How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring and hope the blog can help you.
Today’s vinyl flooring is light years better than the peel-and-stick kind we remember from way back when, but it’s as easy as ever to install. Here’s how to get the job done.
Many homeowners look down upon vinyl plank flooring because they equate it with the same stuff that you could buy at big-box stores in the 1990s—you know, the ugly patterns and misaligned seams. Today’s vinyl plank flooring is worlds better, both aesthetically and qualitatively. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is that learning how to install vinyl plank flooring is just as easy as ever.
With modern advancements in quality, design, and appearance, vinyl plank flooring is an excellent option for almost anywhere in the home. It’s especially good for homes with kids or dogs, and for high-traffic areas prone to scratches or wear.
If you’re ready to give your home’s decor a fresh and relatively easy update, grab a few boxes of vinyl plank flooring, sharpen your pencil, and put a fresh blade in your utility knife. It’s time to lay some vinyl plank flooring.
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Cost to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring
When it comes to quality flooring choices, vinyl plank flooring has one of the lowest installation costs. Vinyl plank is usually priced by the square foot and sold in boxes of 22 to 24 square feet, depending on the brand. It ranges in price from under a dollar to up to $5 per square foot.
Generally speaking, the more vinyl plank flooring quality costs, the better the quality it is. Less expensive options might be thin, or peel-and-stick (still, today’s peel-and-sticks are better than the tiles of old). Higher quality, more expensive flooring is thicker, has built-in underlayments and moisture barriers underneath, and utilizes interlocking tongue-and-groove systems. You may see these products labeled as luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP), but installing it isn’t any more difficult than it is for other vinyl flooring products.
Carpet, hardwood, vinyl, and tile flooring.
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Underlayment for Vinyl Plank Flooring
Vinyl plank floors often require an underlayment to create a moisture barrier, provide support, and reduce noise. The installer rolls the sheet of underlayment out through the space and tapes the seams before installing the flooring on top of it. In some cases, higher quality vinyl plank flooring will have underlayment adhered to its underside, which speeds up the installation process in a big way.
Note: Underlayment is primarily used for floating vinyl plank flooring. It does not make a good substrate for peel-and-stick flooring because it doesn’t adhere to the subfloor underneath.
Subfloor Considerations
Regardless of the cost, style, and quality of the vinyl plank flooring, the finished product requires a smooth, flat subfloor surface. If the subfloor has warps, cracks, missing chunks, or (most commonly) uneven seams, the vinyl plank flooring will show it. It might bounce, wear unevenly, or show humps in the floor.
There are relatively simple solutions for these scenarios, like installing a layer of ¼-inch luan flooring board overtop of the existing floor or subfloor. This creates a flat, even surface and provides the ideal substrate for underlayment vinyl plank flooring.
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4 Steps to Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring
While installing vinyl plank flooring requires some specialized tools and techniques, it’s nevertheless a DIY-friendly job. The following tips will help you see the project through.
Tools & Materials
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