Replace vinyl kitchen floor tiles in Hong Kong

A few of the vinyl tiles on my kitchen floor have been damaged. How would I go about replacing them?

To remove the damaged tiles, place an old towel over the area to be lifted, and run a warm iron over the top to loosen the adhesive. Using a scraper or filling knife, pry up the tile being careful not to damage the surrounding ones. Take one of the old tiles to a flooring supplier to find an exact or nearest match. Don't worry too much about size as you can cut them down using a metal ruler and sharp craft knife.

If the tile only needs a tiny section carved off, you can sand the edges down using fine grade sandpaper. Make sure the exposed areas are scrupulously clean and then apply tile adhesive to both the floor and tile underside. Press the tile into place and then using a rolling pin wrapped in cling film, rollover the tile a few times to press out any air. Remove any excess glue with a damp cloth and then place some heavy books on top until the adhesive sets.

Hop Sze Timber at 425 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai (tel: 2833 6069) sells vinyl tiles, while all the other materials are available from Wing Lee Hardware at 154 Wellington Street, Central (tel: 2544 2345).

What Are the Best Floor Tiles for Hong Kong Kitchens?

After laying floors in Hong Kong homes for nearly 30 years, I can tell you that the biggest enemy of kitchen floor tiles here is moisture. Between the humidity, the steam from cooking, and the occasional typhoon-driven rain blowing through windows, your kitchen floor needs to cope with a lot of water. Here is what I recommend:

• Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) -- These are a significant step up from basic vinyl tiles. They are thicker (usually 3-5mm), more durable, and many come with a built-in moisture barrier. Expect to pay HK$25-60 per square foot. Brands like Amtico and Karndean are excellent but pricey; for a more budget-friendly option, look at the LVT range at Hop Sze Timber.
• Self-adhesive vinyl tiles -- The quickest and cheapest option at HK$8-20 per square foot. Peel off the backing and press into place. These are fine for a rental flat or a quick cosmetic fix, but they do not last as long and can lift at the edges in humid conditions. If you go this route, make absolutely sure the subfloor is bone dry and spotlessly clean before laying.
• Glue-down vinyl tiles -- A good middle ground. You apply adhesive to the floor and press the tiles into it, giving a stronger bond than self-adhesive. At HK$15-35 per square foot plus adhesive costs, they offer better value for a kitchen that sees heavy daily use.
• Vinyl plank flooring (click-lock) -- Increasingly popular in Hong Kong. These interlock without glue and can be laid over existing flooring. At HK$30-70 per square foot, they are not cheap, but they look fantastic and are very easy to replace individual planks if one gets damaged.

For Hong Kong kitchens specifically, I would avoid ceramic or porcelain tiles unless you are prepared for the full installation process with proper waterproofing underneath. Vinyl is far more practical for most flats -- it is warmer underfoot, quieter, and much easier to install without the mess and dust of cutting ceramic tiles in a small space.

Whatever you choose, a moisture barrier is essential in Hong Kong. During the spring "muk" season (the weeks of condensation when every surface in your flat is dripping), moisture can seep up through concrete subfloors. A simple plastic moisture barrier sheet laid before the tiles costs about HK$5-10 per square foot and can prevent tiles from lifting or mould growing underneath. If you are also dealing with general tile problems, addressing the moisture issue first will save you from repeated repairs.

How Much Do Vinyl Floor Tiles Cost in Hong Kong?

Here is a realistic cost breakdown for retiling a typical Hong Kong kitchen floor (roughly 40-60 square feet):

• Basic self-adhesive vinyl tiles -- HK$320-1,200 for materials (40-60 sq ft at HK$8-20/sq ft)
• Quality glue-down vinyl tiles -- HK$600-2,100 for materials, plus HK$100-200 for adhesive
• Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) -- HK$1,000-3,600 for materials
• Moisture barrier sheet -- HK$200-600
• Tools (scraper, roller, craft knife, ruler) -- HK$100-200 if you do not already own them

If you hire a professional to do the job, labour adds roughly HK$1,500-3,000 on top of materials for a small kitchen. For a larger space or if the old flooring needs to be fully removed and the subfloor levelled, it can go up to HK$5,000-8,000 for labour alone.

Where to buy? Apart from Hop Sze Timber on Lockhart Road, I also recommend:

• Floor Decor in Wan Chai -- Good range of LVT and vinyl planks with samples you can take home.
• DERA Flooring -- They have a showroom in Kwun Tong with competitive prices on bulk orders.
• Home Square (HomeSquare) in Sha Tin -- Worth the trip if you want to compare multiple brands and see full-room displays.

A tip on colour choice: lighter vinyl tiles show less dust and hair than dark ones (counterintuitive, I know), but they also show stains more readily. For a kitchen, I generally recommend a mid-tone -- something in a stone or medium wood grain pattern. It hides the everyday mess of a busy kitchen without making the space feel smaller, which matters a lot in compact Hong Kong flats.

If your kitchen floor project is part of a bigger renovation, you might also want to look into rejuvenating discoloured floor areas in adjacent rooms, so the whole flat looks consistent. And for a complete kitchen overhaul, our kitchen repairs guide covers everything from worktops to cabinets.

When Should You Call a Professional?

Replacing a few damaged vinyl tiles is a straightforward DIY job. But there are situations where professional help is the smarter choice:

• The subfloor is uneven or damaged -- Vinyl tiles telegraph every bump and dip in the floor beneath them. If your subfloor is cracked, uneven, or has old adhesive residue that will not come off, it needs levelling with self-levelling compound before any new tiles go down. This is a job that requires some skill to get right.
• You are retiling the entire kitchen -- Removing all the old tiles, prepping the subfloor, laying a moisture barrier, and installing new tiles in a small kitchen takes a full day for a professional. For a DIY first-timer, budget an entire weekend and accept that it will be messy.
• Your kitchen has complex shapes or built-in appliances -- Cutting tiles to fit around pipes, corners, and awkward cabinet bases requires precision. One wrong cut and you have wasted a tile.
• There are signs of water damage or mould underneath -- If you lift an old tile and find black mould or damp patches, stop immediately. This needs proper treatment before new tiles go down, otherwise you are just covering up a problem that will get worse.

Last updated: March 2026