How to install vinyl flooring?
Are you rebuilding or renovating your home? Have you chosen one of our beautiful vinyl floors because of its warm colors, unique patterns, and original motifs? Well done! Then you can easily install it yourself. How do you go about it? We will explain step by step how to install a vinyl floor in your bedroom, living room, or kitchen. Installing vinyl floor is very easy.
You should always start by preparing the subfloor or surface of the room. If the existing floor is cork, linoleum, carpet, or vinyl, it’s essential that you remove it. If the floor is tiled, concrete, or quarry tiled, it needs to be smoothed out with a leveling compound. If the floor is made from timber, engineered wood, or particle board, you must check that all the planks are secured and, of course, that the top surface is even.
What do you need to install a vinyl floor?
The installation of a cushioned vinyl floor requires a limited number of tools and materials. What is needed?
- A sharp knife with a straight blade or a hook blade
- Soft brush
- Convex steel ruler for straight cutting
- Masking tape
- Moisture meter
- Vinyl flooring adhesive
- Cold welding liquid
- Your Beauflor vinyl roll
The installation process
Leave your roll of vinyl in the room where it is to be fitted for at least 24 hours before fitting, so it can adjust to the room temperature. When you encounter an outside corner, cut away from the corner at 45° then trim away the excess vinyl, leaving 50 mm – 100 mm turned up at the skirting boards. When you encounter an inside corner, push the vinyl firmly down into the joint, fold back the edge, and cut off the surplus.
How do you join two pieces of vinyl?
If you are laying vinyl over a large area, you might need to join two pieces together. Let one piece of vinyl overlap the other by 35 to 50 mm or until the pattern matches, then cut through both pieces of vinyl with your steel ruler and blade. Once they are lined up perfectly, fold back the edges one at a time and use adhesive to stick them to the floor. Press down firmly to secure in place and leave until it is touch dry. Apply masking tape over the seam and cut the tape at the seam. Now, apply the welding liquid in the seam and remove the masking tape.
What are the advantages of installing a vinyl floor?
- The main advantage for many people is that a vinyl floor is hygienic and easy to clean.
making it the ideal floor for homes with families or people with allergies. - Vinyl flooring can look just like a traditional floor made from ceramic tiles, timber, or wood, without the additional cost of the materials and the disadvantage of being difficult to clean.
- All Beauflor vinyl floors are suitable for use in combination with underfloor heating systems, given that the heating system has been installed properly.
- Cushioned vinyl floors are easy to install. Many DIYers are comfortable installing the floor themselves. However, we advise you to contact a professional installer to get a perfect result and a high-quality installation.
- The surface temperature of the floor should never be allowed to exceed 27°C. In the case of electrical floor heating, we advise you not to exceed 60W/m². For more detailed instructions, please read our installation manual.
Protecting your new vinyl floor
Please take the following precautions to protect your new vinyl floor. Furniture should not be placed on the floor until the adhesive has had adequate time to dry (at least 24 hours, ideally 72 hours). Always move heavy furniture and appliances with care to avoid damaging or tearing the floor:
- Lay strips of plywood or hardboard panels on the floor.
- Roll, “walk” or slide heavy items onto the strips.
- Make sure furniture legs have non-staining floor protectors.
- Replace small, narrow metal or dome-shaped glides with smooth, flat glides that are in flat contact with the floor. Glides should be equipped with self-adhesive felt pads to avoid scratching the surface of the floor.
- The pads should be checked periodically for grit and wear and replaced when necessary.
- Always place mats at outside entrances to prevent dirt, grit and soil from being tracked onto your floor. Don’t put rubber-backed mats on your floor.
Important: Please do not use:
- Rubber-backed mats or other rubber objects, as they may permanently stain your floor.
- Heat-producing appliances (refrigerators, hot air-emitting devices…) or cigarettes and matches, as they can scorch, burn, or discolor your floor.
- Spiked heels on floor coverings can leave permanent damage.
Within the first 72 hours after installation
Do not let any water lie on the floor for the first 72 hours after installation, or until such time as all the seams are welded. Hereafter the adhesive is sufficiently resistant to water so that the bonding strength will not be affected. During the service life of the floor, the temperature should never fall below 13°C. The performance of the flooring material and adhesives can be adversely affected below this minimum temperature.
Vinyl flooring can be installed by anyone!
You can install cushion vinyl almost anywhere: in the living room, bedroom, or even in bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. However, some adhesives used for installation are water-soluble and should not be exposed to water for an extended period of time. Vinyl is not only a durable and practical product, but it is also easy to install. Whether it’s a vinyl floor for the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, attic, or living room, it’s very easy to do; just follow these basic guidelines. Please feel free to check our installation videos in the support section.
There is a vinyl floor available for every room in your home, whether it is your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or living room. Beauflor vinyl floors come in the most amazing range of colors and patterns. Any kind of interior can be perfectly finished with our vinyl flooring. Our rolls are available up to 5 meters wide, making them suitable for practically any type of room. You will certainly find what you are looking for in contact us if you require more information.
