Vinyl flooring - how to install

[Mo]

I have decided to buy some Vinyl flooring for the kitchen and put it in myself.

A couple of questions:

1) Is the more expensive vinyl worth paying for over the cheaper stuff? (I can onlt really afford the cheap stuff so its probably a moot point but something I'd liek to know) - for example I am interested in preventing people slipping over when it is wet...?

2) Is it best to cut the floor to shape outside and then bring it in and hope I have done it right or try and carve it up inside the actual kitchen?

The shape of the ktichen is quite weird so I am wondeirng how i will get all the non straight bits done properly - any tips? See a picture drawing here:

What is the best way to stick the stuff down? Can you buy special adhesive and do oyu only need to do it o nthe edges or do you glue it ALL down?

Any other tips?

[Lobster]

I think the major factor is the thickness of the material... you can get away with thinner stuff if the underlying floor is dead flat, but even then it will wear out much faster than the thicker stuff.

No, you do it in situ. You get it roughly in place with big overlaps all the way round so it the centre of the flooring is kind of 'locked' in place, then work your way round the room cutting to size as you go. Personally I find it quite difficult to get right - it's very easy to put a cut in the wrong direction and then you've trashed it.

Fitting out a single room is probably a minimum charge from a fitter:

30-40 quid maybe?

Double-sided tape around the perimeter only.

David

[Andy Hall]

For this, the best advice would be don't.

If you want to DIY use tiles instead. In any case the result will be far superior.

If you must use plastic flooring, then for a complex shape like this, get the job done professionally, by the supplier so that he takes responsibility for the whole supply and fit.

[nightjar]

The cheap stuff is thinner, allowing imperfections show through more easily, so preparation is the key. The pattern is also likely to wear off faster. I have some industrial grade vinyl flooring that was laid in a factory c 1990 and has had heavy use ever since, which is still in good condition.

cut that to shape in the room. I then transfer it to the material I want to cut, leaving a couple of inches margin all around. Then I put the flooring into the room and trim to fit.

The flooring in my kitchen isn't stuck down at all. It is, however, heavy duty and held down at the doorways by metal finishing strips.

Colin Bignell

[Mark]

A lot of manufacturers will quote the thickness of the 'wear' layer. More is good.

M

[jal]

I've nothing to add to the good advice already here, except

(1) I second the idea to "get a fitter". It will (actually) be less expensive, and a *lot* less stressful than doing it yourself (and will be a better job).

(2) If you do end up doing it yourself: I was once told that a carpet fitter changes his Stanley blade almost after every cut! In other words, do not scrimp on new blades.

john

[Mo]

Cheers

Too late to back out now! After massive hassle - and finding 2 shops in the entire city that do vinyl in 4m rolls I got a piece 4 x 3.5m - it is HUGE. Seems to be very good quality and I managed to bargain the price down so I reckon I got some OK stuff.

I like the idea of cutting out the entire floor on cheap brown paper and then copying it onto the actual vinyl is very good thinking.

where the hell do you get the massive sheets from - B and Q?

if it all goes OK I'll post a picture, lol

[Mo]

Cheers

Too late to back out now! After massive hassle - and finding 2 shops in the entire city that do vinyl in 4m rolls I got a piece 4 x 3.5m - it is HUGE. Seems to be very good quality and I managed to bargain the price down so I reckon I got some OK stuff.

I like the idea of cutting out the entire floor on cheap brown paper and then copying it onto the actual vinyl is very good thinking.

where the hell do you get the massive sheets from - B and Q?

if it all goes OK I'll post a picture, lol

[Cicero]

=============================== Buy a roll (or several) of lining paper (wallpaper 33' long x 20" wide) and some masking tape. Stick together as required.

Cic.

[nightjar]

I buy the stuff in 1.2m wide rolls from industrial packing suppliers, but then I also use it for wrapping goods in my business.

Colin Bignell

[Mo]

Anyone have anymore tips to offer before I start tomorrow?

The floor is flat with plastic tiles. Tonight I will remove all the stuff that can be removed and wash the floor.

Tomorrow I'll draw out the room on paper. I have also bought a massive roll of lining paper which I will put down on the floor and tape together. I will then have a lifesize template of the room.

I'll then go outside and cut around the template. Bring the vinyl in, cut around the finer details. Finally I have some strong double sided table which I will tape down the perimter and some of the centre with. Finally, I'll have those things that go in between doors nailed down to stop movement even further

Any tips on:

1) The best way to get a flush cut with the blade- what is the best approach to getting straight edges?

2) How to go about getting the template cut out. Obviously I'll leave extra on edges but how much?

