The main methods of laying laminate: straight, diagonal, herringbone, threshold-free.
Are you in the market to spice the look of your concrete flooring? Vinyl planks can be a cost-effective and stylish alternative.
The wood-like pattern and staggered design of planks are sure to lift and bring the perfect touch of comfort in any space. How to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete?
We have created this guide to provide you with the exact procedures to set up and install vinyl plank flooring
over a concrete surface. There are also useful tips that will help in the process. Gather your equipment and get to work!
How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring on Concrete
Elegant, durable, and functional Vinyl plank flooring is an innovative alternative to traditional wooden, laminate or tile flooring.
The installation of vinyl plank flooring on concrete floors is often favored by homeowners and professionals alike due to the many advantages that it brings.
When following the proper procedures and employing the appropriate equipment, you can achieve stunning flooring that will last for a long time.
This guide are taught to create an efficient concrete slab lay install vinyl plank flooring, and gather all the tools needed to install a brand new beautiful, sturdy, and stunning floor made of lay vinyl plank flooring.
Tools And Supplies You Will Need
- vinyl plank flooring plank
- tape Measuring
- Pencil or marker
- utility knife
- Level
- Rubber mallet
- Tile spacers
- Flooring pull bar
- Hairdryer
- Concrete patching compound
- Ammonia or concrete cleaner
- Flat mop or sponge
- Self-leveling underlayment
How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring on Concrete
Step 1: Take off the baseboards If your walls are lined with the panels.
Make use of a sharp utility knife to slice through the glue that is holding the boards to the walls. Next, place an edge of a utility knife through the boards, pinning them gently to break the boards.
Look for the nails that are holding the reinstall baseboards, and then, use a plier bar to remove them from the wall. Take care to rip the baseboards with caution to not damage the walls.
In the first row of sections, you will be able to loosen the boards until they are confident enough to take them off safely.
Step 2 : Clean any cracks that may be present in the floor to eliminate the floor.
Keep the chisel on an angle so that the tips are inside the crack. Hit the back of the chisel using a Hammer to break up any material in the crack. The hairline crack must be opened a bit to allow in fresh filler material. Make sure you are gentle with the chisel so that you don’t make the damage more severe. Another option to widen tiny cracks is to use a slight angle mill.
Step 3: Make the floor more slack with the help of a vacuum and brush
Remove all debris from the floor before you attempt to clean it. After that, clean up dirt and other particles using the whisk broom. Clean up any debris left behind with the help of a vacuum cleaner. You should ensure that you have chunks of concrete removed through the cracks.
Step 4: Clean up stains using water and soap.
In a bucket, combine approximately 11 three cup (79 milliliters) of neutral pH laundry detergent and 16 cups (3,800 milliliters) of hot water. Distribute the soapy water on the floor surface and scrub it using a stiff-bristled brush. Make sure you clean the entire floor with water, and allow it to dry completely after you’re finished.
The soapy water can get rid of most stains but it isn’t always effective for oil or grease staining. To remove these, you can use commercial degreasers. It’s spread, allow it to dry, and then brush it all over.
If you aren’t able to use a degreaser then try cleansing the concrete using trisodium Phosphate.
Trisodium phosphate can be very abrasive, therefore put on long-sleeved clothes, glasses, gloves, and wear a respirator.
Step 5: Resolve cracks in your floor using concrete filler
Take a bottle concrete filler and cut off the top off. Keep the bottle near the cracks, then press the filler in. The nozzle should be moved through the cracks and complete filling them up until they are filled to the high point.
Next finish by smoothing the filler using the trowel.
A different option is using an entire tub of cement patching material. A lot of these materials come ready-mixed. Spread the product across the floor with the trowel until cracks can be fixed.
Step 6: Utilize a carpenter’s planer to identify areas where flooring is uneven
Many of the chalk line in these places are the result of serious harm to the floor which is why they’re visible to the eye. If you’re not sure about the location, a six-inch (15-centimeter) tape measurement will reveal which areas you’ll need to fix adjustments.
If the level contains fluid the fluid will shift by the tilt of the floor. Pay attention to areas where the floor is either higher or lower in comparison to normal. The concrete must be level enough the flooring vinyl planks to sit properly.
