Guide for Fitting Vinyl Flooring

  1. Before you start, you will need:
  • To read through the guide before you begin
  • Knife fitted with a hook blade 
  • Bolster
  • Heavy duty double sided vinyl tape    (perimeter fix)
  • Or Vinyl spray adhesive    (perimeter fix)
  • Or a floor covering adhesive like F45    (full stick down)

 

Lets get started.

1. Preparation 

Vinyl flooring must be fitted straight to the sub floor. The subfloor should be smooth. As any imperfection will eventually show itself in the vinyl flooring. If it is a concrete subfloor, it should be levelled with a smoothing compound. If the subfloor is floorboards. Then fitting a plyboard or hardboard is recommended before fitting of the vinyl flooring. You can fit vinyl flooring on top of laminate, providing it is sound and secure.

  1. Remove any existing flooring, underlay, nails and grippers and inspect the floor. If your subfloor needs attention, then we recommend you do so.
  2. Sweep the area to remove any small stones or objects that could pierce your vinyl flooring.
  3. Place your roll of vinyl flooring into the room where you want it fitted and leave it for at least 24 hours, allowing it to acclimatise before fitting. By allowing your vinyl flooring to reach room temperature before fitting, you will get a better fit of the flooring.

** Underlay cannot be fitted under vinyl flooring.

Vinyl Flooring is made to be fitted straight to your sub-floor. It comes with a foam or felt backing, allowing it to absorb the impact from footfall. This backing is usually quite dense, helping to prevent punctures from heeled shoes or furniture. Adding an underlay will decrease this resistance and you could puncture and damage your flooring.

 

2. Opening up and positioning the vinyl flooring

Position your vinyl roll diagonally in your room. You may require assistance with this in the initial stages of positioning. Vinyl can be quite heavy and difficult to manoeuvre, especially if it is a big area.

  1. Unroll the vinyl.
  2. Fold the sides in, so it is ready to position square.
  3. Move the vinyl around 45 degrees and loosely lay it in place where you want it to sit to cover the room.
  4. Check your vinyl will fit into each wall, alcove or doorway. Adjust the vinyl if necessary.
  5. Aim for an extra 5-10cm extra around the edges before you cut anything.
  6. When your happy it will fit everywhere, with  you can move onto fitting.

 

3. Fitting

We recommend using a hook blade.

Start by trimming off any excess vinyl to leave 5 - 10cm and then, in each corner, trim the vinyl upwards, following a vertical cut and fold it into place.

* Use the same process as the corners when fitting around door frames, pipes and any other difficult areas. 

** If your vinyl is over 10m2. A full stick down installation is recommended. Also, areas with heavy traffic, or the possibility of furniture being moved around should be fully stuck down and not partially stuck or loosely laid.

  1. Working in sections, pull back the vinyl flooring and apply your chosen method of securing the vinyl to the subfloor. If you are fitting vinyl for the first time, or are unsure which section to start first, start along your longest wall and work towards your doorway. 
  2. Use a floor roller, or a soft brush would work, you can even do this with your hands, to push out any creases or bubbles.
  3. Once you have made any vertical cuts around obstacles, like door frames, pipes and basins to be able to secure the vinyl flatly onto your chosen fixing method. You can start making some sharp crease lines with your hands, where the skirting meets the floor and finally run your bolster along the crease line to finish. Leaving definitive lines in which to cut along.
  4. With your hook blade in hand, you can now start fitting. Angle your blade at a 45 degree angle and cut along the top of the crease line. Ensure you cut above where the floor meets the skirting so you don't cut it short.
  5. Repeat this process on the remaining wall and sections.

4. Finishing

Silicone

Silicone is useful to seal your vinyl flooring, forming a waterproof barrier. Therefore, it's always a good idea to apply silicone sealant to the edges of a bathroom floor. 

It is also handy to apply to areas where a vinyl has been cut short. Silicones can also be bought in different colours, that can closely match your floor, if needed.

 

Finally, if you need any more advice, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We will be happy to help. There are also some excellent videos on YouTube, showing all aspects of measuring and fitting carpet and vinyl flooring.