Installing Vinyl Flooring
From Floor Coverings
Contents |
How to install Vinyl Flooring
Are peel and stick vinyl floors easy to install?
Installation procedures for vinyl flooring will be different depending upon the type, either sheet or tile. The easiest to install and certainly the one becoming the most popular is peel and stick vinyl tiles. Vinyl flooring can be installed on either wood or concrete sub-floors. It can also be installed right on top of an old vinyl or linoleum floor as long as it is in reasonable condition without large open tears that might show through the surface or cause the new vinyl to buckle or bubble. The sub-floor must be sound structurally and level. Replace loose or rotten boards in wood sub-floors or fill in large cracks in concrete sub-floors.
Do I need underlayment for my vinyl floor?
Test the concrete for excess moisture. Your manufacturer’s instructions may include using a plastic sheet underlay as a moisture barrier. Use leveling compound for low spaces in concrete and scrape or sand down high places. If the floor appears unstable, use a service grade hardboard plywood underlayment to correct instability in the sub-floor. Clear the room of all furniture, including a toilet if installation is in the bathroom. Remove base shoe moldings, end molding and T moldings. Sweep or vacuum the floor and make sure it is completely dry. You may wish to undercut door casings to make installation around the doors easier and promote a smoother lay in these places.
Do I have to let my vinyl floor acclimate?
When your vinyl flooring arrives, bring it into the room to be covered and allow it to set there for 24 hours to acclimate to the room’s temperature and humidity before beginning the installation process. If your vinyl flooring is the peel and stick type, start by measuring and marking the room with a chalk line to determine the center point of the room. Divide the room into four sections. Start at the center point and work your way back towards the walls. Peel the backing and carefully put the tiles into place in each quadrant of the room in succession. If your placing on a certain tile looks crooked, you can warm the adhesive with a blow dryer and carefully straighten the tile.
What type of sub floor do I need for my vinyl floor?
If your vinyl flooring is the sheet type, either felt backing or fiberglass, you will first measure the installation area and cut the vinyl that size with scissors adding 3 inches to the length. For felt backing vinyl, place the piece in the room and fold it over in half, securing it with masking tape. Apply the adhesive on the half that is exposed and lay it carefully in place. Then fold back the other side and repeat that procedure. For fiberglass vinyl that is a floating floor, you will not attach the vinyl to the sub-floor, except with acrylic tape placed along the edges near the wall and possibly under an appliance.
Do I need a rolling pin for my vinyl floor installation?
If there is to be a seam, fold the vinyl back and attach acrylic tape along the edge of the seam. Lay that piece down flat and then place the adjoining piece on the tape, making sure they meet tightly. The pieces will be joined to each other and not to the floor. When the room is completely covered, trim the excess from all edges. Use a rolling pin to secure and smooth all seams and adhesives, starting from the center of the room and work out toward the walls. Use a silicone caulking around bathtubs, fireplaces and other brick work. Replace all moldings, doors and furniture and enjoy.
