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Flooring

Broken Corners On An Old Vinyl Floor

Question: We have an apartment with vinyl floor tiles in the kitchen and hallway. For the most part they are stuck to the floor very well. It's just very dark and has probably been there since the 70's. Since it seems to be pretty secured down, for time and expense sake, I'd like to just go over it with newer vinyl squares. However, there are a few corners that have been broken off. I'm afraid the new tile will fall into those little holes and run the risk of breaking later as well. Is there a filler that you would recommend? I've always used a floor adhesive, even with the self stick tiles, but would the adhesive work to fill those areas so they're solid? Thanks for any advice.

Answer: You are correct that you must fill in the areas that are not level, as the new tiles will eventually try to fill the void.

Do not use adhesive as filler. Depending on what the sub-floor is, you can use a self-leveling concrete repair, spackling compound, or wood filler. Make sure that the compound you use is completely set, before laying the tiles - the compound will not set underneath tiles.

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