If you want to easily gauge the flooring’s flaws without the use of a large level, you can either use the laser level or an elastic string over the flooring. Make sure you hold it taut, and then tie it to the wall, as you find the areas that have unevenness.
Step 7: Then, sand the high spots by using a belt sander
Place an 80 or 40-grit belt over the sander. Begin the sander by pressing it into the raised places within the concrete. Work these spots until they’re in straight line up to the floor. Then, sweep them away and then vacuum the dirt.The belt sander is likely to generate dust, therefore air-conditioning the space. Use a respirator and safety glasses.
Step 8: Make up for low spots using a cement self-leveling compound
Then, you apply a primer for concrete leveling on the floor using the push broom. It should take 3 hours to dry. After that, mix approximately 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of the leveling substance into 20 cups (4,700 mg) in water. Then, pour the mix onto the floor and let gravity pull it to smaller areas on the floor.
For ease of leveling the the self-leveling concrete patching compound, you can spread it using a squeegee, or push the broom. It should form the appearance of a smooth surface once it dries. It is recommended to wait for 6 hours after the self-leveling compound is dry before you attempt to set up vinyl plank flooring.
Step 9: Start the first row vinyl plank flooring
The first step was making a chalk line and snapping it for an even line. Pick a point of departure and then go to it. We chose to begin at the wall of the stairs.
We don’t have a baseboard as of yet, so if you are using a baseboard, make sure that you remove it before installing the vinyl flooring.
Step 10: Layout the Vinyl Flooring
After deciding the direction that you wish to have your flooring laid out, you can begin to click the flooring pieces in place starting at one side of the room before working to the other side of the room.
Stagger the Planks – Create a Visually Pleasing Floor
One of the most important aspects of making flooring is to level the planks. If you are attempting to stagger the planks the standard rule is to ensure a space minimum of six inches between the end joints of adjacent rows. This method helps create an irregular pattern that is as you would see on a real wooden floor.
To achieve this, you should start with an entire-length plank, then the second row is a 2/3-length plank and the final row using a 1/3-length plank. This method is designed to prevent accidental patterns from developing and will create pleasing flooring. Make sure to mix the flooring from different packages in the installation. It will create a flooring a more natural-looking appearance since the shades and colors may differ slightly from package to.
Step 11: Cut Flooring & Stager Seams
Making the planks cut is similar to cutting a line using the help of a knife.
When you move across the room it is necessary cut your flooring according to the size it is abutting the wall. With a tape measure decide on the flooring size required and then cut it with the knife of a utility.
Make sure you stage your seams for an even more solid and visually appealing appearance.
Vinyl plank flooring cutting is a task that requires a sharp cutting instrument or chop saw. We made use of an ordinary knife for this which was extremely simple!
After you’ve cut the vinyl plank using a utility knife, simply fold the plank over and then snap it off.
Step 12: Final Touches
Put transition strips or moldings around the perimeter of the room to fill the gaps in expansion and give it an elegant appearance. If you had removed the baseboards before installing then reinstall the baseboards and trim.
Finishing the Room
After you’ve laid your floor it’s time to apply final touches to give your room a polished, complete look. A room that is finished properly requires the addition of trim, quarter rounds or other accents to cover any gaps or imperfections and give a clean and seamless appearance.
These are the essential actions to take into consideration when you are making your room look finished.
Add Your Trim
Trim is one of the most important elements in finishing your flooring installation. It provides a neat and professional appearance by hiding any gap between the wall and the floor. The most popular kinds of trim that are used in flooring designs are baseboards shoe moldings doors, and casings for doorways.
Install or replace baseboards on the walls to conceal gaps between the entire floor as well as the walls. In doing this, be sure the baseboards fit in line with the wall and free of any bulges or gaps. The door casings must also be cut to fit the chalk line with the flooring to ensure that they are a perfect and smooth installation.
The shoe molding is a good addition to the bottom of baseboards to fill any spaces or edges that are uneven and give your space an elegant look. If you are choosing trim material make sure you select pieces that are in line with or match the design and style of the flooring.
The unified design can provide an uncluttered and visually coherent design, adding to your room’s overall look.
