Proper Vinyl Installation: Getting It Right First Time

Luxury vinyl flooring has 3 different vinyl installation methods and the details may differ on the room or the specific floor that you choose. It is always essential to check the manufacturer’s guidelines before you begin the process of installation, especially as vinyl tiles and sheet tiles are laid in different fashions.

The different styles are via a locking system, glue-down method or loose lay. Each has its methods to consider before you select your flooring. Traditional vinyl floors are installed by stocking down sheets of vinyl directly to the subfloor. LVT have more freedom over design and more manageable installations.

Vinyl Preparation

Before laying any vinyl tiles, they will need to acclimatise by leaving them in the box in the middle of the room for 48 hrs, kept at a steady, regular temperature.

At this time, you need to ensure that the subfloor is in its cleanest possible condition via sweeping, hoovering and washing. Then you must leave it to dry in its perfectly flat and level condition for a seamless vinyl installation. All brands – such as Luvanto luxury vinyl flooring – have a guide for preparing a subfloor for their specific brand.

Remember that installation of vinyl flooring will require you to be on your knees for an amount of time, so knee pads are essential.

Position

You want a great-looking symmetrical floor, and to achieve that you should begin laying from the centre of the floor. Measure the width and length of the area and strike a chalk line halfway across both. Where the lines meet is the centre of the room.

Lay two lines of tiles from the room centre at right angles to each other to make an L shape. Do NOT stick them down yet though as you are just making sure that the floor is being laid at the correct angle. Check that the edges line up with the wall.

Fitting

If you are using glue-down vinyl, once the tiles are positioned you can begin to stick them into place either by peeling off the non-stick backing or applying a thin adhesive layer.

If adhesive begins to ooze up between the tiles, you have applied too much adhesive. It is advised that you double-check the manufacturer’s guidelines before putting adhesive down as different products have differing requirements. Installing from the centre of the room, bond the tiles firmly to the floor by applying pressure and rolling them with a rolling pin or floor roller tool.

Once most of the tiles are laid, cutting of remaining tiles to fit the gaps next to the wall will need to be done. Lay the tile directly on top of the laid tile to gauge cut this effectively.

Depending on your specific type of flooring – as well as brands such as Polyflor or Invictus – you may have additional factors to consider. Contact the team at Floorbay today for guidelines and help with luxury vinyl flooring products.