How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring – that’s the question which we are going to give you the aswer to. The flooring market is growing rapidly. If five years ago no one heard of vinyl floors, today this material has gained great popularity. First of all, this is due to the versatility of quartz-vinyl coatings. They are not afraid of water, and are resistant to dirt, mechanical damage. They can be installed in all types of premises. Therefore, the question of laying vinyl laminate has become more relevant than ever.
Table of Contents
- All About Vinyl Flooring
- Types of vinyl flooring
- What is luxury vinyl plank flooring?
- Installing vinyl plank flooring
- Сost to install vinyl plank flooring
- Installing Vinyl Flooring on Stairs: Pros and Cons
- Video how to install vinyl plank flooring
All About Vinyl Flooring
Luxury Vinyl is a durable and affordable option for new vinyl flooring in your home.
It’s more resilient than other flooring surfaces & will end up saving you money in maintenance & replacement costs in the long run. Contact us to see the different luxury vinyl styles we offer. pic.twitter.com/kM9O2cMPK9
— Barefoot Flooring (@barefoot_floor) December 8, 2021
Waterproof vinyl floors are installed in the bathroom, hallway, and kitchen. The flooring has excellent functional characteristics and looks good in modern interiors. The surface retains its ideal appearance for a long period. To preserve the gloss and maintain the quality of the material, vinyl must be properly cared for. How to do this – we will tell you in the article.
How to clean vinyl floors
The surface of the vinyl floor is dense and smooth, but there is a soft layer underneath. This gives the flooring elasticity and warmth. The coating will not lose its gloss if you provide proper care.
Vinyl breaks down when it gets dirty. Grains of sand, small stones that are brought in by shoes, damage the protective layer of the material. Dry your soles thoroughly before entering the house, or take off your shoes on a special rug. In the maintenance of a vinyl floor, the following are important:
Consistency. It is recommended to remove debris from the flooring daily, because the accumulated sand acts like an abrasive. Before washing, thoroughly sweep away any dirt using a broom, soft brush or vacuum cleaner. Shake off dust in the corners.
Detergents. Vinyl requires wet cleaning, but it is better to purchase a special product for this coating. Avoid wax-containing substances.
A vinegar solution. Before starting the main wet cleaning, wipe the floors with a vinegar solution (1 glass of vinegar for 0.5 buckets of water). The composition is harmless and gives a glossy shine. You can add a few drops of jojoba oil to the mixture.
The main step for cleaning a vinyl floor
If the use of vinegar does not help to cope with the contamination, you should resort to more serious methods. About 50 ml of liquid soap is poured into the solution: this makes it easier to wash the stains. A soft nylon bristle brush is also recommended. Suitable cleaning methods need to be used in different situations:
Scuffs. In this case, you can use the same jojoba oil or spray lubricant. They are applied to a rag and rubbed in the right place. If the damage is very deep, then the tiles will have to be replaced.
Spots. The thick soda gruel will help wash away wine or food stains. It must be applied to a damp cloth and scrubbed until the stain dissolves. Alcohol copes with ink, pencil, and cosmetics.
What not to do with vinyl
The surface of the vinyl is quite delicate and should not be rubbed hard. The characteristic shine can be lost if the flooring is cleaned with a tooth (or other hard) brush. Cleaning powders with coarse abrasive particles are also not recommended, as are aggressive chemicals.
Do not flood the floors with water: this spoils the glue, with the help of which the material is fixed to the base. Minor gaps remain between the slabs, it is through them that moisture gets to the lower tiers of the vinyl. Wipe off liquid from the surface with a dry cloth.
Over time, the flooring can be pushed through by the furniture legs. To prevent such a defect, attach special pads-pads to the products. As a rule, they are made from dense felt. Furniture on wheels is dangerous: you risk cutting through the flooring.
Types of vinyl flooring
What types of vinyl flooring are there?
