I put peel-and-stick vinyl tiles on my laundry room floor two years ago. My father-in-law — who has been a contractor for 35 years — told me it would start peeling up within six months. He walked through the laundry room last month and said, “Huh. Still looks fine.”

From a contractor who dislikes shortcuts, that is the highest compliment.

The Secret Is Prep Work

Peel-and-stick tile fails because people slap it onto dirty, uneven floors and hope for the best. You cannot hope a floor into staying flat. Here is what actually matters:

• The subfloor must be clean and smooth. Sweep. Vacuum. Mop. Let it dry completely. Any bump, crumb, or dust particle will telegraph through the thin vinyl and eventually create a weak spot.
• Fill low spots. Use floor leveler compound on any dips or gouges. A quarter-inch dip will cause the tile to flex every time you step on it, and the adhesive eventually gives up.
• Prime porous surfaces. Bare concrete or wood should get a coat of primer made for vinyl tile adhesive. This prevents the substrate from sucking the moisture out of the adhesive before it bonds.
• Let the tiles acclimate. Leave them in the room for 24 hours before installing. Vinyl expands and contracts with temperature. If you install cold tiles, they expand later and buckle at the seams.

Installation Tips That Make a Difference

1. Find the center of the room. Snap chalk lines from the midpoint of each wall. Start your first tile at the center intersection and work outward. This ensures cut tiles at the edges are roughly equal width on both sides instead of having one side with a 1-inch sliver.
2. Peel as you go. Do not peel the backing off all tiles at once. Peel one, place one. The adhesive dries faster than you think.
3. Use a roller. A flooring roller ($15 rental or $30 to buy) presses the tile firmly into the adhesive. Your body weight is not enough. Roll each tile after placing it.

Where Not to Use It

Skip peel-and-stick in bathrooms with a shower — the constant humidity eventually loosens the adhesive. Same for sunrooms with direct sun all day — UV degrades vinyl over time. For laundry rooms, basements, and powder rooms, it works great.