How to Install Vinyl Flooring |Checkerboard Tutorial

This post was sponsored by Achim Home Décor as part of an Influencer Activation and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Get a high-end look on a budget with this easy to follow How to Install Vinyl Flooring Tutorial to create a black and white checkerboard floor.

When we first remodeled our kitchen, we installed new flooring in our pantry. Unfortunately, we were in a hurry and didn’t properly prepare the subfloor. Today I’m going to walk you through the proper way to install vinyl flooring with Achim Home Décor peel and stick tiles so you have a nice solid surface that is affordable, easy to install and looks fantastic!

Let’s take a look at what we were working with before. Originally this pantry didn’t even have a full doorway to get in because the countertop came out into the doorway. When we redid this whole kitchen we made changes allowing us to have a full-sized doorway into the pantry.

Here’s what it looks like just before I redid the flooring:

I chose to use two different colors of Achim Vinyl Tiles for this floor to add a little interest and pop of something exciting in such a small space. When deciding to lay tiles you need to determine if you want your floor tiles to be straight or on the diagonal. Installing the tiles diagonally actually adds depth to the space and causes it to appear larger. An important feature when the space isn’t large to begin with, and ultimately what we decided to do.

Achim Home Décor Flooring Options

Achim Home Décor offers several different types of flooring available at Walmart: Nexus Carpet Tiles, Portfolio Plank & Tile, and Vinyl Floor Tile. For this project, I used the Achim Vinyl Floor Tile. However, if you are looking at redoing some different spaces the Carpet tiles are a perfect way to easily add carpeting to your space without paying for installation. The planks are the perfect option if you want to easily install vinyl flooring with a wood look vs tile!

How to Install Vinyl Flooring with Peel and Stick Tiles

With the peel and stick vinyl flooring you won’t need any special tools. Just a few basics that I’ve listed for you below that most people already have on hand!

Tools Needed: 

• Utility Knife
• Level (or other straight edge)
• Pencil 
• Tape Measure
• Putty Knife

Materials: 

• Achim White Marble Vinyl Tiles
• Achim Black Marble Vinyl Tiles
• Floor Patch
• Latex Sealer
• Screws
• Plywood for Subfloor (if necessary)

How to Install Vinyl Flooring

I’ve got a video tutorial for you if you’re more visual like I am. The full detail are below for you as well with some tips along the way!

Level Floor

Make sure your floor is level. Before you begin anything this has to be the case. Our floor was a plywood subfloor with previous vinyl tiles. We installed a new 1/4″ subfloor underneath just to prevent the cracking and separation of tiles we had before. 

Secure New Subfloor

This only applies if you are installing a new subfloor like we did. But after we got all the plywood cut to fit inside this space (leaving a small gap around the outside for expansion and contraction with weather) we secured it to the previous subfloor with screws. Lots and lots of screws! Make sure to countersink them because you will feel those under the vinyl flooring if it’s not a flat, smooth surface.

Fill any holes or gaps

If you have any seams between pieces of plywood, or screw holes to fill you want to make sure you are filling them properly. We used this stuff and followed the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to let this fully dry before moving on to the next step.

Seal the Plywood Subfloor

After the floor patch has dried, it’s time seal the subfloor. This allows the vinyl flooring to adhere better to the wood and is suggested by the manufacturer as well. I used this for my pantry. Let that fully dry and then you are ready to move on to the fun part – installing vinyl tile!

Lay Out Tiles

Before committing to a tile layout, I suggest laying them out first with the backing still intact. Because I did this I was able to visualize the diagonal pattern as well as where the black and white tiles would end up. And it’s a good thing I did because I ultimately flip flopped everything from my original plan!

In a diagonal pattern, you want to make sure you are staying at a 45-degree angle from the walls. You can use a speed square to determine this if needed.

Install Vinyl Flooring

Typically when you install tile you want to find the very center of your room and work out. Though sometimes you need to adjust depending on how the tiles land on surrounding walls. However, I was not able to do that because the shape of our pantry. So I started where it would be the most noticeable when you enter the space. From there I worked outward and only worked with full tiles until everything but the tiles touching the walls were installed. There are instructions on these particular tiles that are very easy to follow.

Essentially once you have everything lined up and marked where you want to start laying the tiles, you simply peel the backing off and place the tile on the floor smoothing it out and making sure you stay straight. When you install the next one make sure all your edges are properly lined up and it’s that simple!

Cutting Vinyl Tiles

This will be the hardest part, but even so, it’s not very hard! To cut these tiles all you need is a straight edge and a utility knife. Once you make your marks of where it needs to be cut, line up the straight edge on your marks and with moderate pressure, run the utility knife along the straight edge to score the tile. Then snap it and it will follow the score mark giving you the exact cut you need!

If you have more complicated cuts than just one straight line, you can always use a piece of paper to make a template before cutting a tile. This helps eliminate waste!

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Finish Installing Vinyl Flooring

After you’ve installed the full tiles, and begun making cuts for the edge pieces, install those cut tiles as you go to make sure. Remember if you make a mistake, it doesn’t mean you can’t use that tile for a smaller space somewhere else.

Checkerboard Vinyl Tile Floor

After the Achim Vinyl Tile Flooring has been installed, you can install quarter round along the baseboards to cover the gap. Then caulk and paint all the trim!

Now all that’s left is to enjoy your new floor and start decorating! I’ll be sharing my full pantry reveal soon, so make sure and subscribe so you don’t miss out!

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