Vinyl is a popular flooring option for budget and style-conscious homeowners everywhere. It’s durable, easy to clean, and comes in a variety of styles and designs.
It’s one of the easiest types of flooring to install, which makes it an ideal choice for do-it-yourselfers. But before you dive in, it’s important to know how to properly install your new floor.

Vinyl flooring is a popular choice for many homeowners looking to upgrade their homes. Whether it’s for a kitchen or bathroom, vinyl flooring is an easy way to add style and durability to your home.
The most important step in the installation process is proper floor preparation. Taking the time to prepare your subfloor properly can prevent common problems like visible high spots, adhesive failure, and buckling or gapping.
First, the subfloor must be level and completely free of grit, dust, grease, oil, and old adhesive. This will help the new flooring install better and faster.
Next, it’s important to remove any trim work, such as quarter round or shoe molding. This will make the installation easier and allow the planks to slide easily underneath your door jambs.
Once the subfloor is prepped, you’ll want to lay down a moisture barrier underlayment over it. This will protect your new flooring from moisture, which can cause color changes to your floors over time. It will also provide a more comfortable surface underfoot.
After the underlayment is laid, you can begin installing your new vinyl floor. Use the manufacturer’s instructions for installing your particular product and follow their recommendations for the best way to install your new floor.
You can choose from three types of vinyl flooring: sheet, tile, or plank. Luxury vinyl tile and plank (LVTP) offer a higher quality and more durable option than sheet flooring. But sheet vinyl still has its place in some applications, especially where a waterproof surface is essential.
If you’re installing sheet vinyl, measure the room where it will go and then pre-cut your roll to fit. This will make it easier to install and save you money in the long run by avoiding multiple cuts as the material relaxes.
When laying sheet vinyl around a curved object, such as a toilet pedestal or sink, you can use a paper template to guide your cuts. To make a template, cut a number of slits 1-2cm wide along one edge of the paper.
For more accurate cuts, use a sharp hook-bladed knife to carefully hold the sheet vinyl hard against your skirting boards or fitments, using a steel rule as a reference.
Underlayment is a critical part of the vinyl flooring installation process, and it’s important to understand the different types of underlayment and how they can benefit your project. A good underlayment will add cushion, help reduce noise, and protect your flooring from moisture. It will also keep your floors from sagging and cracking.
Several kinds of underlayment are available, including plywood, foam, and oriented strand board (OSB). Some are designed specifically for the specific needs of luxury vinyl planks and tiles. Plywood is a popular choice for its moisture-resistant properties, and it’s easy to install on most subfloors.
A sheet of plywood, which is usually about 4×8 feet in size, is an excellent choice for most subfloors, even those with thin floors such as vinyl. However, it may not be the best option for sound-absorbing purposes. Instead, try to use an underlay that’s made of a material with high acoustic properties, such as rubber or cork.
Another popular type of underlayment is vinyl tile. These tiles, which are about 2×2 feet in size, offer the same benefits as plywood underlayment, but they’re also waterproof. They’re especially helpful for vinyl flooring installed in bathrooms and kitchens, where a lot of water is often present.
When buying underlayment for vinyl floors, look at the product’s recommendations to ensure that you’re getting the right underlay. Generally, the manufacturer’s recommendations will be more thorough than a salesperson’s recommendation.
One of the most common mistakes people make when buying underlayment is to choose a thickness that’s too thick for their floors. This can cause the flooring to flex too much, which may break the locking system of the flooring or result in an uneven subfloor.
The underlayment’s thickness is also important for acoustic reasons. You can read through acoustic test reports online to find out which underlayments are most effective for your floor.
Some underlayments are also designed to help absorb impact noise, such as footsteps. This is especially helpful for multi-story buildings or areas with a lot of traffic.
Underlayment can also help improve acoustics by reducing the amount of sound that passes through walls and ceilings. This can help create a more comfortable environment for everyone in your home or office.
Vinyl planks are a popular choice for homeowners who love the look of wood flooring but don’t want to pay a high price for it. They’re virtually maintenance-free and can be installed in almost any room. The best vinyl planks have a wear layer that resists scratches and stains and can be cleaned with a simple mop or cleaner.
Choosing the right plank is an important step in the installation process. You should consider the length and width of the planks, as well as the thickness of the wear layer. While you might be tempted to select the thickest possible option, you should weigh whether or not it will be durable enough for your needs.
Once you have chosen your planks, the next step is to cut them. You’ll need to do this to make the final planks fit into the floor plan. Depending on the room’s size and shape, you may need to angle the first row of planks so that they fit evenly on the wall. You can make this a smooth and easy process by using a piece of paper as a stencil.
You’ll also need to make the necessary cuts to accommodate door jambs and other irregularities. These cuts can be tricky to handle and are sometimes better made with a table saw or a circular saw.
To start, measure the length of your room’s longest wall. This will serve as your template for the rest of the wall, and it will ensure that all of the planks you’ll cut for the project are at least equal in length.
Use this measurement as a guide to creating an accurate cut, then score and snap the planks along the line. Then, lay the planks across the wall, leaving the manufacturer-recommended amount of expansion space between the wall and the plank’s edge.
Repeat this process for all the walls in your room. When you’re done, your flooring layout should be complete. If you’ve decided to stagger the ends of the planks at the ends of each row, cut the border planks as needed.
If you have a room that requires a new floor, vinyl flooring installation can be a great way to refresh your space without spending a lot of money. It is a fairly simple project and is easy for anyone to learn how to install.
Before you start installing your new vinyl, you must make sure that the subfloor is completely prepared and level. This means it should be clean, dry, and free of grit, dust, grease, or oil. The floor should also be free of old adhesive and dampness that may cause color changes in your floor.
When the floor is completely prepared, you can begin laying down your vinyl planks. If you are using peel-and-stick or tongue-and-groove flooring, use the adhesive that comes with your vinyl to secure the first plank in place. For other types of flooring, use a roller to flatten the adhesive against your substrate.
Once you have placed the first plank, lay down another in a similar manner until the entire wall is covered. You should be able to snap the tongue edge of each plank into the groove edge of the previous one to create a tight fit.
The direction you want the planks to run will also have an impact on your finished design. For example, if you have a long, narrow room and your windows allow the sun’s light to enter through one side, you may find that the design of your vinyl floors looks more attractive when they follow the direction of the light.
If your rooms have a variety of structural features, like stairs or cabinets, you might want the direction of the planks to flow around them. This will help create a cohesive look in the room and make fitting and cutting easier.
For large, well-lit rooms, it’s best to lay your rolls of sheet vinyl flooring parallel to the incoming light. This will keep your room’s design from feeling cluttered, especially in long and narrow spaces.

Kathleen Werner