When it comes to installing floor tiles of the self-adhesive variety, the task requires preparation before you begin the job. The three most important factors are traffic, floor type and temperature of the place. If the surface of the area is prone to high exposure of heat, the floor tiles are likely to “float” meaning they might lift- off the floor, eventually moving from their original position. The type of floor is vital at preparation stage. It would be an important player in the time the preparation job takes. Lastly, determining the type of the flooring required depends on kind of traffic that the floor receives. For the areas that witness high-traffic, a more durable, thicker tile would last longer as compared to a thin tile.

How should you prepare the surface for installing the floor tiles? You would require a high-powered “shop vac” or vacuum for cleaning the surface of any debris, dirt and dust, large fans to provide ventilation and help in drying room, scraping tools, hammer, adhesive stripping low VOC emitting chemical, air mask, buckets and mop head or new mop, and rubber gloves of industrial grade for handling the chemicals.

It does not matter whether you are installing the floor tiles in the bedroom or bathroom. Whenever you remove the original flooring, old glue would have to be scraped away, stripped with the low VOC emitting floor stripping product for ensuring that the old glue is not left behind. This also ensures that raw surface would be smooth for installing new tiles. In case there was carpet on the new floor, you could use a hammer for pulling tacking strips but you have to be very careful because the tacks could be very sharp. They could cut you. You could make use of gloves for protecting your hands at the time of the preparation stage. When you are using chemicals you should take adequate care. You should also bear a mask for protecting your lungs.

Once the surface has been stripped and cleaned, you could use a mop head or new mop for mopping the floor. Use mild soap in water first and then clear water. If you use a new mop, it could keep the sand and dirt from being deposited on installation surface again. Rinsing the surface with clear water would leave it very clean. Make use of the large fans in order to dry your floor. Give the floor enough time for drying, a minimum of 3 - 4 hours.

Whether it is a den or bedroom design, area equals length multiplied by width of surface. Number you get is the number of tiles you require for covering the floor. There is an easier way of figuring out this number. You could start with a couple of tile packs, laying them along the width and length of the surface and counting the number of rows needed for covering it. You should have some helpful tools handy like a rubber roller and utility knife for installing the floor tiles.