Installing Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is a good choice for areas that face a lot of moisture. It comes in a variety of colors and styles. It does have its drawbacks though. Vinyl is made from petroleum – a non renewable resource.

Another disadvantage is that vinyl tends to wear out very quickly especially in areas that see a lot of footfalls. If you want longer lasting, renewable floors Linoleum, hardwood flooring or cork tiles would better fit the bill.

The biggest advantage of vinyl flooring is probably its ease of installation. Vinyl comes as tiles and as rolls. Both are easy to install and make for an interesting DIY project for homeowners.

Installing Vinyl Flooring

• The first thing you need to do is to ensure that the floor in dry and that the room is well ventilated. A wet floor will not let glue stick to it and a ventilated room will ensure that fumes from the glue used for sticking vinyl is quickly carried away.
• A simple patch test is advisable if vinyl is being installed over concrete. You can glue down a small patch of vinyl material to the floor and let it stand for 72 hours. When you try to pull it after 72 hours it should not come off easily. If it does, it is a clear indication that the floor is not dry enough. If the floor has too much moisture you may try running a dehumidifier before you repeat the test. If the problem is still not solved it may be wiser to speak to a professional installer.
• Measure your room and determine the amount of flooring material you will need. You can also benefit from our free, no obligations measurement services to get an accurate estimate of the amount of vinyl flooring you need to order. You will need to order enough material to take care of the flooring and any flooring damaged during installation. It is also prudent to order a few spare tiles. If a few tiles get damaged later it will be possible to replace them without replacing the entire floor.
• Set the temperature of your room to 75 degrees and leave the vinyl and glue in the room for at least 72 hours. This will ensure that the vinyl is flexible and all the products are at the same temperature before installation.
• Vinyl tiles in the bathroom or those installed over existing vinyl tiles may sink over time. The corners or other areas susceptible to ‘sinking’ can be leveled with special leveling paste.
• Before installing your vinyl floor, it is prudent to remove any molding. This will let you install vinyl closer to the wall and will produce a neat look.
• As with the installation of ceramic tiles, a straight chalk line marked on the floor helps to lay the vinyl tiles in a straight line. You can also place your vinyl tiles on the floor in a sort of ‘dry run’ before you begin the final installation.
• If you are using vinyl rolls you can use a perimeter or full adhesion technique. The glue is applied only to the margins in the perimeter adhesion technique while in the full adhesion technique the glue is spread on the entire floor.
• For installing roll vinyl, unroll the vinyl over the floor. Mark areas where you will need to cut it to accommodate pipes, bookcases, cabinets etc. Place the vinyl on a solid backing board and cut the required areas. Apply glue to the entire floor, unroll the vinyl and use a roller to ensure that the entire vinyl is glued perfectly to the floor.
• If you have pre glued tiles, you just need to peel off the backing and stick the tiles in place. If your tiles are not pre glued you will need to progressively apply adhesive to the floor and stick tiles to it.
• Once the floor is installed install the baseboards and moldings.

Advantages of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl has several advantages that make it suitable for a flooring project.

• Light weight
• Does not break if dropped accidentally
• Easy to cut and shape. All you need is a small utility knife.
• Easy to glue down.

Groutable vinyl tiles are also available. These are installed like ceramic tiles with spacers and the grout is filled in thereafter.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.