If for example I leave extra on the outer corners, when I put it down - all of my 'inner' corners will not match up exactly - so it actually makes more sense to go for a perfect templae cut out....hmm..

[Steven Briggs]

In message , Mo writes

Go back to the shop and see if they offer or can recommend some fitters. My kitchen "roll-end" was 6x4m, very big, very heavy. The 40 quid paid to a couple of fitters for 30 minutes of their time was 40 quid very well spent!

[Adrian]

Hi Mo

Firstly - I think you've being very brave to attempt this. Laying vinyl and carpet is something I leave completely to the pros - at least that way it's them that gets to replace the stuff if they c*ck up the cutting.....

So - no tips from pers>Anyone have anymore tips to offer before I start tomorrow?

If you have somewhere big enough, I'd be tempted to lay the vinyl and the paper template out and cut the vinyl before bringing it into the room where you're going to fit it.

The people I've seen often use one of those Stanley knife blades with the curved blade - the sharp edge is hook-shaped. Don't know quite what the benefit is....?

Also - the usual techinque seems to be to cut diagonally towards an outside corner - then you can get the vinyl to lie down flat on the floor and you can cut along the 'skirting' line with the knife. Judging by the bits he left behind - the last fellow to fit some vinyl here seemed to deliverately 'over-cut' the vinyl - and then 'shave off' thin slivers to get the final fit right.

Don't remember if you said what room you were fitting - if it's a kitchen, remember that many kitchen units have clip-on plinths - so you can tuck the vinyl underneath the plinth and not neeed to make an accurate / visible cut....

Don't think that'll work - I'd leave a couple of inches all round - at least..... but then, I'd also get a vinyl fitter in !

Good luck

Adrian

[Mo]

Cheers.

Fitting was quoted at around 60quid+ at both shops. I'd rtaher take a stab at it and see what happens.

Plus it cannot be done til mid next week and patience was never my strong point.

I quite like DIY anyway...like many people on here I imagine I got quite excited when I went to B and Q earlier and kept wishing I had all these nifty bits and bobs, lol

[Mo]

Cheers.

Fitting was quoted at around 60quid+ at both shops. I'd rtaher take a stab at it and see what happens.

Plus it cannot be done til mid next week and patience was never my strong point.

I quite like DIY anyway...like many people on here I imagine I got quite excited when I went to B and Q earlier and kept wishing I had all these nifty bits and bobs, lol

[Anode]

"nightjar .uk.com>"

A good paper to use for making patterns of floors is Carpet Underlay Paper. It is floppy, in the sense that when you put it on the floor it flops down flat and stays there, but at the same time is adequately rigid enough to hold its shape well when the pattern is cut.

I buy mine from B & Q, it is grey in colour in rolls about one metre wide. I have used it successfully over the years for bathroom and kitchen flooring.

For scribing lines round difficult items, like toilet pans, wash-basin pedestals etc., I find a Trend "Perfect Butt" tool helpful.

Anode.

[Steve Firth]

Fnarr, Fnarr.

[Mo]

Mission Accomplished.

Damn, my hands and knees are absolutley knackered- couldn;t even feel my knees at one point from constantly being bent down..

Overall I am pretty happy with the job I did. I reckon I spent £25 on materials to fit it - so I probably saved around £30+ on not getting a fitter in.

I found it very hard to accuratley cut the vinyl so it was flush with the walls - even using a straight edge it was hard to judge exactly where to cut it - I did bork up a coupel of areas - but I am lucky in the fact that almost ever edge is covered by appliances, the bin or will be covered up with skirting :D

I had to abandon the idea of the template as my kitchen was way too complex to join up with paper and it woulda been a pain drawing it out as I didn't have a totally flat surface. In the end I just bought it all into my kitchen, centered it, and then cut it out accordingly.

Finally, I underestimaed the pain and time needed of removing all the applicances and bits and pieces to get the room clear...still have to put most of it back tomorrow (see my other post)!

Really proud of it, lol

[John Rumm]

Reading this thread just in time to be too late... however last time I had a vinyl fitter captive I managed to extract some useful information from him. Vis:

For final cutting to size, use a hooked blade, and almost plane the edge of the vinyl by running the blade along the wall etc. The hooked edge undercuts the lower surface of the flooring so as not to end up revealing any of the unfinished material from the top. Watching him he made several passes getting closer and closer to the final fit rather than trying to get it spot on first time.

He also said if you are doing much of it, it is well worth buying a pair of trousers that have pockets for knee pads rather than trying to cope with the strap on type. Much more comfortable and no digging in of straps into the back of your legs.