Fitting Click Vinyl Flooring Tiles

When you decide on luxury wood effect vinyl flooring, you may think that the easiest part is choosing either the glue down or click together option for installing vinyl click flooring.

The good news is that either of these methods is easy to install if you love the DIY mentality of your home. If you choose to undergo the installation yourself and spare yourself the professional fitter cost, there are some comparisons to look over prior to the decision.

The benefits of glue down LVT is that it is a cheaper option than click LVT. It requires a level subfloor and is a more time-consuming process to fit. However, you can use feature strips to create borders around the tile. With Click LVT, you are looking at a more expensive product (mainly due to the manufacturing cost) and the tiles are thicker, however, you do not require glue and it is a much simpler process to install.

Measure the Area

Preparation is always the starting point to any successful vinyl flooring installation. You cannot just show up and start to lay these things.

To get the best of the investment in your floor, you will need to measure the room ahead of time. This cuts down on ordering too much or too little which can put your project on hold until more shows up. Measure the room to square feet and square metres so you know the exact amount you need to order.

Prep That Subfloor

Even using underlay you will need to prepare the subfloor to ensure it is smooth, level, dry and clean.

If your subfloor is damaged then many bigger issues can arise, such as cracks and holes causing your floor to not be best utilised for the long run. Ensure that any repairs that are needed to be undertaken are completed before you begin the installation process. LVT can be laid over any subfloor as long as it meets the above-prepared requirements. It can even be laid over existing hardwood floors or tiles as long as they are evened out.

Installation Plan

Depending on the size of the room, you may choose to lay the planks in a deciding direction to get the most out of the space.

Most people choose to run planks parallel to the longest wall in order to make smaller rooms appear bigger, or lay them across the room width to make it seem larger or align with window light. Avoid being left with odd-sized planks for rows that require smaller ends. Plan out how you intend to lay the planks and provide an avenue to cut down planks to fit these instances.

Fitting

Using a utility knife, cut the click system from one plank in order to fit flat against the wall. Do this with every plank that will fill that first row.

Using spacers between the vinyl and wall, begin laying planks row by row inserting the tongue into the groove. Do this individual row by row and never jump to another row before one is laid. Use a roller to ensure a proper fit between planks. The last plank will require cutting, so don’t forget to use that spacer when measuring the distance between the wall and the previous plank. You may need to cut the last row to size, so be sure to measure the remaining area and cut the right side to allow the final planks to click into place with the previous row.

Allow the flooring to be free from heavy foot traffic for around 48 hours following installation, but be sure to sweep it and ensure no debris or glue is on top of the floor.

For more information about installing vinyl click flooring such as Karndean click vinyl flooring, contact the team at Floorbay.