Luxury Vinyl Installation Process

Preparing the Old Flooring

Measure the Room

Use a measuring tape to get accurate measurements of the room, leaving a little extra vinyl to account for any discrepancies. This ensures you have enough material to cover the area without running short.

Remove Furniture, Appliances, and Trim

Clear the room by removing free-standing furniture, appliances, and baseboards or trim along the bottom edges of the walls. In kitchens, remove the refrigerator and oven; in bathrooms, take out the toilet. This will allow the vinyl to fit seamlessly against the wall and avoid gaps.

Remove Old Flooring (if carpet)

If the old flooring is carpet, pull it up along with any staples or nails left in the subfloor. Make sure to check with your county for an asbestos test before disturbing adhesives that could contain harmful materials.

Make a Paper Template of the Floor

To ensure precise measurements, create a paper template by cutting heavy construction paper to fit the floor’s layout, including any custom corners or edges. This will serve as a guide for cutting the underlayment.

Prepare and Install the Underlayment

Use ¼ inch thick plywood as an underlayer to create a smooth, stable base for the vinyl. Tape the paper template onto the plywood, cut it to size, and allow it to acclimate in the room for 2-3 days. Then, use a special underlayer stapler with 7/8 staples to secure the plywood, ensuring staples go all the way through and avoiding nails or screws that could cause bumps in the vinyl.

Finish the Underlayment

Sand any rough edges or seams where the plywood sheets meet, ensuring everything is flush. Apply a leveling compound to fill any gaps or cracks in the underlayment, following the manufacturer’s instructions for compatibility with vinyl adhesive.

Applying the Vinyl Tiles/Planks

With these preparations complete, your floor is ready for the vinyl! At this point, you should have a pattern already picked out for the vinyl. You will need to find out if the vinyl you have is self-stick or a glue down type of vinyl. The self-stick vinyl is easier to install since the adhesive backing is already on the tiles or planks. The glue down type will require some more work.

Mark down your pattern on the paper template. Lay down the vinyl on the template and use a pattern to cut the vinyl to size. You can now start gluing the vinyl flooring with the adhesive and a notched towel. Scoop out some of the glue onto the trowel and spread it across the underlayer in one section of the room. Wait a few minutes before laying the vinyl down on the adhesive so that it sets, and the air bubbles dissipate.

For solid vinyl tiles, place each one flat and aligned with the rows. Make sure not to slide any of the tiles or planks, as this will drag the adhesive. Press down on the vinyl so it sticks to the adhesive. With small tiles, you can use a rolling pin to help push down on the vinyl. Apply the vinyl across the floor according to the pattern and fill the floor with vinyl until you reach the edges.

Wait several hours for the adhesive to dry, then replace the molding/trim and add threshold strips. If the vinyl is in the bathroom, use a caulk gun for the edges of the floor where they meet the baseboards to protect it from future water damage.

If you’d like to learn more about luxury vinyl flooring installation, be sure to contact us today.