Vinyl flooring is a modern PVC flooring. Great news: vinyl no longer has anything to do with cheap looking PVC roll goods. There is a huge variety of vinyl today, with wood and stone decors looking more authentic than ever before. Numerous installation methods provide a solution for almost all substrates.
The general term “vinyl flooring” includes:
- homogeneous PVC: consists of one material
- heterogeneous PVC: contains several layers of different materials
- Floor covering CV: foam floor with structured surface
- LVT or designer floor: quality PVC with thoughtful decor
All floors are often referred to under the general term “designer floor”.
Uniform PVC flooring
PVC Flooring , the new generation Flooring, easy install, easy maintenance pic.twitter.com/0S1oxReFIJ
— FOROREE (@FororeeFloor) December 12, 2021
Homogeneous floor coverings are produced in sheet form. They are considered single layer coatings because they consist of the same material composition. The share of PVC is up to 55%, then this includes plasticizers and fillers, pigments and additives – about 20%. During the mixing process, the composition is uniformly mixed and rolled into sheets with strong heating using a rolling process.
Its extremely durable properties make it an ideal floor covering for public spaces such as hospitals, schools and other high traffic buildings.
Heterogeneous PVC flooring
Uneven PVC flooring consists of several layers. Basically this is the so-called wear layer and the underlying layers or carrier materials. The latter serve to stabilize the coating. The top layer contains most of the PVC and is responsible for the durability. The lower layers are enriched with fillers such as chalk, stabilizers and additives.
Heterogeneous floor coverings are inferior in strength to homogeneous PVC coverings. Therefore, they are more often used in the private sector. The service life is critically dependent on the wear layer.
The seamy side of a non-uniform floor covering is often firmly connected with fabric or jute, which is why it is also called a composite covering.
Heterogeneous PVC floor coverings without load-bearing material are produced in the form of so-called sheet materials in rolls from 100 to 400 cm wide. But there are also tile formats that are mostly square. Woodgrain decors are made in a long board format.
PVC heterogeneous floors can also be equipped with a backing plate and a snap-on system. Unlike sheet materials, they are laid on the subfloor without gluing.
How flexible a vinyl floor is depends on the amount of plasticizer added.
CV flooring (foam flooring)
CV is an abbreviation for Cushioned Vinyls, which translates to expanded (soft) vinyl. The composition of CV flooring is similar to that of heterogeneous or homogeneous flooring. CV floor coverings differ from dissimilar and homogeneous floor coverings primarily in terms of production and properties.
While the intermediate or backing layer is foamed with pre-embossed decor contours, the subsequent decorative print provides the desired look. Transparent PVC forms a wear-resistant wear layer and makes the floor wear-resistant.
CV covers are soft, warm, waterproof and easy to clean. They are also comparatively cheap. These are the reasons why floor CVs are so widespread in private homes.
However, the possibilities for CV flooring are limited: for example, it is only available on a roll. Heavy objects leave pressure marks on it and the material is more sensitive than other resilient floor coverings to sharp objects such as knives.
Designer coatings
The term “designer flooring” has a broad definition, after all, all artificially created floors are designer flooring. They are equipped with the desired natural or abstract design. It is not said which product category the designer floor now belongs to.
The term “designer floors” came from the professional sector and meant a particularly high quality, non-uniform synthetic floor. Many manufacturers today like to use the term “designer flooring” to make it easier to bring their replacement products to market.
A feature of designer coatings is a wide variety of formats, classes of use and, above all, design. As for the appearance, almost everything is conceivable: mainly decors from wood and stone are offered, but abstract patterns or metallic optics are also possible. You can also create a very natural design with this artificial floor or create and combine a very special design. Achieving a quality, beautiful ambience with this flooring is easy and simple.
At the same time, these floor coverings can be used in almost all areas. Design floors are also popular because they can withstand extreme conditions.
Note: Not every product offered as a CV surface has these properties. You can count on quality products from market leaders and, in particular, from well-known manufacturers.
