Laying a vinyl floor how to#
Laying a vinyl floor professional#

Adding underlayment – if installing vinyl planks over concrete subfloors, you will need to add underlayment to soften the floor, avoid any risks of moisture build-up, insulate it during the colder months and soundproof it, as well.

You can sand down high spots and apply a ‘skim coat’ to fill in any gaps.

Levelling the area – ensure that there are no lumps and imperfections and the area is flat with the help of a spirit level.

Removing any trim work – such as quarter rounds or shoe moulding, and if removing an old carpet, make sure to remove the wooden skirting board.

Cleaning the area – the surface will need to be dust-free and dry.

Removing old flooring – in some cases, you may need to clear your badly damaged old floor (if needed).

Leaving the planks in the room for 48 hours to acclimate – vinyl planks can change dimensions depending on the temperature and humidity.However, you will still need to spend some time preparing the area for the installation. What is great about vinyl floors is that they can be installed easily over your old floor. Preparing the area for the vinyl floor installation Because of their interlocking system, you will need to remove the planks systematically until you reach the area you want to replace. On the other hand, the floating vinyl flooring can be slightly easier to lay yourself, but then, you may notice sound and movement in the planks over time.Īlso, if you plan to replace just some of the planks in a middle section at some point, you will have to take into account that they are more difficult to remove. The glue-down method is considered a permanent choice-it is more durable and withstands pressure better. If you have to decide between glue down or floating vinyl flooring, it comes down to whether the area will receive a high amount of foot traffic.

Laying a vinyl floor professional#

And depending on the specifics of the room, chances are your will likely require professional help at some point. The glue down and floating planks methods are also possible for do-it-yourself projects but can be a little more time-consuming and complicated for homeowners. Most homeowners find that the self-adhesive and loose lay vinyl floor installations are the easiest since they require minimum effort and skill, while also guarantee some stability for the flooring.

Is it better to glue down or float vinyl plank flooring? Pros:Ĭheck also: Which Kitchen Flooring is the Perfect for Your Home Here, no adhesive is needed because the planks are simply locked together, making them very easy to remove without damage to the surface below. It is suitable for subfloors with imperfections. This method, which is also known as interlocking installation, is available for other types of flooring, such as laminate and timber.

Laying a vinyl floor how to#

To determine if a specific type of installation might work better for your home than another, find below the specifics on how to lay the vinyl floor in versatile ways, along with their pros and cons. However, it’s important to keep in mind that every home is unique and different installations work differently for each place. As the name suggests, they come with a very simplified installation process that does not require that much effort.

There are also the self-adhesive types of planks, also referred to as Peel and Stick. One of the main reasons homeowners in Australia find vinyl planks attractive is the versatile way of installation – floating, glued down and loose lay are the main options. How to decide on a vinyl plank flooring based on installation?