Vinyl flooring is one of the easier types of flooring to install. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you want the hassle of putting down flooring yourself. Instead, you can hire a flooring company to get the job done quickly and provide you with professional results. Here's a look at how the flooring company may go about installing vinyl plank flooring.
Start With Precise Room Measurements
It's probably best to let the flooring company measure your home before you order the vinyl planks. You can't always go by square footage along since a room might have an odd shape or the flooring may need to go around something that can't be moved, like a toilet. It's better to order extra supplies than not have enough and then try to match colors later.
Colors can vary even with the same manufacturer and color number. The vinyl flooring installers may open the boxes and mix the planks so there are no obvious color differences once installed. When the flooring is delivered, you'll need to let it acclimate in your home for a few days before the installation begins.
Clean the Old Floor
You don't want to put vinyl planks over the carpet, but the planks can go over most other types of flooring. If your old floor has water damage or is in bad shape, the flooring company may rip it all out. Otherwise, the old floor is cleaned thoroughly before the new planks are put down.
Lay the Vinyl Planks
Vinyl planks are installed a few ways depending on how they're made. They might snap together or adhere with a glue strip. The installer might glue them to the floor or just loose lay the planks. No matter how they're installed, the same basic method is used. The planks are put down a row at a time, end to end. The last plank in the row has to be cut to fit.
Vinyl planks can be cut easily, but the flooring company may use a vinyl cutting machine that makes the work go faster. By always cutting the last plank in the row, the seams will be staggered and give the appearance of real hardwood flooring. Also, vinyl expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes, so the installers leave enough space against the walls to accommodate movement, but the gap isn't large enough to notice, especially when it's hidden under the baseboard trim.
You might be able to use your new floor as soon as the planks are installed if the planks click together or are loose lay. If the planks are installed with glue, the glue should be allowed time to set before you walk on the flooring, and that might take a couple of days.
For more information, contact vinyl flooring installers near you.