Sheet Vinyl Flooring Installation

by Nancy

One of the best aspects of sheet vinyl flooring is that it's extremely easy to install and you can change the style of your room any way you want with the many different styles out there.

If you ever want to change the look of any of your rooms, you can do so easily with installing this type of vinyl. The truth is that you can really give your room a dramatic new look and feel just by laying sheet vinyl. Not only that but it allows you to keep the floor protected from various spills, from heavy traffic, from pets paws, from scratches made by high heel shoes and furniture moved around carelessly, and from the regular wear and tear that happens in any room in the house.

The good thing about sheet vinyl is that you can actually install it by yourself. Installing loose lay vinyl flooring is quite easy. While real wood flooring (or hardwood flooring) needs usually some expert hands to help, vinyl is a weekend project for many. Maybe the most important aspect of it is the advanced preparation. You need to make sure that the subfloor is smooth and dry before starting the installation process, so you end up with a great floor that wears well under your feet. When you buy the sheet vinyl it is not only cheap but you can get it in 2-3m widths so you will know in advance by measuring your floor how many of these strips you need to get to cover the entire room floor.

What you need:

• Sheet vinyl material
• Double-sided vinyl tape
• Trimming knife
• Threshold strip
• Measuring tape
• Pen or pencil
• Screwdriver set
• Hacksaw

Installing the sheet vinyl flooring:

• It is advised by many manufacturers that prior to installation, you should leave your vinyl rolls loose for about a day in the room so they're easier to roll when the time comes for installing.
• Roll out the vinyl and place it facing the direction where it will be going towards.
• use the measuring tape and the ruler to mark the dimensions on the sheet with the pen. Make sure that you double-check the measurements before cutting.
• Use the knife to cut to the shape of the floor. Go slowly with this so you get it right.
• If you have a room with lots of waste such as the chimney breast, cut through it to leave around 5cm for the final trimming.
• When you get to the corner areas cut down from the vinyl edge so the material lies flat.
• Now press the vinyl into the angle between the skirting board and the floor with something heavy such as a piece of wood and use your knife to trim it with precision.
• If you install it in the bathroom and you need to cut it around its pan or the basin of your sink, work slowly around the curve while cutting small lines at every 7.5cm intervals. Then with your knife trim around these so the vinyl is nicely fitted on the floor.
• Once the vinyl is laid down leave it to settle for a couple of days.
• Use the double-sided vinyl tape and stick down the edges at the doorways. If you install it over concrete, you need to use glue instead of double-sided tape. 
• If you marked the vinyl with a pen and it shows through, make sure to wipe those markings off with a wet sponge.