Oh, my good friends, I’ve tasted demon juice and you won’t like it. We bought the laundry room floor last year when a massive, massive sale aligned with our massive, massive disinterest in our tiny laundry closet-room.
Large, square vinyl tiles, inoffensive beige, pennies each. Whatevs, man. We made off like bandits with the stuff. They’d be glued straight on top of the existing vinyl. When cured we’d have a waterproof, durable floor, ideal for a room shoved full of wet wellies.
Laminate was a silly thought in a room for soggy towels and drippy umbrellas, and we hadn’t yet discovered groutable vinyl tile. This was bargain basement stuff – but we’d already bought it, and figured we’d use it. These vinyl tiles required vinyl tile glue, so, one night we did as instructed and slathered on the glue. It needs drying time to get sticky, and this is where we cue the horror music.
There’s evil in a tub of vinyl tile glue. Never touch it, never buy it – it’s all badness. We threw open our window and sliding door, and made pathetic ventilation attempts with the bathroom fan and range hood vent – but the laundry room is a pokey closet miles from the closest piece of fresh air. We were doomed.
I was choking in minutes. Burning throat, watering eyes… bad. Operation aborted, we chucked four tiles on top – more to cover up the tacky glue than a genuine intent to use the flooring. The smell did dissipate over the next few days, but it was off-putting throughout.
Unsurprisingly, the tiles laid in place looked cheap and awful; a unanimous veto and back to ‘now what’? We had a sticky patchwork: half old-vinyl-covered-in-glue, half new-vinyl-tiles-looking-cheap-and-ugly. I’d have paid twice as much again just to throw out the vinyl tile glue and replace all our breathing space.
A lucky accident that our biggest product mistake was easily reverted and hadn’t cost much in the first place. Enlightenment asked why not use the same groutable vinyl tiles as the bathroom – since we loved them so much?
World of vinyl, we’ll have some more of that lovely pearl grey, please!
Back to Home Depot.
Pearl grey isn’t there.
Ask an apron.
He’ll check.
Wait nervously.
“Sorry, pearl grey’s discontinued.”
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Why wasn’t I consulted???? I’d have bought the world’s entire remaining stock and kept it under my bed for perfect safe-keeping.
Pearl grey, come back! You can have Paolo’s pillow!
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Photo credit to digital-eye and UggBoy♥UggGirl via Flickr Creative Commons.
Hey, you want a s'more? Some more of what?
Can you get it online? At a different HD?
My sister had the same thing happen with some glass accent tile HD had in stock — she bought a sheet to see if it would work and when she went back to load up, it was all gone. But she found more at a couple other stores.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
Ahh! Why do they do this to us? Should at least have a small sign: “Don’t fall in love with this because our corporate buying strategy plans to break your heart in a few months’ time”.
I can only imagine the disgusting fumes coming off of that adhesive. YUCK! It is probably especially jarring considering you go to great lengths to use low/no VOC stuff elsewhere. Good luck in finding the groutable tile you need. I think Sally has a good idea to call around. Would another color in the same product line be acceptable?
Haha, yes, vinyl tile glue is not your friendly Elmer’s glue!
We’ve ended up doing as you suggested – same tile brand, different colour. Ah well…
If you’re willing to follow through and drive to the Seattle Outlet Mall in Tulalip, Washington, HD’s website says they still have 8 in stock there.
8 in stock
Tulalip #4726
9310 Quil Ceda Blvd
Marysville,WA 98271
(360)657-5762
Map & Directions
Store Hours
Mon-Sat: 6:00am-9:00pm
Sun: 8:00am-8:00pm
Store hours may vary due to special events and holidays.
Wow thanks Ivy!!! I’d have definitely made the trip (and explained to the border guards they don’t know true love until they found the perfect tile). Never would have thought to check Stateside Depots….. will be doing this if the Canadian version ever tries to ruin my life again. Thank you!
Forgot to mention… this is what i queried, just in case it’s not the same as what you were looking for: TrafficMaster Ceramica
Model #127111 Store SKU # 801005
TrafficMaster Ceramica 12 in. x 12 in. Pearl Grey Resilient Vinyl Tile Flooring (30-Case)
That’s the stuff!
Oh dear. Did you end up like picture #2??
Or are you out running wild in the world looking for the perfect grey tile?
Thankfully column B!