DIY Kitchen Floor Makeover: Laying Karndean Glue Down Vinyl Tiles

In this video, I'll take you through the process of installing Karndean glue down vinyl tiles on a plywood subfloor for the first time. I'll share what I learned about preparing the subfloor and laying the tiles. I'll also cover some of the mistakes to avoid and offer tips on how to get the best results.
Here's the laser I have: uk.huepar.com/products/huepar...
About me:
I'm Aiden and I'm documenting what was supposed to be my barn conversion, which has now ended up being a new build. I don't have a trade, I just have a go and I'll be doing lots of work myself. This is the boring bit in grand designs that you don't get to see. Subscribe and follow along to find out how our future home turns out.
Instagram: the_aiden_p...
contact email: [e-mail]

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Love your videos it baffles me why you haven't had a huge surge in subscribers yet!!!! Particularly liked the testing part. I had a nightmare with similar flooring adhesive, couldn't get it to go tacky, turned out it was because my floor was too cold. Years later I was told by a tradey that the trick is to set up a fan blowing air over it gently which helps it along in cold weather 👍

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Thanks dude. Ah well, it's simple really, my subscribers hardly watch my videos so youtube doesn't put it in front of anyone else 😂 Did you like how I tested it and then ended up ignoring the outcome cause I took too long to glue up 🤦‍♂️ absolute nightmare, I spent about 40mins re-alligning the tiles and moping up glue, I was sweating 😂 That's a handy tip with the fan, I wish I just waited for it to go tacky 😬

[@RagnBoneBrown]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT it's just mad that back in 2016 all you had to do was make a decent video and you'd do really well. Hell, I didn't ever make videos that were any good back then and I still amassed an audience. Whereas nowadays you have to make a good video and be a marketing genius and basically a graphic designer and yet still it's so hard to compete! I'm glad I got started when I did otherwise I would stand no chance these days! I think the floor is fine, you could always get some of that 'colourfill' stuff rubbed in to the gaps? You'd never notice it then I reckon. Always tricky doing jobs for the first time and even trickier when you show the world on KZbin 🤣 so easy to sit at watch someone doing something and criticise it but it's not so easy to spot the problems when you're the one knee deep in doing the work! 👍

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

@@RagnBoneBrown I should have filmed doing my first house back in 2016 🤦‍♂️ I'll keep trying though. I have noticed there's quite a few tradesmen setting up channels in the last year, it's all more competition hey! People are spoilt for choice 😬 Good idea with the colorfill! 🙌 I think I might do a test video with a few different things and hardly anyone will watch it 🙄 😂

[@stuglover1526]

Such a great little video, love how you explained the details. It looks pretty smart, especially the sun floor lol. You got the video title perfect. 👌🏻👏🏻

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Aha! Nice 😁 I used the new AI thing everyone is raving about to do the title 🎉

[@stuglover1526]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT I reckon that title will work nicely. Can you fit those tiles directly to a concrete floor??

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

@@stuglover1526 you can indeed, needs to be nice flat and smoth 😂 which may mean putting latex down first

[@stuglover1526]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT 😂😂 Thanks buddy

[@barryford7135]

Top man for having a go. I’ve got 7 boxes of Amtico that I brought or a previous house I owned didn’t use. So I will be definitely having a go at laying it. We have just had a 17m x 4m extension done by the pros over a screeded floor with underfloor heating & had nothing but problems with a lot of tiles curling up on the edge.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Ah no way, do you know what the issue is? Was it poor floor prep (Laitance)?

[@justanotherdave.]

Great video 👍. I don’t think pressure sensitive glue ever dries completely, rather just goes tacky. So you can more easily replace a damaged tile. Im laying glue down LVT at the moment, but using evostick flooring adhesive which is quite “grabby” and dries permanently in about half an hr. Just going one plank at a time and putting the glue on the plank not the floor so I can take my time cutting and placing. For a DIYer I’d recommend that approach over gluing the floor and rushing placement.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Great tip! I wish I'd waited longer before I started sticking them down 😑 was pushed for time though. The stuff I used does eventually dry though, I couldn't get them sample bits off when I tried a few weeks later

[@YouTubeTeacherRemote]

Just redid our kitchen floor ourselves over the holiday and wish we had a few of these tips. We laid without the grout. Cool !