Achieve a Seamless Finish
A quarter-round trim is a second important step in achieving an elegant and polished look for your flooring. The quarter-round molding can be a flexible trim piece, with a smooth outside edge that is designed to snugly fit in corners or along baseboards.
The installation of quarter-round molding helps conceal the expansion gaps in between flooring and baseboards. These gaps may result from poor cutting or uneven edges on the floor. Apart from its functional use, the quarter-round moulding provides a stylish touch by creating a seamless connection between expansion gaps between flooring and wall.
When it is installed, the quarter-round can contribute to a space’s professional and polished appearance showing that proper attention to detail was given during the process of installation.
There are different types of polyurethane concrete foam with different densities and properties. The type of foam used can also affect the final cost, with higher quality foams usually costing more. Some foams are designed for specific conditions, such as extreme temperatures or high humidity, which can also affect the price.
Tips on how to install vinyl plank flooring
- Take the planks out of their containers and place them into the area in which you’ll work in. Set the planks in place for a minimum of 48 hours so that they can adapt to the environment.
- Mix and match planks of different boxes so that the color is consistent across the flooring.
- In preparation to make the doors more secure, you should trim the door jambs on your doors. This makes it easier to put planks under the doors.
- Concrete can trap water, which could result in mold and mildew developing over the planks of vinyl. For this reason, you should plan to insulate your concrete floor. Get advice from the producer of lay installing vinyl plank flooring on what type of insulation you should use specific to your first plank.
- Don’t make your last row of flooring too narrow. A narrow final row may result in problems since it’s fragile to the effects of buckling and does not stand up to the pressure of pedestrian usage. To prevent this from happening to avoid this mistake, measure the room’s size and then divide by the plank’s width. If the remaining space is not more than the length of the plank, you should to trim the initial row so that rows 1 and 2 are of the same size. This will result in a more symmetrical and appealing design, creating a strong structure that can withstand daily wear and tear.
- Maintain your floors in order clean your floors: Keeping your newly installed floors tidy will maintain their look for a lengthy duration.
- Protect your floors: Even the most difficult floors require protection from scratch marks, spills and furniture. Utilize pads for furniture to keep your furniture’s legs from scratching floors and also avoid moving large objects over these. Area rugs also provide additional protection for high traffic areas.
FAQ
Can you put install vinyl plank flooring directly on concrete?
Since there’s no requirement to use an underlay vinyl planks (or LVT), it can be inserted directly onto the concrete floor. It can take up to a full day for the flooring to get used when you don’t take it out of the bag. When the flooring is in place, remove it from the roll and cut the flooring to your desired size after you’ve tape-measured the floor space.
Visqueen Vapour tapping block PE films should also be utilized in these circumstances.
Do I need a vapor barrier between concrete and vinyl flooring?
Most commonly, moisture barriers are required when installing vinyl flooring to the concrete beneath and in the crawl space. For complete information on the subject, refer to manufacturers’ guides, manuals for installation as well as warranty details.
Do you need underlay for vinyl plank flooring on concrete?
For floating floors such as sheets of vinyl planks that are loose or mix planks of vinyl, an underlayment made of vinyl planks might be necessary for a vapor barrier. It could also provide much-needed comfort and warmth beneath the feet. Also, you may want to search for an underlayment that is designed specifically for insulation and moisture control.
What should I put between vinyl plank flooring and concrete?
Before you start installing anything, ensure that the subfloor is in good shape, smooth, clean with no dust, clean and free of damage. Most frequently asked questions are about whether you require an subflooring for installing vinyl plank flooring. If you have concrete flooring, an underlay is required for the subfloor.
What goes between concrete and vinyl plank flooring?
When installing over a concrete subfloor, it’s important to select an underlayment that has an anti-moisture barrier. This can protect flooring from the possibility of moisture leaking through the subfloor.
What goes under vinyl flooring on concrete?
An underlayment is a great option in any kind of flooring, such as luxurious vinyl planks flooring. It will improve the absorption of sound, enhance the comfort of the flooring projects walking on it, and also help prevent any potential issues. The underlayment can be put on any concrete subfloor such as concrete or wood.
