How To Repair Tear In Sheet Vinyl Flooring

A snagged chair leg floor ripped open up this section of sheet-vinyl flooring. The remedy is to install a replacement patch.

Photo past Merle Henkenius

Introduction

If y'all own a dwelling house in America, odds are there's vinyl flooring in at least one of its rooms. That likelihood is bound to continue: According to the Resilient Floor Covering Constitute, an manufacture merchandise group, nearly 85 million square yards of the stuff were laid in new homes in 1994 - plenty to nearly embrace the island of Manhattan. And that doesn't include the vinyl floors added during remodeling. Vinyl, or resilient, floor is so popular because information technology's affordable and durable. In fact, its pattern ordinarily goes out of style long before its surface wears out. Vinyl floor isn't indestructible, however. Sliding back a chair can snag and rip information technology (photo ane), while a dropped can and other sharp objects tin can easily gouge the material. And high heels are notorious for puncturing the toughest flooring if at that place'south even the slightest void in the subfloor beneath it. Fortunately, repairing vinyl flooring is piece of cake, and requires niggling more a utility knife. We'll cover the techniques for replacing sheet vinyl and vinyl tile - the two major varieties of vinyl floor. Here'due south where you begin.

Assessing the damage

How you lot repair vinyl flooring depends on what kind you have and how it's damaged. With vinyl tile, the all-time arroyo merely is to replace marred tiles . With canvass vinyl, eliminating damage requires fusing the surface or patching in new material. Small cuts and scratches can be permanently fused with liquid seam sealer, a clear compound that's available wherever vinyl floor is sold. Make clean the area with a soft cloth that'due south dipped in lacquer thinner, then squeeze in a thin bead of sealer. After the sealer has stale, the repair volition be virtually invisible. For tears or burns, you'll have to cutting out the damaged surface area and glue in a replacement patch; this type of work requires an actress piece of identical flooring and a technique called double cutting (which is covered in the next section. Installers ofttimes exit a few scrap pieces behind for merely such an emergency. If in that location aren't whatever leftover pieces - and if the flooring isn't also onetime - you might find an identical piece at a flooring dealer. You can also elevator a piece for your patch from inside a closet, under the fridge or in another inconspicuous location.

Secure the replacement patch over the damaged expanse with 2-in.-broad masking tape. Be sure the pattern lines friction match.

Patching Canvass Vinyl

To repair flooring using the double-cutting technique, kickoff by taping the replacement patch over the damaged area (photograph 2). Be sure to position the patch then that its pattern aligns exactly with the pattern on the flooring. Place a straightedge (a steel dominion or framing square works well) on top of the patch. Line information technology up right in the center of i of the pattern lines. Then use a utility knife to cut forth the straightedge through both the patch and the flooring (photo 3). For all-time results, use a brand-new blade and concord the knife in a perfectly vertical position. Make the remaining cuts around the patch the same way, cutting along the flooring's pattern lines. Next, remove the patch and skin upwards the damaged section. If your floor is perimeter-bonded, the piece will come easily because it isn't glued down. If information technology'south fully adhered, scrape up the slice with a putty knife or scraper. Proceed by spreading mastic onto the plywood subfloor with a notched trowel. On perimeter-bonded floors, also lift up the floor effectually the cutout and spread mastic under the edges (photo 4). Then press the patch into place (photo 5), comprehend it with wax newspaper and weigh information technology down with a few heavy books. Wait at least 24 hours for the mastic to dry out. And then utilize liquid seam sealer to all the joints effectually the patch (photograph 6). The outcome will be nearly undetectable.

Employ a straightedge and utility pocketknife to cut through the patch and the flooring below. For a neater repair, cut along pattern lines.

Merle Henkenius

Replacing Vinyl Tile

The technique for replacing a damaged vinyl tile is even easier than double-cut sheet vinyl. Begin by using an electric heat gun to warm the damaged tile and soften the agglutinative underneath. Next, pry out pieces of the tile with a stiff-blade putty knife or wearisome wood chisel (photo A). Be careful non to harm any of the surrounding tiles Once y'all've removed the entire tile, scrape the subfloor clean of any residual adhesive or $.25 of broken tile (photo B). And so peel off the protective paper from the back of the replacement tile if it's a new adhesive-back tile (photo C), or employ mastic to the subfloor if you're using a tile you lifted from somewhere else. Finish by pressing the replacement tile into identify (photo D). If you used mastic, comprehend the tile with wax paper and weigh it down. Be sure to expect 24 hours before traversing the newly repaired floor.

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/flooring/21014879/fast-fixes-for-vinyl-floors

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