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

👍 Did you end up with any little gaps?

[@YouTubeTeacherRemote]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT we didn't so far! All looking great and I'm happy with the results 😀

[@tomvincent5596]

Great video mate. Felt your frustration with the gaps. Had the same problem on my floor. Soon filled up with dirt and now invisible lol

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

😂 Have you got glue down vinyl too? I was thinking that they would probably blend in with a little time

[@tomvincent5596]

@Building Acer View 🔨 haha yes. I went for herringbone in 3 rooms. Have to say it's probably the hardest flooring I've ever laid. I didn't use pressure sensitive glue though. Went for the mapie ultrabond eco. And used a roller similar to yours. Was on my knees for 4 days lol🙈

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

@@tomvincent5596 fck that! I'd never do herringbone in this stuff 😂 saying that, we're both experts now so bring it on! Haha

[@tomvincent5596]

@Building Acer View 🔨 haha. Iooks amazing though. But wouldn't do it again🤣

[@johnsavage248]

Hahaha, I was pissing myself over this one! You can imagine doing the job in your head only so many times, but eventually you have to just get it done and overcome any mistakes as you go. Been there many times. Great job and turned out well I thought

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

I rarely take a risk and it went tts up straight away 😂 yeah it looked alright in the end thank fck 😁

[@markwilliams9793]

Good job mate, I thought at the time, do it in two goes but we live and learn.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Thanks dude. Yeah I should have given myself some extra time 🤦‍♂️ I've definitely learnt my lesson and hopefully anyone that finds this video can learn from it too 😅

[@davidvivas8325]

Good video mate, I would say divide in 2-3 sections and wait 30-40 mins before starting fixing the planks? Cheers

[@htch207]

Useful video, thank you! We've put the ply down, now need to put the vinyl tiles down. I wonder if I should roll the adhesive after using notched trowel?? Tiles are 2.5mm thick but dont want anything showing through. Good tip on using a bank card to check if the ply sections are level!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

The notches are really shallow if you have the same trowel as I used, I wouldn't use a roller afterwards. Just read the instructions on the adhesive 😂 I wish I waited longer for it to go really tacky so the tiles didn't move about 😩

[@kurisurs]

Great job chap, how's it looking 1+ year on? Has it been ok with the usual kitchen spillages? Did you get any movement? I'm looking at doing similar job. I heard you wait until the PS glue is translucent, but probably depends on the manu.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

I'm pretty sure it's fine otherwise our tenant would have said something. It was down for a couple of months before it was let out and it was solid. I'd say it's all down to the adhesive and what type you get. So yeah like you said, depends on the manufacturer. I should have waited longer before I started laying mine 🤦

[@metal_loz]

Thanks for the video, about to lay Karndean this week in my living room. Where did you get the hand roller from and do you think it was sufficient/any issues with the tiles not sticking down properly?

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Tiles stuck solid, just wished I waited for the glue to go tacky before I started and that I did it in 2 halves. That's an ink roller, not ideal but does the job

[@TuvofLuv]

Brave! I chuckled that you thought you knew better than the manufacturers. Did the seams and screws ghost through the vinyl? I suspect they did.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha nope, they haven't showed through. I suspect there may be a chance if they were proud in some way but mine weren't 😉 I should have just waited for the glue to tack off properly before I laid them 😑 but I know for next time 😁

[@bbrocks1226]

I was half expecting Arthur to run across the floor once the glue was down to the Benny hill theme tune so I'm glad he didn't 🙈

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha Naaa only a cat would do that!

