Peel and stick tiles are a great option for basement flooring. They’re durable, water-resistant and very easy to install.
Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona is an avid DIYer with a sharp eye for attractive decor. She used peel and stick vinyl floor tiles in her basement makeover, turning the space into an attractive space for crafting and spending time with her kids.
Here, she shows us how she installed the vinyl tiles, and how gorgeous the whole basement looked when she was done. Don’t miss her clever way of installing the peel and stick tiles in tricky corners. That’s just one of her great tips for this DIY project. Then check out how she turned the basement into a well-organized and comfortable space.
Our basement was an absolute disaster. No matter how hard I tried to keep control of this glorified storage locker, it just kept getting worse. I swear it was destined to end up on an episode of “Hoarders” if I didn’t intervene.
I wanted this space to become the ideal multi-purpose room. Space for me and the kids to do crafts, tons of storage, and preferably a seating area. I was sick of the disorganized chaos and ready for a big change!
Well, The Home Depot to the rescue! The first thing I did was select this really beautiful Limestone Vinyl Tile for the space. It dawned on me that I needed something not only stunning, but sturdy and easily cleanable for the crafting zone. This flooring will probably be hit with paint, glue and lots of glitter (can you tell I have three girls?).
Function always comes first. If you have kids, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to sacrifice fashion for great function.
These peel-and-stick vinyl tiles are gorgeous and very easy to install. Before you get started make sure the floor surface is clean, smooth, and has the recommended foundation type/sealant for the tiles you choose.
Peel and Stick Tile Basement Flooring
Materials
Since my floors are primed concrete, my preparation mostly consisted of a good cleaning. Occasionally there were bumps or paint drips that needed to be removed with a scraper.
Ready to learn how to lay peel and stick tiles? Let’s get started!
Step 1: Find the center of the room and place your tiles for a test run
Start by finding the center of the room using a chalk line. You’ll be placing your tiles from the center and working your way out to the wall; this ensures a nice straight sight line, no matter how wonky the walls may be.
But first, lay your tiles with the backing paper still on for a test run.
Step 2: Adhere your tiles to the floor
Once your have placed enough tiles to ensure everything will look good and run straight, you can begin (with the center tile) to adhere it to the floor.
Just peel off the backing, line it up with the chalk intersection, and, easy as pie, you’ve begun your transformation!
Place each tile piece perfectly flush with the last. Pay attention to the flow of the grain, and if your tiles contain an arrow on the bottom be sure to place them all the same direction.
Step 3: Cut your tile to fit
When you reach the walls and have to start cutting your vinyl tile to fit, simply line up an uncut tile perfectly with the one just below the open space.
Place a second uncut tile over top of the open space (overlapping the tile you just placed below), make sure it is flush with the wall, then use the bottom to mark the tile beneath.
Now use shears to cut where you marked, and you’ll have the perfect size piece for that opening! Be sure you double check the fit with the paper backing still on.
Don’t you love that? No real measuring, just place, mark, cut.
How to Deal with Tricky Corners
Occasionally you’ll run into slightly more tricky corners that require the traditional utility knife and carpenters square. Use the box the tiles came in to create a template for those places. Cut the box cover to the same size as the tile.
This time you may require a measuring tape; it just depends on how complicated your angles are. If you can get away with simply placing the cardboard against the angle and marking, then great…but you may still want to measure distances just to double check your work. Measure twice, cut once, right?
Cut out your cardboard template, and trim until it fits snugly into the open space.
Then you are ready to use it to trace onto your tile and cut the tile to size. Remember to double check the tile fit with the backing still on first!
With any luck, you won’t have too many tricky areas to contend with. I had five or six areas that took a little extra attention, but were still quickly handled.
I got through the entire floor fairly quickly for such a large space. I attribute that to how easy peel-and-stick vinyl tiles are to lay, but also the use of cutting with shears as oppose to scoring tiles with a utility knife and having to use a carpenter’s square. Small trick that helps shave off extra time and effort are well worth using!
The Rest of the Basement Makeover
Once the flooring was laid, the space came together very quickly.
What a drastic change! From dark, dingy, and disorganized, to bright and open! Would it be just wrong if I told you I that before I had doubts it could ever look this stunning, or be this organized? And I’m usually a “glass half full” decorator with loads of vision.
I brought in lots of storage with Closet Maid clear zip top bins, and made sure there was a home for every item so it will never become that messy again. A couple faux linen curtains are easily pulled to hide the open storage when desired.
Creating zones for each desired function is a must for a long space like this one.
In my crafting zone I was lucky to score some old kitchen cabinets roadside that made for lots of great storage and which I was able to build a large work table from. The stunning Samantha aluminum bar stools made for practical and washable, yet elegant stools to craft from.
Always the art fanatic, I say every craft room deserves beautiful and inspiring wall art, and the City Escape wall art is no exception! I also make it a point to include a DIY pin and cork board in every space to hang kids art, magazine clippings, and more.
The lounge/seating area is grounded with a beautiful Amelia area rug both to warm the space and define the lounging area. Lots of great seating and good lighting for reading is important in the lounge space, so in addition to a thrifted reupholstered couch, I brought in the high backed Earnest accent chair and the chic modern Wiley floor lamp for a reading corner.
My newly made over basement is absolutely my dream mom-cave/craft room, and even the kids love spending time in it. No more running from the scary dark basement…now I can’t get a moment alone down there! Go figure.
I hope I’ve inspired you to go take on that room you’ve been avoiding, and get your DIY floor-tile-laying self of awesomeness on. By the way, you’re going to love seeing the rest of this big reveal (and even more before and after photos) here . Cheers!
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Then we pulled up the existing vinyl flooring. It came out pretty easy.
