As mentioned in the vinyl flooring guide there are two types of vinyl floors: Planks/tiles and sheets of vinyl floors. It’s easier to install vinyl planks and tiles by yourself but it would definitely talk more time to install than vinyl sheets. In this guide you will understand the different installation processes and so it would help you in choosing the right option.

Tools needed

• Utility knife
• Towel
• Measuring tape
• Duct Tape
• Handsaw
• Vinyl floor sheets or tiles

How many tiles and planks do I need?

In order to have a correct estimation of the amount of material that you need, you must measure both the length and width of the room, then multiply these numbers to have an accurate number for the area of the room. You must also make a defined shape or pattern of the room. If the room is irregular in shape you can divide it into squares or rectangles to make it easier to know the right amount of planks and tile that you might need.

Choosing the right tiles:

If you are planning to install these vinyl floors by yourself then you definitely want to choose vinyl tiles and sheets that are easy to install. You can do by choosing self-adhesive vinyl tiles. These tiles can be placed just to check how they look first when putting them all together, then when you achieve the desired look you can simply peel the sticker open and stick them next to each other. There are other installation methods like gluing them down by yourself which maybe a cheaper option but will definitely require more effort and money. Vinyl tiles also come in different thicknesses, colors and designs that is why you should be extremely careful when choosing the right vinyl tiles.

Preparing your subfloor

Before starting any installation process you should always make sure that your subfloor is ready. Vinyl tiles particularly out of all different types of floors expand and contract with time. In order for the vinyl floors to accommodate to the temperature and pressure where you want to install them you should place them in their boxes in the room for at least 48 hours. This will help reduce the change of the vinyl tiles to change in shape for a very long time. Remove any skirting boards, beadings and transition strips before installing the vinyl floors. In order for your vinyl floor to last for a very long time you must maintain the underfloor. Your subfloor definitely represents your original floor that is why you must make sure that it is well prepared and cleared out of anything.

You can install vinyl tiles over different kinds of floorings:

• Concrete or ceramic
  Make sure that the concrete or ceramic tiles are cleaned, dried and are at an even surface before installing vinyl floors on top of them. These types of floors can experience cracks and scratches, so make sure they’re free of them.
• Vinyl floors
  You can lay vinyl tiles on top of vinyl floors if they’re in good condition. You can do that if you want to have a new cover of flooring for your house. If the previous vinyl floors aren’t a smooth surface then you might need to take them off. If you experienced any problem when installing the vinyl floor above any flooring you can install a flooring underlayment for your vinyl floors which will allow you to easily install the vinyl floors above any flooring surface.

Installation Steps

• Before installing your vinyl floors you must make sure that the subfloor is clear of anything that might damage the vinyl floors.
• After making sure that the subfloor is clean you can start placing the vinyl tiles next to each other just to have a quick view of how your final look will be.
• Lay the tiles from the center at the intersection of the middle, then you can guide your way outwards.
• If your tiles are not self-adhesive place the glue only under the place where you want to install the particular tile so that it doesn’t dry out.
• If they were self-adhesive you can simply place them next to each other in the required spaces and peal of the sticker.
• After finishing one row you can bind the second row next to them by applying pressure to make sure they’re all fixed in place.
• When you reach the wall side, cut the tiles if necessary to fit near the wall.
• If you faced a problem of an irregular tile then you can use another tile that is shaped properly to cut the irregular tile according to its shape.
• Allow the floor to settle before walking on it.