Allan and Sons

INSTALL VINYL FLOORING

With so many options available today, resilient vinyl is one of the most popular floor coverings for your home or office. Below are the essential things you’ll need to know during your vinyl installation.

Vinyl is installed in one of three ways depending on the type of vinyl you choose:

• Homogeneous Sheet Vinyl – Installed with full spread adhesive (the vinyl is completely glued to the subfloor).
• Vinyl Tiles/Planks – Secured to the subfloor with a factory applied adhesive (peel-and-stick vinyl), with tab or spray adhesive or with full spread adhesive.
• Heterogeneous Sheet Vinyl – Installed as a loose lay (floating) floor, a semi-loose lay (only secured at specific points) or with full spread adhesive.

Tools And Materials

You will need most of the general tools and materials below plus anything specific for your installation method.

• Chalk line (for tiles)
  
• Full spread adhesive or spray adhesive
• Notched trowel
• Vinyl tile cutter/knife
• Tape measure
• Flooring roller (160lbs)

Preparing The Floor

• Vinyl can be installed above wood (plywood, plyboard and OSB board) subfloors and concrete subfloors on any grade level.
• If approved by the manufacturer, vinyl can be installed over radiant heating systems and existing vinyl or linoleum. Remove all other floor coverings. However, do not remove any existing flooring if you find asbestos. Follow all local government guidelines when handling and/or disposing of asbestos.
• All subfloors and existing flooring must be structurally sound, level and dry.
• Some floors require an underlayment for stability. Only use underlayment grade plywood, 6mm plywood is the recommended choice.
• Do not use lesser quality plywoods as they are not dimensionally stable enough to support the floor. These types of plywoods could have hollow spots (which will cause soft spots in the floor) or could delaminate (which will cause your vinyl to bubble).
• For concrete slabs, perform all moisture tests as directed by the manufacturer. This may include a Polyethylene, Calcium Chloride, and pH Alkalinity test. Follow all your manufacturer’s recommendations if your subfloor has excess moisture.
• Ensure your subfloor is level and free from all dips, valleys or imperfections (such as drywall mud, paint overspray, etc.). Scrape your subfloor clean. Sand down any high areas. Use self-leveling compound to level all low areas.
• Allow your vinyl to acclimatize to your installation area. Follow all the manufacturer’s recommendations for room temperature (both before and during the installation) and acclimatization time.
• If desired, undercut door casings in the installation area.
• Remove all molding, if desired. In some cases, you can leave molding in place and either install the vinyl under the molding or install the vinyl almost flush with existing molding.
• Remove and set all doors asides, especially if working with sheet vinyl.
• Remove all toilets if working in a bathroom.
• Sweep and/or vacuum your floor before installing your vinyl.
• Always install safely using the proper safety equipment. Follow all manufacturer safety recommendations.

Tips And Tricks

• When possible, use the same brand adhesive as the vinyl to ensure compatibility.
• Some vinyl will expand slightly width-wise and shrink slightly length-wise. Always follow your manufacturer’s recommendations for expansion spacing. Some manufacturers recommend leaving an expansion space while others do not.
• If using a full spread adhesive, always wear gloves.
• If using sheet vinyl, do not unroll the vinyl until you are ready to cut and install it.
• Do not store your vinyl in direct sunlight.
• “Hook blades” work well for trimming vinyl in place. These work with any standard utility knife and can be purchased at most home improvement stores.
• When trimming vinyl along walls, use a scrap piece of wood to create a crease in the vinyl along the wall. Cut along the crease.
• Cut vertically from top to bottom when trimming vinyl on outside corners.
• Cut “V” shapes in the vinyl when trimming on inside corners until the vinyl lays flat along both walls.
• Place heavy objects on the vinyl during trimming and gluing to ensure the material does not shift before it is secured to the subfloor.
• If you install a peel-and-stick vinyl tile/plank incorrectly, heat it with a heat gun or hair dryer and quickly move it into the correct position.
• Always roll vinyl which has been fully adhered to the subfloor.

If installing a plywood underlayment, keep these things in mind:

• Stagger sheets so seams are at least 12” from any seams in the subfloor.
• Leave a 1/8” expansion perimeter around the whole room.
• Leave between 1/16” and 1/32” expansion gap between underlayment sheets. Fill with leveling compound, then sand so the whole floor is level and flat.
• Place factory edges to factory edges when possible.
• Use ¼” crown divergent, galvanized staples spaced 4” apart in the field and 2” apart at all seams. (Some manufacturer’s recommend using 1 ¼” 3d ring shank nails.)
• Let the underlayment acclimatize for 24 hours before beginning your vinyl installation.

Homogeneous (single layer) Vinyl
Use this method when you are working in a small area with few obstacles that will require only one sheet of vinyl.
1. Measure your installation area. Add 3 inches to each of your measurements.
2. Cut out your sheet vinyl based on your measurements.
3. Place the vinyl in the installation area. Trim away all excess around walls and obstacles.
4. Roll one half of the vinyl back and secure with a weight.
5. Apply the adhesive to the subfloor or perimeter as directed by the manufacturer.
6. Unroll and lay the vinyl into the adhesive. Apply pressure from the center to the edges. Roll the floor with a 160-lb roller as directed by the manufacturer.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for the other half of the vinyl.
8. Re-roll the entire floor as directed by the manufacturer.

Heterogeneous (multi layer) Vinyl
Heterogeneous vinyl can be installed as a loose-lay (floating) floor, a semi-loose lay (secured only along adjacent walls) floor or with full spread adhesive. Always follow your flooring manufacturer’s recommendations with regard to seams. Some loose lay vinyl floors cannot have seams.
If you are installing your vinyl with a full spread adhesive, follow all the same installation steps as for homogeneous sheet vinyl.
Use these procedures to install a loose lay vinyl floor without seams.
1. Measure your installation area. Add 3 inches to each of your measurements.
2. Cut out your sheet vinyl based on your measurements.
3. Place the vinyl in the installation area. Carefully, trim away any excess around obstacles and walls.