exhaust fan that is vented to the outside so excess moisture is removed from the air
  • if regular wet mopping may be the problem, use an alternative cleaning method that involves less water on the floor

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