Introduction
Luxury vinyl (LV) is tough and good-looking—and the easiest flooring material you’ll ever install. These tips and tricks will help you get the job done right.
Tools Required
- Air compressor
- Air hose
- Aviation snips
- Belt sander
- Brad nail gun
- Chalk line
- Cold chisel
- Dust mask
- Hammer
- Hearing protection
- Knee pads
- Putty knife
- Safety glasses
- Sanding block
- Square
- Straightedge
- Tape measure
- Utility knife
Luxury vinyl flooring (LVP) is similar to sheet vinyl, but it’s thicker, more durable and easier to install. It comes in tiles and planks, but this article covers planks only, and uses a product called Adura LockSolid. It’s a floating floor which means it isn’t fastened to the subfloor—it just lies there.
Luxury vinyl is the fastest-growing category in the flooring industry. LVP starts at about a couple of dollars per square foot, similar in price to medium-grade laminate. It’s available at flooring stores and home centers.
Project step-by-step (9)
Step 1
Sand Down the High Spots
- Find the high and low spots on wood subfloors with a straightedge.
- Note: The floor height should not rise or drop more than 1/8 inch over the span of 4 feet.
- Sand down the high spots with a belt sander equipped with a coarse-grit belt.
- Note: This is a dusty job, so turn off your furnace to avoid spreading dust all over the house, and wear a dust mask.
- Pro tip: Use the coarsest sanding belt you can find, such as 40- or 60-grit.
Step 2
Fill in the Low Spots
- Fill the low spots with floor patch, and feather it out with a trowel.
- Pro tip: Avoid self-leveling floor patch. The floor doesn’t have to be level; it just has to be smooth.
Step 3
Undercut Doorjambs
- Trim jambs and casing so you can slide the flooring underneath.
- Pro tip: An oscillating multi-tool works great. Use a small scrap of flooring as a guide.
Step 4
Leave an Expansion Gap Along the Walls
- Insert shims to create about a 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch gap between the flooring and the walls.
- Note: These gaps allow the flooring to expand freely with temperature changes.
Step 5
Snap the Planks Together
- Snap the planks in the first row together end to end.
- Slide the tongue of the first plank on the second row into the groove of the first row at a low angle and lay it on the floor.
- Install the second and subsequent planks in each row by locking the ends together, and then you work your way down the plank, pushing the tongue into the groove as you go.
- Pro tip: It helps to twist and bend each plank into place.
Step 6
Stagger the Seams
- Stagger the seams at least 6 inches, and don’t start or end any row with a plank less than 6 inches wide.
- Pro tip: Open several boxes at once and mix them up to ensure a varied pattern.
Step 7
Tap in the End Planks
- Hook the pull bar onto the end of the piece, and tap stubborn seams closed.
Step 8
Install Bridge Molding
- Cover the expansion gap between the flooring and the base trim.
- Pro tip: Don’t nail into the flooring—that will prevent the floor from expanding freely.
Step 9
Install Shoe Molding
- Once your flooring is down, install shoe molding to cover the expansion gap between the flooring and the base trim.
- Shoot 1-1/4-inch finish nails through the shoe and into the base trim.
- Pro tip: Be careful not to pin the flooring down in the process. Finish the molding to match the trim, not the flooring.
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