How To Install Vinyl Plank Flooring
8 Materials
Installing vinyl plank flooring is easier than you might think. The first step is to pick the right floors. We used Lifeproof Luxury Plank Flooring. There were several reasons we picked this floor. The main reason is this floor comes with a built in underlayment, eliminating the need for that entire process.
We installed these floors in a bedroom. The directions say to begin along a wall, using spacers between the first row of planks and the wall. We began in the closet and worked out from there. Right next to the closet is the entry door alcove, so we wanted to get these odd shaped areas done first.
The planks have tongue and grooves on the sides making them easy to snap together.
Once you snap it into place, you use a tapping block and a hammer to make sure it's flush with the bordering planks. You do need to be careful that the entire floor doesn't shift when doing this. We found that if one of us stood on the floor while the other hammered, it would keep it from moving. If you are working alone. position yourself on the flooring during this step.
To cut the planks we used a floor cutter tool that looks like an industrial paper cutter, and works the same way. We marked each plank with a pencil and a straight edge where the cut needed to be and then popped it into the floor cutter. This gadget made it fool proof!
When it came to the floor vent, we marked the plank with the pencil again but this time we used a jigsaw to make the cuts.
It's really as simple as that. No big power tools required for these floors.
I love the wood tones and the texture on these floors!
It took the two of us about 5 hours to install these in our daughter's bedroom.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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We are about to begin the long process of installing waterproof vinyl planks in our whole house--one room at a time. I love reading these posts--the success stories are so encouraging! AND--we get to learn more about the whole process before we actually get started. Your room looks great--congratulations! And thank you for sharing!
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Look great.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
I’ve already decided to do luxury vinyl flooring to replace all our carpet. I can’t wait! My question is this, what did you use spacers for since it has tongue and groove snap in pieces?
Can you install tiles in similar way
I plan to replace old kitchen sheet vinyl. One person said he could lay it over existing floor. Another said that was not recommended because it would raise floor causing more restriction with opening back down also removing dishwasher if ever needing to be replaced.
Any input on this?
tia