When your indoor floors need some sprucing up, one option is sheet vinyl flooring. Pat and Jodi show how it's installed.
Underlayment
- Before we installed the underlayment, we had to clear out our area, starting with the appliances. You may want to rent a moving dolly or appliance dolly to help get your appliances in and out of the room. We also removed the quarter round from around the entire room using a prybar and hammer. Be sure you protect your eyes with safety glasses.
- We used 2-1/2" ring shank nails to install the plywood. You could use screws or staples. If you use nails, like we did, make sure they have a wide head to better hold the floor in place, and make sure the heads do not protrude above the plywood . When laying the underlayment, be sure to stagger the joints and seams, making sure you don't have four corners meeting in the same place. As you are staggering the joints, space them about 1/8" apart to allow for expansion without buckling . If you're laying your new floor over an existing floor, you have to think about the doors and door casings. You may have to cut the bottom of the casing in order to properly lay the flooring. Use a jamb saw to make these cuts.
- After we had all of the underlayment in place, we went ahead and skimmed over our seams and nail heads. This is a relatively easy step, but it is extremely important to help ensure that we have a smooth surface for the flooring to adhere to.
- Finally, you'll need to sweep the floor thoroughly. You have to get everything up, or it will show in your finished product.
- Before installing the new floor, walk over the underlayment to test for squeaks . Now is the time to silence any squeaks--before the new floor goes down.
Install the Vinyl
To install the vinyl, you first have to get a basic fit for the room. Leave some excess around the perimeter. You'll get your exact cuts later. If your floor has a pattern or lines, make sure you're flooring is laid out properly. In the corners we put down masking tape to keep the flooring from accidentally splitting while we continue trimming the remaining vinyl. If you're unsure of your cuts, cut a small amount at a time. It's also a good idea to replace the blades often to keep your knife sharp.
Be careful when working with adhesives. Many adhesives are flammable and can cause skin irritation. Be sure to wear gloves. Adhesives may also produce harmful vapors so be sure you provide adequate ventilation in your work area. Depending on the type of adhesive you use You may want to wear a respirator, especially if the manufacturer recommends it. . Be sure to read and follow all of the manufacturer's instructions . You will also need to roll over all of the vinyl where it comes in contact with the glue. If you were gluing down the entire floor you would need to use a hundred pound vinyl roller over the entire surface. We finished our floor installation by stapling along all of our flat wall surfaces.
We didn't have any seams, but if you do, there are several ways handle this. Overlap the two pieces that will butt together, until you get a pattern match. Draw a line in the middle of the overlap and tape the pieces together. Cut through the tape and both layers. Butt the edges together perfectly and use a vinyl seam sealer to weld the pieces together.
To finish the project and hide the spaces between the floor and walls, you can use caulk or a base trim such as shoe mold. You'll also want to put the thresholds back on at this time.
Finally, replace your appliances. Be especially careful when doing this--believe it or not, this is the time when most damage occurs to new floors.
* If you're working with a felt-backed floor, once all of the floor is glued down , you'll need to roll out any bubbles. Start in the middle and roll out to the edges .
* Maintenance for vinyl floors is a breeze. Because the upper layers are plastic , spills are cleaned by just wiping them up. If you keep the floors clean and free of grit, these floors can last for many years.
