When installing vinyl floor tiles, you will have a seam where each tile meets. This seam requires a sealer to fuse the tiles together at the upper layer and to prevent dirt, water and other debris from depositing in the seam. Seams can sometimes fail on existing floors, as well, and these need to be re-sealed. Flooring manufacturers typically make seam sealers for their flooring, but you can often purchase general-purpose vinyl seam sealing kits at your hardware store.
Things You'll Need
- Flooring roller
- Cloth
- Towel
- Vacuum
- Seam sealer
- Hair dryer
- Vinyl adhesive
- Soft brush
Preparing New Flooring
- Roll over all seams with a flooring roller. Uneven seams can cause the sealer to flow to the low side, leaving no sealer on the high side.
- Clean the seam using a damp cloth.
- Dry the seam and the surrounding tile thoroughly with a clean towel.
Preparing Old Flooring
- Warm the edges of the opened seam with a hair dryer and vacuum dust and dirt from the subfloor beneath the seam.
- Clean the area around the seam with a damp cloth and dry with a clean towel.
- Apply flooring adhesive to the back of the raised tiles with a soft brush, and then press the edges down with a flooring roller. Wipe away excess adhesive with a dry cloth.
- Set a heavy item, such as a board, along the seam and leave the adhesive to dry for at least eight hours.
Applying the Sealer
- Prepare the seam sealer according to the package directions. Make sure the lid to the applicator bottle is screwed on tightly to prevent leaks.
- Apply a small amount of seam sealer to a piece of scrap flooring or cardboard to make sure the nozzle is clear and the sealer flows smoothly and evenly.
- Tip the bottle over at a 45-degree angle and set the nozzle into the seam. Apply a bead no larger than 1/4-inch thick, centered on the seam.
- Apply light, constant pressure to the bottle and run the bead of sealer along the entire length of the seam. Keep the nozzle at a 45-degree angle as you work, and move slowly to avoid accidents.
- Release pressure on the bottle slowly after you finish the seam, and tip the bottle upward to prevent air bubbles. If air bubbles occur as you are applying the seam sealer, break these with a thin, sharp object such as a toothpick or a wire.
- Leave the sealer to dry according to the package directions.
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