There are various designs among designer flooring that can be installed in different ways.
What is luxury vinyl plank flooring?
LVT – luxury vinyl tiles
The acronym stands for Luxury Vinyl Tile and translates to luxury vinyl tile or plank. This is how a high quality vinyl floor is described. In essence, it is a premium vinyl backed design floor (vinyl floor) that allows for a wide range of exclusive designs.
It doesn’t matter if the vinyl floor is adhesive or floating. All options are available here.
Installing vinyl plank flooring
Two ways of sheet vinyl flooring installation:
- Using lock connections
- By gluing
How to cut vinyl flooring
A clerical or construction knife is used to cut a vinyl floor, but it is even more convenient and faster to cut PVC tiles with ordinary metal scissors! Quartz vinyl tiles can be cut not only in a straight line, but using templates of any complexity without the use of special tools. Thanks to this, along the heating pipes or around the column, quartz vinyl is cut quickly and with maximum accuracy.
Cutting technology:
– we attach a previously prepared template or – – we outline the direction of cutting;
– cut through the upper polyurethane layer;
– we break the quartz base with minimal effort.
How to lay vinyl flooring with locks
If you have a vinyl interlocking floor in front of you, the sheet vinyl flooring installation process is practically no different from installing a conventional laminate. Depending on the specific model of pvc floor, installation can take place by simply snapping the panels together without or with padding. In modern vinyl castle floors, the most “advanced” and reliable locks are used, so the installation process will not cause any special problems.
Tip: Be very careful with the base. It must be perfectly clean and free of drops.
Do you need a vinyl floor underlay?
Yes, if the cover is interlocking and does not have its own integrated backing. For example, the Krono Original vinyl floor from the Krono Xonic line does not need an additional underlay, since it is already on its bottom.
In other cases, it is necessary to use a special vinyl underlay.
Laying vinyl laminate by gluing
The base of the floor must be perfectly flat and clean. So by using vinyl flooring glue you will have a perfect result. A special adhesive backing can be used to glue vinyl tiles. Otherwise, we recommend using a special vinyl adhesive. After gluing one lamella, you will have about 10-15 minutes to make adjustments.
Vinyl flooring tools
Depending on the type of pvc tiles, certain tools can be used:
* Special knife for cutting vinyl laminate
* Wedges (spacers-restraints)
* Padding block
* Roulette
* Ruler and pencil
* Special backing (if needed)
* Vinyl adhesive (if needed)
* Roller
Laying vinyl floors on linoleum
Well-adhered linoleum can be an acceptable base for laying vinyl interlocks. The main thing is to make sure that there are no drops and the base is even.
We do not recommend using linoleum as a base for laying adhesive vinyl floors. In this case, it is worth removing the old coating, leveling the floor, pouring the screed.
Laying vinyl laminate on wood floor
A wooden floor can serve as a valid base for laying quartz vinyl flooring on it. The same rules apply here: cleanliness, absence of cracks, dents, dust and dirt. The wooden floor must first be covered with a vinyl underlay.
Laying pvc tiles on laminate
Installation of quartz-vinyl pvc tiles on a laminate is allowed, provided that the standard requirements are met:
* Solid and level base
* Absence of defects in the laminate floor (bumps, irregularities)
* Stability of the structure (the laminate should not “walk”)
Laying quartz vinyl on uneven floors
Can pvc tiles be laid on uneven floors? Yes, if it is an adhesive coating. This vinyl laminate is very flexible and durable. It will easily take the shape of a bump. There remains only a question of aesthetic perception of the resulting result.
Vinyl laminate wall decoration
Vinyl flooring is highly regarded for its versatility. It has become fashionable to decorate walls with this material. The advantages of using quartz-vinyl wall coverings are mass:
* Simple and quick installation
* Surface water resistance
* Easy to clean
Thanks to the above benefits, vinyl flooring is ideal as a backsplash skin in the kitchen. More and more often the walls in the bathroom and toilet are “sewn up” with vinyl floors.
