The first move in installing vinyl plank flooring over concrete is to determine the area that needs to be covered. The products we saw were virtually indistinguishable from ‘the real thing.’ Even better, all we needed to do the job was a carpenter square and a utility knife. Leave a 1/4-inch gap at the wall and at the ends; spacers can be placed against the walls to establish this expansion gap. And then baseboard is another leap forward⦠itâs so exciting! It may snap off by itself. Visually, the flooring layout will be most pleasing if cut planks are of roughly equal lengths at the opposite side walls. Install the second plank by holding it at an angle and inserting its tongue edge into the first plankâs groove edge. Installing vinyl planks is a cost-effective way to provide different looks to your home. Of all of the do-it-yourself floor coverings, vinyl plank flooring (also known as luxury vinyl) is one of the simplest to install. Measure the width of the room, and divide it by the width of the exposed portion of the plank before you start installing vinyl plank flooring. Vinyl plank flooring can usually be laid right over existing flooring, but if there are any high spots, they should be sanded down to create a flush surface for the new floor. When installing vinyl plank flooring, it is important to plan accordingly for the expansion and contraction of the floor. Step 5 â Apply Adhesive. If you do not wish to remove door trim or if you have protrusions that cannot be removed, you can cut the vinyl flooring to fit around these obstacles. Installing in rooms wider than this require that you split up tiles. Vinyl plank flooring comes in a few different sizes. Vinyl plank flooring, like laminate or wood flooring, needs to have a layout that is pleasing to the eye. Cut, fit and attach vinyl tile. Installation: while our vinyl sheets need to be loose laid on the floor, most of our vinyl planks need to be glued down to the subfloor. No more boring patterns or unconvincing imitations of wood, tile, and stone. We recommend vinyl tiles for stair installations, as the tiles are more manageable than vinyl sheets. Vinyl flooring planks can be successfully installed on a variety of existing surfaces. Do not install under permanent kitchen cabinets when floating; Do not install on concrete unless proper moisture testing is ⦠Joe Provey, 11 Indoor Gardening Projects Absolutely Anyone Can Do, 8 Easy and Affordable Garage Floor Options, Easy-Care Entryway: Replacing Carpet with Tile, 5 Little-Known Advantages of Linoleum Flooring. How to Install Vinyl Flooring. First, use a carpenter's square and utility knife to score partially through the face of the plank. Vinyl planks are slippery, so be very careful when pulling back on the blade. For ease of installation, it is always best to remove the trim that makes contact with the floor. At the final planks in a row, the end butt joints can be tricky to fit. Door case molding is relatively easy to remove and replace, and removing it produces a cleaner installation. For example, if your room measures 123 in., and your flooring is 5.75 in. Born out of the DIY generation of home improvement, vinyl plank flooring is an affordable surrogate for traditional hardwood floors. Luxury Vinyl is a floating floor, meaning that it isnât attached to the subfloor. Generally, this is done by working from the most visible wall—usually, the one that greets the eye as you enter the room—then working outward toward the entryway. With an installation process easy enough for a DIYer, this flooring option will give any space a polished look that will last for years. New moldings installed alongside new flooring makes for a very polished, elegant look. Today Iâm sharing how we installed new vinyl plank floors over top of our existing ceramic tile flooring with just a few easy steps to ensure it was properly level. To do so, plan to leave an expansion gap between the floor and the wall that is anywhere from 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Layout pattern. Ideally, this includes baseboards, base shoe moldings, and case moldings around doors. Install one row at a time clicking the ends together. Clear debris from level, clean floor or subfloor. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Your last row might be slightly uneven because few rooms are truly square. Photo: JProvey. If necessary, a draw bar can be used to tug this final narrow plank into place against the previous row. Often, removing doors from their hinges helps with installation, too. Where you encounter obstacles such as door frames or floor ducts, vinyl planks can be easily snipped to the desired shape with tin snips or heavy-duty shop scissors. We tore up the old underlayment using a hefty prybar and banged home the nails left behind. Cost factors are explained in detail below, but the most important one is who installs the flooring. Most luxury vinyl planks attach edge-to-edge and end-to-end with a fold-and-lock type of tongue-and-groove system. Vinyl plank flooring originally became popular because it mimicked wood plank flooring very convincinglyâmore so than even plastic laminate flooring. If the remainder had been less than 2″, we would have had to ‘rip’ an inch or two off the first plank we put down. Alternatively, you can use a fine-tooth handsaw to cut straight through the entire plank. Manufacturers recommend that end seams be offset at least 6 inches from row to row. Vinyl Plank Flooring Installers In Your Area Vinyl is a great flooring choice for every room in your house, but it can be frustrating to install, even for the most avid DIYers. 4. It would help if you also took note of this as you determine direction and arrangement. Lay the first plank, appropriately spaced from the wall. Next, you will need to measure the ⦠Hook one end of the tool over the far end of the plank, then tap lightly on the other end of the drawbar to tug the butt joint together. You can place shims between the floor and wall to ⦠Below are a few hints and tips to keep in mind when using vinyl plank flooring on walls. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. To cut the planks, we only had to measure and then score the flooring the back side with a utility knife. The planks were designed to join together at half-lap joints with contact adhesive pre-applied to the mating surfaces. With a few tools, you can transform any room of your house and give your tired floor a facelift in as little as a few days. We used Golden Select Vinyl Plank in Smokey Barrel. DIY installation is free, except for tools you might need to purchase. By Joe Provey. After making the cutouts, first attach the plank to the adjoining plank while holding the cut-out plank upward, at an angle. The best vinyl plank flooring will give you years of trouble-free use, is easy to maintain and suits the style and décor of your home . Prying Up Damaged Floor Underlayment. Because of this, it can typically be installed over existing flooring. Photo: JProvey. Vinyl Tile Flooring Installation Labor, Basic Basic labor to install vinyl tile flooring with favorable site conditions. Perfect every time! Use your level to check the surface of the floor. If you are laying vinyl plank flooring over a concrete subfloor, fill any cracks or divots with concrete patcher. This was not one of those times. Installing vinyl plank flooring is easy, and depending on the size of the job, you can likely complete the work within a single afternoon. Make sure to cut it narrow enough to provide a 1/4-inch gap between the planks and the wall. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. My son recently asked for help installing vinyl flooring in his bathroom. Are you looking for renovating and giving a new and different look to the flooring of your house? Position the first plank from the starting wall using ¼-inch spacers. While you could have purchased solid hardwood or engineered wood or ceramic or porcelain tile, you may well have chosen vinyl flooring because you knew you could do it all by yourself and very inexpensively. Includes planning, equipment and material acquisition, area preparation and protection, setup and cleanup. After the floor is laid, re-attach the baseboards and trim, preferably using an pneumatic brad nailer. Perhaps the only tricky part of the job was ensuring that, upon reaching the other side of the room, we didn’t end up with a too-narrow final plank (less than 2″ wide). If the floor is level, carry on. During installation, you can mix planks from different boxes to blend the dye lots/patterns to create a more uniform appearance. Test fit the first row of vinyl planks down the length of the wall. Photo: JProvey. Vinyl plank flooring can usually be laid right over existing flooring, but if there are any high spots, they should be sanded down to create a flush surface for the new floor. Screwing Underlayment to Subfloor. How to Install Vinyl Flooring. Before getting started with installing your vinyl plank flooring on any of the walls in your home, it is crucial to ensure that the surface it will be installed on is clean, dry and smooth. Vinyl planks do not exceed 40ft length and a 20ft width. You will lay the first row of planks parallel to this most prominent wall or room feature, then work your way across the room. Manually nailing with a hammer, while possible, can easily damage the trim, while a brad nailer does this work effortlessly. Pressed together and rolled, the planks would form a tight bond. A drawbar tool can be used to gently pull the end plank to snug-up these joints. Your goal is to create the flattest, smoothest surface possible as the underlayment for the vinyl plank flooring. You can technically install vinyl plank over laminate flooring, but itâs not advised due to the physical properties of the vinyl plank and laminate and the methods with which both are installed. However, if you need to wrap the vinyl around the edge of the stairs, sheet vinyl might be better for the job. Vinyl flooring is a great way to change the appearance of a room without spending too much money. Providing that floor is structurally sound and smooth. In a small bathroom, the most visible row might be the one that runs alongside the bathtub. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. The average life of vinyl plank flooring is 10-15 years, but thicker vinyl plank floorings can last upto 25 years. Trim molding is typically attached with thin brad-like nails, and it can be removed by carefully prying it off with a flat pry bar. How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring | Tips & Tricks - YouTube When things suddenly and drastically changed this spring with the pandemic and our spring break holidays ... Read More about How to Install Vinyl Plank Over Tile Floors The first step is to prep the room where you will be installing the vinyl plank flooring by removing all furniture and sweeping any debris or dirt. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Vinyl Plank Flooring Sizes. Vinyl sheets are around $4 per square foot, whereas the vinyl planks are $7 per square foot to install. At least 48 hours prior to installation, place the new vinyl plank flooring in the room for acclimation. That is, it would take 21.39 planks to complete the floor. Home office: Rugged and stylish, vinyl plank and vinyl sheet flooring will blend in beautifully in a home office setting while helping to keep costs down. Flooring went down last week and that always takes a project from âwork siteâ to âalmost finishedâ in a hot minute. Vinyl plank flooring is also ideal for high-moisture areas such as bathrooms and basements since the material is completely impervious to water. Vinyl plank flooring is made to look like real wood but skips the large price tag. wide, youâd divide 123 by 5.75, which is 21.39. In this post, we will be providing you with tips on how to install stick down luxury vinyl flooring ⦠Installing Click Lock Vinyl Plank Flooring Trim the short tongue edge from the first vinyl plank. Deane Biermeier is a contractor with 27 years experience in home repair, maintenance, and remodeling. In addition to being waterproof, the vinyl planks had the texture of real wood grain, were heavy enough to feel solid underfoot, and had a convincing look complete with knots and splits. What I found surprised me. Then, flip the board over so that the finished surface is facing down. Run the knife lightly across the face of the plank several times rather than trying to cut it in one pass. (Did I mention my grandson’s penchant for splashing at bath time?) Vinyl sheets are softer and are made of vinyl resting on a backing sheet of fiberglass. Sometimes old underlayment can be reused. Do not install in wet areas like patios and showers, or in exterior areas; Do not install over radiant heat. Plan to stagger rows so that end joints do not fall at the same point for adjacent rows. So we took a trip to the local home center to pick up materials and supplies. Your goal is to create the flattest, smoothest surface possible as the underlayment for the vinyl plank flooring. One thing that hasn’t changed about installing vinyl flooring—or any type of flooring, for the matter—is the need for a perfectly smooth and level underlayment. As with previous rows, join these narrow planks end-to-end, then fold the tongues into the grooves of the previous row. One plank lies flat on the subfloor, while the other plank is held at an angle and placed into the first board's receiving groove. Ring shank nails or staples work well, too. Trade Secrets From the Pros to Make Your Job Easy. If you have a pressure-sensitive adhesive, you should be able to roll to the floor with a paint roller. Installing vinyl plank flooring. In this bathroom, the existing underlayment, which was covered with adhesive from floors past, also had some water damage due to a toilet-seal leak. When using tongue and groove planks, vinyl flooring installation should start in a lefthand corner with the tongue facing the wall. No doubt you bought your vinyl plank flooring as much for ease of installation as you did for its looks. Vinyl plank flooring installation cost is $1.50-$2.75 per square foot for most jobs. Vinyl plank flooring is a great way to upgrade the flooring in any room of your home and is a relatively easy process for installation. A moderate-sized room can easily be covered with vinyl plank flooring with just a few hours of work. At the far wall, the last row of planks may need to be trimmed lengthwise to fit. