Newkirk Wallcovering and Painting

How to install a vinyl floor, vinyl floor installation

Vinyl Floor Replacement project OK, the toilet has been pulled, base board has been removed ( vinyl cove base), and the old vinyl sheeting was also pulled up. It's time to install a new vinyl floor in this bathroom.

Check for water leaks before vinyl floor install While I have the toilet up and out, I'll take a moment to inspect the drain of the toilet to make sure it's working properly. This one had a good seal on it so I can expect no problems when I hook it back up after the new flooring has been installed (See my "Replacing a wax ring under a toilet" project). One thing that I look for in this situation is loose tiles around the hole. This would have been a quick indicator of water leaks.

Measure room and cut vinyl flooring I measure the room and then cut a piece of vinyl flooring 3 to 4 inches bigger than the space.

Use breakaway blade knife when cutting vinyl flooring I use a breakaway blade knife when cutting the vinyl flooring. This way I can always have a sharp blade ready to go without having to change a standard utility knife blade.

Seamless vinyl floor install This bathroom was small enough to do a seamless install. Lining up the pattern on the vinyl flooring so it is straight with the walls is the first thing you want to be aware of. Here I put the factory edge against the largest area of wall I had in the bath. My first relief cut will be the one on the outside corner of the vanity cabinet.

Cutting Vinyl Flooring to Size Before I cut the vinyl flooring all the way down to the floor I want to get rid of as much excess vinyl as possible. If you have ever hung wallpaper, it's about the same principles used here, only on the floor.

Zeroing in on detailed cuts Once the excess vinyl flooring is pretty much cut away, I can zero in on the detailed cuts, like in this door jamb.

Making relief cuts Make sure the flooring is right where you want it to be before you start fine tuning your relief cuts (photo to left). After the relief cuts are made it's time to get out the flooring adhesive and a few simple tools to make the job much easier. Notice I'm using a scrap piece to set my tools on. Protect that new floor! The 5" blade I'll use is very stiff and perfect for holding the vinyl in place as I make my final cuts.

Adhesive for vinyl flooring Using the serrated putty knife I start putting some adhesive down around the outer edge of the bathroom. There is about 15 minute window before the glue starts to set up so I've got to keep moving. This is also why I did all those relief cuts earlier (photo to left). Continuing the adhesive around the room until I got back to where I started took about 10 minutes.

Making final cuts in vinyl flooring Now I'll use my heavy blade to push the vinyl in the corners before I cut it (photo to left). Working my way around all these detailed cuts is time consuming, but I want it to be precise. I'm not worried about the glue drying out at this point because the vinyl is covering most of it and holding the moisture in. If I do run into an area that has dried more than I want it to, I'll just dab a little adhesive on the spot and keep on moving with my cuts.

Making final cuts around tub in vinyl flooring This tub unit had a slight curve to it, so I had to watch what I was doing as I moved along the bottom of the tub. If you are working in a colder space and the vinyl is somewhat stiff, Either turn up the heat to warm the space or use a blow dryer (cautiously) to soften up the vinyl as you go (photo to left). The finish cut has been made on the tub. Now I'll go along the edge pushing down on the blade to insure a strong bond with the adhesive.

Making final cuts around tub in vinyl flooring Most of the glue residue will clean up with warm soapy water, but every now and then a spot will dry out and be stubborn. A dab of mineral spirits does the trick. (photo to left). Now because I took out two layers of vinyl before I laid this floor down, the new cove base won't match up to the old paint line. To fix this I skim coated the old paint line and the next day went back and lightly sanded the walls and applied a quick touch-up coat of the matching paint color before installing the new cove base (photo to right).

Finished product - vinyl flooring A nice even bead of caulk is a must for the base of the tub unit. A lot of moisture will be in this area (photo to left). I was able to use the old transition strip for the entrance to the bath. I just needed to buy a few spiral nails that are made specifically for transition strips. One more check over the floor (to make sure all the air pockets are out) and it's time to hook up the toilet again. To see how to hook up the toilet, check out my " Replacing a wax ring under a toilet" project.

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