Materials and preparation
Before laying pvc tiles
- Packed packs should lie down in the room where styling will take place for at least 48 hours
- Pay special attention to the base. It should be perfectly flat, clean and dry.
- Laying vinyl floors on soft substrates is strictly prohibited.
- It is not worth using additional moisture-protective impregnations. Vinyl coverings are completely waterproof.
Which direction to install vinyl plank flooring?
The vinyl floors are modern and the interiors are dominated by wood flooring. To make the wood structure on the individual vinyl panels stand out as much as possible, it is good to choose the direction of installation in accordance with the appearance of the room. Here are some simple tips to help you choose the right direction.
- Lay vinyl panels parallel to your main light source, usually a window. The light will hit the longer side of the parts and appear to be slightly longer. In addition, the wood decor stands out well.
- Follow the same installation direction in all rooms. This is practical and looks better than choosing a different direction in every room.
- Lay the vinyl floor parallel to the stairs. This will preserve the beautiful lines, and if the staircase is decorated with the same decor, everything will perfectly create a beautiful interior for you.
- Lay parallel to the balcony and French (panoramic) windows. Here, too, the view is better when the line of the balcony or windows matches the floor.
- Align the direction of the floor with the door frames. This is especially useful if the transition strip has the same decor as the floor.
If it is not possible to comply with all of the above rules in the entire interior, select the installation according to the most frequently used room. Typically, the direction of the masonry will depend on the masonry in the living room.
Сost to install vinyl plank flooring
If you do not want to install diy vinyl plank flooring, you can turn to specialists. But remember, it won’t be as cheap as you think. Here are some prices for this kind of work
Vinyl plank flooring price per m2
Average market value of sheet vinyl flooring installation in 2021
* Laying pvc tiles longitudinally (per m2) – from 5 to – 7 $
* Laying pvc tiles diagonally (per m2) – from 5 to 7 $
Installing Vinyl Flooring on Stairs: Pros and Cons
Pros
✔ Water resistance. The coating remains stable against changes in temperature and humidity, as well as in direct contact with water. The melted snow will simply dry out without penetrating the structure of the flooring!
✔ Sealed joints. Water will not penetrate under vinyl tiles: adhesive installation.
✔ Anti-slip surface. The top layer is embossed to prevent slipping even when wet.
✔ Easy to cut. Unlike porcelain stoneware, you only need a sharp construction knife to cut PVC plates!
✔ Cutting for complex layouts. The staircase can have a complex shape, which is difficult to cut into ceramic tiles. Quartz Vinyl is easy to cut according to a curvilinear layout.
✔ Maximum wear resistance. The upper polyurethane layer 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm thick provides reliable protection against abrasion.
✔ Light weight. Vinyl tiles are much lighter than any other finishing material for stairs: concrete fill, stone floor, porcelain stoneware.
✔ Easy maintenance. Moisture resistant quartz vinyl can be washed, vacuumed, wiped clean, and cleaned with a steam mop. Thanks to antibacterial treatments, microbes do not multiply on the surface, and colorants do not penetrate the structure of the floor covering.
✔ Design value. The appearance of the PVC tiles is determined by the decorative layer (high definition digital printing): hundreds of realistic imitations of precious woods and stone floors. The top layer has the characteristic embossing or brushing of the Vinilam Ceramo stone laminate.
Cons
– Thorough preparation of the base. Adhesive quartz vinyl tiles require a perfectly flat, dry, clean and waterproof installation surface. Details on the preparation of the sub-floor for quartz vinyl.
– Only concrete stairs with monolithic steps. Quartz vinyl is only suitable for stairs with sturdy treads to which the plates can be glued.
Video how to install vinyl plank flooring
Source: Homedepot / Wikiwand.com