[@hn2700]

Smoth video! 😢😊

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha

[@cedarstuff]

Must admit, was yelling at the video to do it in two sections! Are you going to fill the gaps with some kind of glue/grout/silicone, to reduce chance of any liquid/spills getting in there?

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

😂 I was pushed for time! I wish I had them spikey shoes so I could have glued the near side first and then walked over to the hall way 🤦‍♂️ I think I just got away with it, there are about 5 gaps including the 2 I filmed. I was thinking of how I could fill the gaps but wasn't sure what to use. Maybe clear silicone? What do you think?

[@cedarstuff]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT Bosh some black Stixall adhesive/sealant downloaded there? Or, cut a very fine slither of tile? Whatever you do will be invisible to you after a week, and no-one else will notice.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

@@cedarstuff I don't think anyone would ever notice anyway 🧐 there's noway I could cut a slither of tile, the biggest gap isn't even 1mm wide! I can feel another experiment coming on 😂

[@Flat-Five]

Your phone alert at 22:31 was that a music cue from back to the future?

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

😁 You've got it

[@Youcanthandlethetruth435]

Flooring grade ply only from flooring company or TPs.

[@JDevenny1]

Did you use flooring grade ply. About to start a patch of karndean and can't find any flooring grade ply anywehre in my area

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Nope, I just got the general purpose ply from Travis Perkins

[@JDevenny1]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECTThanks for the reply

[@davetay44]

So that's why my house is in such a state. None of my SUNfloors are smOth enough 😂

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Best knock it down and start again then 😂

[@davetay44]

@BuildingAcerView believe me I've considered that a few times 😂

[@rob-fb5xs]

The guy who laid my hall floor recently used adhesive that was still still tacky the next day.

[@loveyourgingercatforever8324]

Is this Karndean LooseLay Stone Collection madison?

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

No, this is glue down, looselay is literally that, you lay it loose with no glue

[@Sean006]

How to paint yourself into a corner?!....this was a tricky mathematical problem. I suppose you wanted to start the glue at the door and work in a clockwise direction, trying to exit the doorway to finish the last of the glue. Then after 20 mins lay the tiles towards the fridge area, again in a clockwise direction. Or employ someone with very long arms 👍

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

If I would have thought about it abit more I could have fashioned 2 bits of wood and screws into a pair of them spikey flooring shoe things! 😬 Then I could have started at the hallway and walked back over the glue. I totally misjudged how long it would take to glue though 😑

[@Sean006]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT It looks very good to me....and if you had to do a similar job you would have a few extra ideas in your mental toolbox. We live & learn. 👍 Perfection is hard work.

[@Napoleon-Blownapart]

Should have just put a sheet of vinyl down 😉

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha I wanted to but the other half said no 😂

[@debbiebrindley]

Smoth sunfloor 😂😂😂

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

😂 I don't understand why no one checks these things?!

[@jimwelch4628]

You don't feather your joints then on the ply.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

I didn't on this as it didn't think it was worth it. It's let out so its an improvement on the previous floor. If I was doing it for my own home I'd use the karndean skim coat to feather it (belt n braces n all that). It'll be interesting to see if the joints show after some use, I'm not sure they will though.

[@kcleaver488]

Is this a flat you guys rent out?

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

We will be renting it out yes, I have a couple more bits to sort out there and we're waiting for a leak to be fixed that's coming from a terrace above when it rains heavy 🙄

[@steffendetrick]

…

[@leeporter2021]

I suggest you leave the flooring to us professionals fella,it’s a lot harder than it looks as you said,but fair play for having a go 👍🏻

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha we all have to start somewhere hey and after checking out some professional work I don't think I've done too bad 😅

[@domefford864]

As a 30 year floor layer it was painful to watch but as a d.i.y. Job I think you done well. Lots of thought into what problems you’d face at each stage of the job. It’s an expensive mistake if it goes wrong.

[@Youcanthandlethetruth435]

Never bother with screws.Ring shanks all day long man.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Yeah, in a gun 😉 especially if I was doing it on the regular