Remember when you moved the refrigerator out to clean back there and you tore your vinyl floor wiggling it around? What about that gouge there under the dining table right where a chair sits? You can easily fix that yourself.
The procedure involves only 3 easy steps.
All you need to do is make a patch, cut out the bad spot and glue it down.
Real simple.
Follow these steps in order and don't put a knife to your floor yet.
You'll see why later.
Right now, get yourself a sharp utility knife and some linoleum adhesive.
A scraper and some mineral spirits can be very useful as well.
The first thing you need to do is to go and get that leftover piece of linoleum from your original installation.
If you don't know where it is you can use a piece cut from under the refrigerator or pantry.
You just need a piece large enough to cover at least one pattern repeat if the linoleum has a pattern in it.
Look closely.
Almost all flooring has a pattern in it even if it looks like it has random dots in it..
Using a straightedge, cut out your patch with a new sharp blade, making sure to hold your knife at 90 degrees to the vinyl.
You don't want a beveled edge on the patch.
Cut inside the fake grout lines if it has the tile look to it so it won't show as much.
Now lay the piece on the floor and match it exactly to what is already there.
Once you have it in place, tape it down securely.
All you do is just carefully cut around the patch through the original floor, keeping that blade straight up not angled.
Move the patch out of the way and carefully pull up the old vinyl, scraping up the old adhesive, and get all debris out of the hole.
Everything shows through linoleum, even a grain of sand.
Now lets glue the patch down.
Spread some adhesive thinly in the spot and also just under the edge of the original flooring if it looks like it is lifting some.
Press it down firmly everywhere especially the edges.
A little mineral spirits will clean up any out of place glue.
Now get some weight and put it on the patch until the next day.
When you remove the weight, you should have a perfectly matched repair.
The only additional step that professionals take is the application of seam sealer.
Seam sealer is just a liquid that you put in the seams around your new patch.
Its purpose is to make the seam stronger and prevent soil from going into the seam.
Otherwise you are finished.
Enjoy your repaired floor!