ARE SELF-ADHESIVE LINOLEUM TILES SAFE?

[PumpkinJelly]

Okay so now I'm really worried.

I just bought self-adhesive linoleum tiles and put them in my one Beardie's custom melamine viv. They've been in there for about a week now.

I also bought more for my second custom melamine viv that will be finished tomorrow.

Are these safe? I'm going to be so mad if they aren't.

I put a mod-podge coat over them with a gritty mixture to make them more grippy, so they're sealed over.

Please tell me they're safe!

 

[clossboss]

I use these in one of my tanks. I stuck them to pieces of plastic for easy removal and cleaning.

 

[PumpkinJelly]

So you haven't had any issues with them? How long have you been using them?

I'm using this design/pattern from Lowes. It's a very attractive pattern. I love it. I also have another pattern in there but I forget the name so I cannot provide a link.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_1055-79508-01631_4294773819_40_?productId=3006178&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Vinyl%2BTile_4294773819_40_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

 

[bdalton]

That is a very nice pattern! Love it. I had self adhesive tile before for a couple months but then someone warned me they may give off fumes when under heat for so long. I tried researching to see if it was proven safe or unsafe, and it seems noone knows for sure, or at least i couldnt find anything except peoples opinions. And obviously, like every other topic, everyone has their own opinions, so it really comes down to what you choose-i guess kind of like the sand topic. Some people swear by it and others wont touch it. I personally just felt better getting poorcelain tile so i didnt have to worry, but i can tell you when i removed it, it came off clean and i read that if the adhesive was to put off fumes, it would melt first and cause a big mess trying to remove it, so i dont know if it isnt hot enough in a beardie enclosure to melt it,or if i just got it out before it happened.
The only thing i will say is my beardie, i got in october and shes 6months old now, started to haave something going on with her eye. At first she would shut it alot, then i noticed it looking sunken, and she really cant see out of it. I went over EVERYTHING trying to figure out what was causing it, but my lighting and everthing else was good, so thats how i thought about my adhesive tiles and started to research and all and ended up taking them out that day. Shes been off them for a couple months, andher eye never got better. It doesnt bother her, and doesnt get infected or anything and vet said it may or may not be from the adhesive, its just kind of one of those things. I still never figured it out, but thought if it was the adhesive it would reverse itself after being off of it, but since it didnt im notsure if it just got too much and caused permanent damage or if the tile even had antthing to do with it.

Sorry i ramble, just wanted to tell you my story with adhesive tile


((Lowes does have a ceramic or porcelain tile very similar to your pattern just FYI )
and they will cut them for you!

 

[PumpkinJelly]

I'm sorry to hear about your beardie's eye. My two drive me nuts over every little thing they do even when they're perfectly fine because I love them so much and couldn't even think about being without them, so if an eye problem arose I'd probably strip my whole tank down and just go ballistic looking for an answer :wink:. Could something have gotten in her eye or something? I don't really know, but I'll give the tiles a shot.

I just sealed the inner corners of Fiz's (my little guy) melamine viv and it is drying overnight and tomorrow I'm going to do the finishing touches before letting my little buddy move in. Also tomorrow I'm going to coat my tiles in a mod podge/grit mixture. There's this gritty stuff you can buy to add to paint to make it more grippy and to give it more traction, since the linoleum tiles are pretty slippery on my little guys. Mod podge is a really good nontoxic sealant so do you think it would help seal off any icky fumes in it? I'm not going to seal the tiles in there so that they're not able to be removed, but I'm just coating the surface and filling in the grooves. So If I wanted to remove them, I could use a box cutter and cut the mod podge seals on the grooves and then peel up the tiles. Maybe the mod podge will seal down any fumes or toxic substances? I don't believe my tiles are toxic. My dad bought the adhesive tiles for me because he said if I were to get regular linoleum I would have to get a special linoleum glue to adhere it to the melamine and that has even more fumes to it and would not be good for their little lungs. Keeping in mind my dad builds a lot of things and I trust his opinion.

But an hour or so ago I went ahead and peeled back a corner of one of my tiles and smelled it. There was no odor or fume. I went up to KD's viv (which is completely finished) and smelled the already placed tiles which have been under a heat lamp for quite some time now. And to my surprise, the melamine had more a fume than the tiles! Fiz's viv is sitting on the floor in my room until tomorrow so we can put all the finishing touches on it and then put it in my wall. (It fits into the wall! How cool!) I'll wash off the tiles with some soapy water without damaging the adhesive to dry and remove any possible fumes and/or smells, and then I will install. I'm making any precautions I possibly can!

 

[clossboss]

I have been using it for a few months. I have it in the bottom of my 55 gallon. His basking spot is probably 6 inches off of the tile so my tile doesnt even get remotely hot. Some people are afraid of the fumes but i have had no issues

 

[PumpkinJelly]

That's reassuring I just bought a lot of this tile for my two new vivs (which I'm happy to say, my second one will be finished today!) and i was so worried I would have to take it back. My basking lights are like, 18 inches away from the tile and the tile always has that cool to room temperature feel to it whenever I stick my hand in there. It hardly exceeds
102 F at the basking spot, and the basking spot is up on a 3 inch tall rock, so it can't possibly even be getting that hot on the linoleum.

I'm glad to hear everything is well with your Beardie and your experience with the linoleum, I hope mine does the same!

 

[Jess]

From what I read, the glue will only melt if the temp exceeds 120*F.

 

[PumpkinJelly]

That's a bit of a relief, Jess. I didn't want any melting issues! lol

 

[Spikey07]

Make sure to post us some pictures when it' s finished!!!

 

[bdalton]

Yeah, I think with it sealed you will be fine. I didn't even think to do that, just kind of freaked and ripped it out! Lol

I thought something could have gotten in her eye, and that's what the breeder thought too, but i flushed it with saline multiple times and bought reptile drops too that neither helped at all.
Only other thing I can think is I just found out she has coccidia and pinworms so were in the process of treating her and have her quarantined so I know it's a long shot, but I'm kind of hoping maybe that has something to do with it and maybe antibiotics will help like I said, high hopes!


Yes, post pics please!!

 

[PumpkinJelly]

Yes I just installed four tiles but I have to cut one tile in half so that two pieces will fit the back part (confusing, i know). I'm going to mod podge them in just a little bit. I'll be sure to upload pics in a few hours!

 

[PumpkinJelly]

Hey guys, the pictures are up! I don't have much time so here's a quick link to my thread so you guys can see the pictures. The link should take you to the last page, if it doesn't, then just go to the last page and you'll find it there!


viewtopic.php?f=49&t=159494&start=120

 

[Spikey07]

Wow, thats looks great!

 

[PumpkinJelly]

Spikey07: Thanks! I just looked at your signature and may I say, Kai and Spike are very pretty Beardies