Need advice with self-adhesive vinyl floor tiles

[SavReb]

Hi. This is my first time posting here. I have a question that I'm hoping someone can help me with. We had to pull up the carpet in the hallway of our home because I couldn't stand the odor coming from it any longer. We had cats in the past that preferred it to their litter box.

Due to financial restrictions, my husband and I decided that we would go with what I refer to as a "temporary, indefinite fix". We are going to install some of the self-adhesive floor tiles. Our dilemma in installing these tiles is where to measure and snap the chalk lines for lining up the tiles.

The hallway is in a T shape. The hallway is not the same width at one end as it is on the other end of either part of the T. (The builders didn't do a very good job of squaring up their work.) The top part of the T has six doors leading to bedrooms, closets and bathroom. The bottom of the T has one closet door in it. The bottom part of the T stops at the foyer which has parquet type wood flooring.

The instructions that came with the tile said to draw a line 12" to the wall that is farthest from the door. I can't exactly do that since there are so many doors. I thought about measuring the line 12" from the wall that makes the top part of the T, but then I run into the problem with the walls not being square. Is this still the best place to start? If I do this, then I will have partial pieces meeting up with the foyar floor. Will this look alright? I plan to put a wood piece down where the two different flooring meet to give it a "professional" finished look.

Also, should I mark a chalk line down the center of the bottom part of the T to cross with the line on the top part of the T?

I hope all this make sense and that someone out there can help me. Thanks in advance for any help.

[mrcaptainbob]

Floor tile...

I'd snap a line down the center of the hall. This will all be dry fit first! One of two ways to go: The first is to lay a row of tiles side by side crossing the hall with their seams butting over the centerline. How much tile is left at each wall? hopefully most of a tile. If not, center a tile over the centerline and lay tiles next to it crossing the hall and then see how much tile you have left at each wall. Hopefully a lot. The idea is to trim as little waste from the wall tiles as possible. The further a seam is from the wall the less noticeable out-of-square is. Do the same for the length of the hall. Here you'll have an additional challenge of balancing out how much waste because of the two walls on the T part and where the final row of tile meet at the foyer. I would maximaize the tile at the foyer for appearance. As for the actual laying of the tile, of coarse you set down luan panels first. Gluing them in place is the best option. Make sure there are NO bumps or low spots that would telegraph through to the new tile. After that luan is layed in place, snap your lines again on this. Lay your first row lengthwise per your earlier decision. EVERY piece is layed with the thought of it being 'special'. Mind the directional arrows on the back to maintain correct pattern. When setting that tile, there will be NO moving once it makes contact. Trying to change it will only destroy it. As PERFECT alignment as possible is a must. It'll go remarkably quick and easy.
And above all.have FUN doing this together!!

[HayZee518]

Hallway tile

At the top of your T measure for length and divide by two. do the same at the bottom of the T. this will be your centerline for the trapezoid. do the same for the rectangle but measure width and length and mark the center. start at the intersection of the two long lines for your first tile then work off this centerpoint. when you finish the extreme sides will equal one another as will the tiles along the trapezoidal wall.