Homeowners today prefer to use vinyl flooring for their homes because it’s the cost-effective way of installing flooring. It doesn’t require a great deal of skill, and it’s easy to clean and maintain, meaning there’s no need to replace the carpet if you find it has become too dull, patchy or slippery.
Vinyl Flooring Installation As vinyl flooring is generally made to resemble a natural stone or wood floor, they’re made with durable qualities. Because vinyl is a strong floor, it’s easier to stand on compared to a traditional tile or wooden flooring, and warmer as well. As vinyl has the ability to be molded to almost any shape, you can install a unique floor to your home, no matter how big or small it may be. This flexibility makes it ideal for all types of decorating styles.
Vinyl flooring installation comes in two options: self-adhesive and pre-finished. While self-adhesive vinyl is the most affordable way of installing, it’s not always the most effective. This is because you must cut the vinyl into the exact shape you want, which is not as simple as it sounds. Pre-finished vinyl is much easier and is often created to order so you’re guaranteed a high quality flooring product. This means that if you need a custom floor made, there’s no need to worry – the vinyl flooring manufacturer will be able to help you through the process.
Installation isn’t quite as straightforward as self-adhesive flooring, however. You can’t simply stick vinyl flooring tiles onto the surface of your home and call it done. You need to take some time to prepare your home for the vinyl flooring installation, and then you need to make sure that you follow the installation instructions very carefully. It’s very important that you follow these instructions correctly, otherwise you could damage your floors.
The first step you need to take in order to install vinyl flooring is to remove any existing carpet and laminate flooring. This will allow you to lay down a new, clean, smooth, shiny floor. Next, you should sweep out the floor, and vacuum, and wash off any dirt, dust or debris. If you’ve used a carpet cleaner, be sure to wash the carpet using a machine rather than with water as the water could cause damage to the backing and finish.
You then need to lay down the carpet padding under the padding and secure it to the wall with screws or glue. Once this is done, you should sand the area thoroughly to remove any scratches. If you’re using pre-finished flooring, this step may need to be repeated until the floor looks great. Once this is done, you should apply the vinyl to the floor and secure it with glue, ensuring that you let the adhesive dry completely before re-applying the padding.
A good idea is to sand the flooring again in the next few days, to ensure that the vinyl is totally smooth before using adhesive. You can leave it to dry overnight before applying the final layer of flooring. This can be done by laying down the first layer of flooring. If you have any leftover glue that is difficult to remove, you should scrape it away using a pumice stone, then use a sandpaper to buff away any excess adhesive that may be left behind.
When it’s dry, you can now paint the floor with a latex paint, if you choose, or a water-based polyurethane finish. Just be sure that you do a bit of research about these finishes in advance, so that you can choose a paint that is safe for the finish you want.
