How to Replace Vinyl Floor Tiles Like a Professional

Scratched or cracked vinyl tile in your kitchen? Need to replace a worn vinyl tile in your utility room? No biggie, here are the steps on how to replace just one tile, without having to disrupt the others!

Step 1

First, you'll want to warm the bad tile. Using a clothes iron, lay it on the tile and move it around, warming the entire tile to loosen the adhesive.

Step 2

Once the tile is warmed, you'll want to use a putty knife or other sharp tool to pry the tile off. It's best to start from the outside of the tile and work your way in or, if the tile is cracked, start where the crack is and work outward.

Step 3

Using the putty knife or other sharp tool, you'll want to scrap off the old adhesive. It should be soft and pliable since you warmed it up, so there shouldn't be too much work involved in scraping it off at this point. Try and get as close to the flooring as possible and get as much of it off as you can--you'll want to have a nice, clean surface for your new adhesive to grab on.

Step 4

Take your new tile and make sure it fits nicely into the spot before putting down new adhesive. If needed, use a utility knife to cut the tile down to size, or if it just needs a little taken off, use sandpaper to sand it down.

Step 5

Next, spread fresh new adhesive onto the squared area once you know your new tile replacement will fit. Spread it all over, being sure to be careful not to get it on your other vinyl floor pieces (you could tape some newspaper down around the tile to be sure you get a straight line).

Step 6

Place your new vinyl tile onto the adhesive, and using some heavy books or bricks, weigh them down to help it really stick in place. You'll want to read the directions on your adhesive to allow the proper amount of time for the adhesive to set.