Installing Vinyl Flooring

Materials:

tape measure
vinyl flooring template kit
pry bar
hammer
luan
pneumatic stapler
circular saw
jigsaw
plywood
safety glasses
dust mask
belt sander
sheet vinyl flooring
flooring adhesive
large tarp
notched trowel
straight edge
towels

1. Draw a rough sketch of the kitchen layout, measure the space and transfer the measurements to the drawing (figure A). For rooms with multiple small areas, it works best to figure the square footage for each of the areas individually and then add your totals together. Add 10 percent to your total to account for any waste you may have.

3. Place the first full sheet of luan and secure it to the floor with staples (figure B). Place staples about every six inches along the edge and eight inches in the center.

4. Transfer pattern to the luan. Put on safety glasses and dust mask, then cut plywood sheets for the underlayment to fit. Use a jigsaw for smaller and more intricate cuts.

5. Attach the final pieces of underlayment to the floor (figure C) and then check along all of the seams and light sand any rough or uneven areas.

6. Place the first sheet of pattern paper flat on the floor about 1/4-inch away from the walls. Cut small triangular holes in the paper and place masking tape over the cutout holes to keep the paper from moving. Continue placing the paper over the floor overlapping the adjoining pieces of the pattern and taping them together.

8. Carefully roll up the pattern paper. Unroll the sheet vinyl, design side up, onto a tarp placed on the driveway and then unroll the paper pattern on top of the flooring. Tape the pattern to the flooring through the cutout holes.

10. Cut the pattern in the vinyl using the hook knife supplied with the template kit (figure F). Carefully turn the entire sheet of vinyl over and roll it up. Keep the paper template on to help protect the surface. Take the flooring into the kitchen and unroll it to test the fit.

11. Remove the paper template from the flooring and then began preparing the new vinyl floor. Carefully pull back about half of the flooring and make certain the subfloor is free of any debris (figure G).

12. Apply the adhesive to the sub-floor by pouring some onto the underlayment and then spreading it across the floor with a notched trowel. Be sure to spread a uniform coat over the area without leaving any globs of glue and spread the adhesive into all of the nooks and corners (figure H).

13. Carefully lay the flooring onto the adhesive, pressing it down firmly and then use a 100-pound roller to insure that the flooring is well seated into the adhesive and that there are no air bubbles under the flooring (figure I). Repeat the same process on the remaining floor until completing the main kitchen area.

14. To join pieces, pull up one side of the smaller piece of the flooring and apply adhesive to the underlayment. Lay the flooring down and press it firmly into the adhesive.

15. Set the straight edge directly in the center of the grout line and use a sharp utility knife to cut through both pieces of the flooring. Lift the top piece and remove the excess from the bottom piece of vinyl.

17. Use a wet towel to clean off any adhesive that makes its way through the seam and then roll over the entire area with the 100-pound roller.

18. Use a sharp utility knife to cut the vinyl around the inside perimeter of any floor vents, then replace vent covers.

19. Install the threshold from the kitchen into the dining room. Reinstall the shoe molding around the perimeter of the room.