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Upon dividing the width of the room by the plank width of 6″, we found that the remainder—2-1/2″—would indeed be wide enough. To remove the brads from the trim, pull them straight through the molding from the back side, using pliers. Once the first row is laid, continue across the floor with subsequent rows, first joining the planks end-to-end, then positioning the new row along the edge of the previous row and folding its tongue into the groove of the previous row. Make sure that end joints are staggered so they are at least 6 inches away from the end joints in the previous row. If not, finish the cut by lightly running the utility knife through the fold. But baseboards or shoe moldings will usually obscure this unevenness. You may want to use this opportunity to replace shoe moldings or other trim, especially if the old trim was cracked or damaged when it was removed. How much does the Vinyl Flooring last upto? In our case, we decided with little hesitation to rip out the underlayment and replace it with 1/4″ luan plywood. If the level of the floor has been raised enough, it may be necessary to trim the ends of door case moldings to fit the reduced space. Vinyl plank flooring is flexible enough that it can usually be bent enough to get fit around door frames and other protrusions. The foam backing on the planks also makes this flooring softer underfoot. Today Iâm sharing some tips, tools, and tricks to installing vinyl plank over concrete. Folding the second board until it lies flat and parallel to the first board helps to draw the boards together and lock them in place. While you may find some smaller than this these are the most common two sizes you are likely to find. If the trim is still in good shape after removal, set it aside for re-installation after the floor has been installed. This is the guide for only who loves how to stagger vinyl plank flooring!. Tip: You may install vinyl over vinyl if the existing floor is one layer thick. Installation Preparation Engineered Vinyl Plank Flooring. The brand you choose to go with ⦠These are just a few examples of how you can use vinyl flooring in your home. Prepare the Floor. After working out the area, you need to find oua retailer who offers cheap vinyl plank flooring. If you install it on top of laminate, the vinyl plank flooring will end up uneven and look unprofessional. Of course, there is no sawing involved in vinyl plank flooring. I knew that vinyl flooring had come a long way since the days when I was a young father, but even within the past few years, there have been eye-popping advancements. Fold the plank back. You may Choose to Create a Focus on a Particular Area in the Room The original floor in our Toyhauler was everything but this, so we ended up installing our new planks directly over the new subfloor. How to Install Allure Vinyl Plank Flooring, How to Install Shoe Molding or Quarter-Round Molding, How to Fit Baseboards With Mitered Inside Corners, Vinyl Plank (Luxury Vinyl) Flooring Review: Pros and Cons, How to Save Your Laminate Floors From Water Damage, How to Prepare for Hardwood Floor Installation, How to Choose the Right Subfloor Leveling Techniques, Vinyl vs. Laminate Flooring Comparison Guide. Tips on Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring. As you can see, vinyl flooring is a simple to install, low-cost solution to your flooring needs. Vinyl Plank Flooring Prices Then slowly fold down the cut-out plank until it locks into place with the adjoining plank. If you are laying the flooring over a plywood subfloor, fill any depressions with a floor-leveling compound. You will have to buy the type of flooring material that is suitable for this technique of flooring. The corners and adhesive need to match up just right, and your floors may need an underlayer or a bit of repair before installation. Use a tape measure to establish the exact area and add an allowance of 5 square feet for any emergency during the flooring. Ensure that Walls are Smooth and Clean. Of course, things arenât often ideal in the world of remodeling and some floors need to be fixed before vinyl floor installation. Lengthwise cuts are best made with a utility knife guided by a long straightedge, using multiple passes of the knife until the planks are cut to the desired width. The hole for the toilet drain, and notches for for valves and piping, were cut with a saber saw. During installation, mix planks from different boxes to blend the dye lots and patterns for a more uniform appearance. Start with a full plank at the center, and work to either side, so that cut planks at the ends will be of equal length. 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