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by Robin

Hundreds of thousands of people have read our post about how to install peel and stick vinyl tiles that you can grout!  Maybe that’s how you found our blog?  Welcome!    

One of the most common questions we get is: “How does peel and stick groutable vinyl tile hold up after time?” or  “Do they stick well and last longterm?”

Such great questions, right?!  If you’re going to put the work and money into a project, you want it to look great for a long time.  

Mind you, this project was fast and cheap – great qualities in a floor. (Better qualities than in, let’s say, a mate.)

Our small bathroom floor cost us a mere $50 and took an afternoon of effort.  We were really happy with the results 4 years ago, but how do we feel about it now?

Our Groutable Vinyl Tile Review

The simplest answer: pretty darn good.  As you can see from the photos, the tiles have held up really well.

The finish on the groutable vinyl tile didn’t change.

It was always matte, and it still is.  I love a matte finish floor!  It’s forgiving of streaks and hides a bit more than a shiny one.  Less housework!

They aren’t scratched or pitted.

This is our main floor bathroom.  It gets herds of foot traffic.  

And, while we’re a shoes-off-in-the-house sort of family, this bathroom still get some boot and shoe action.  It’s right next to our front door – and when folks with urgent bladder or bowel needs (TMI?) race in from outside, they often high-tail it in there regardless of what’s on their feet.  

So sometimes sand, salt,  pebbles and puddles are tracked around.  It doesn’t show.  No scratches that my eyes have picked up on.

The groutable vinyl tile adhesive has held on tight.

There isn’t a single tile that’s gotten loose or shifted.  Not even a corner has lifted.  

I worried that maybe the middle of the tile might loosen and pop up and down when you step on it.  But, nope, those babies are holding on like the day we laid them.

The groutable vinyl tile colours have remained pretty true.

There has been a slight colour change with time.  I would call it darkening.  

Below is a photo of our floor today, with a leftover tile we purchased when we installed them 4 years ago.  This tile was stored in a pile in our dark (and spooky) storage room – so no foot traffic or light has affected it.

Mind you, this bathroom is east facing and the only window opens into to our deep, shady front porch.  Not a lot of light gets in to bleach out colours.  

So, if you’re planning tiles for a very bright room, you may see more change than we have.

Long story short: we haven’t babied these floors in the slightest and they still look good.

But the grout is another story…

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s the grout that hasn’t stood up well.  It’s definitely changed colour for the worse.  (It was polite of you to not mention it. Thanks for that!)

Structurally it has held up; it does it’s groutly job, but it’s not pretty.   But, you know, even if we used the most expensive tiles in the world, the grout would still be the same.  Grout is grout. It gets dingy and likes to make you look like a slob.

So, do the groutable vinyl tiles last?

Yup.  They sure do.  At least the ones we chose to use were.  They are TrafficMaster Ceramica Marble Peel and Stick in Travertine Grey.

Would we use them again?  Yes!  In fact, we plan to do just that next year when we update the bathroom for our Mobile Home Makeover.  That’s the most telling answer, isn’t it?

Your Next Step:  Here’s our simple tutorial for how to install and how to grout vinyl tiles.

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