Things You'll Need:
- 1 To 2 Gallons Floor Epoxies
- Brooms
- Floor Scrapers (if Needed)
- Heavy Rollers
- Measuring Tapes
- Notched Trowels
- Sponges
- Vacuums
- Nonpermanent Felt-tip Pens
- Multiuse Screws
- Rulers
- Screwdriver Sets
- Wood Mouldings
- Sponges
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Step 1
Walk the floor in a pair of socks once it's all glued down. This is an easy way to feel for any air bubbles trapped underneath. Roll them out toward the closest edge.
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Step 2
Nail or glue any trim around the base of the wall.
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Step 3
Screw down thresholds.
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Step 4
Check one more time for any exposed adhesive before it dries.
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Step 5
Allow adhesive to dry according to manufacturer's specifications before allowing traffic on the floor.
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Step 1
Roll out the sheet vinyl, face up, in a wide, open area.
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Step 2
Orient the vinyl in the same direction as the space it's going to cover.
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Step 3
Using a tape measure and ruler, mark the floor's dimensions on the sheet vinyl with a nonpermanent felt-tip marker. It's a good idea to leave an inch or two extra on your measurements and then trim to fit exactly once the vinyl is in place.
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Step 4
Double-check your measurements.
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Step 5
Cut the sheet vinyl to the shape of the floor using a straightedge and a flooring knife. Take your time on this phase. Small mistakes along the edges can be covered with trim, but a major blunder can be costly.
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Step 6
Wipe off the felt pen markings with a wet sponge.
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Step 7
Re-roll the vinyl, making sure the back side is clean as you roll.
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Step 8
Carry the vinyl to the place you're going to lay the new floor.
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Step 1
Sweep or vacuum the floor, clearing it of any dirt and small debris.
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Step 2
Unroll the sheet vinyl and dry fit it to the floor.
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Step 3
Do any trimming (carefully!) that needs to be done to get a perfect fit. Once the vinyl lies smooth and flat, you're ready to glue.
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Step 4
Roll one side of the vinyl up from the outside edge to the center point. Leave the other side flat on the floor. (Dealing with a really odd-shaped room may require a more complex strategy. It will take a little more time and careful fitting and trimming, but the process remains the same.)
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Step 5
Pry open a 1-gallon can of floor epoxy with a screwdriver.
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Step 6
Use a notched trowel to spread a line of epoxy about a foot wide all along the floor next to the rolled flooring.
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Step 7
Work from the center toward the outside edge of the room.
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Step 8
Unroll the vinyl slowly, pressing it into the adhesive. (You can use a kitchen rolling pin to help seat it well and to get all the air bubbles out, or you can rent a roller.)
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Step 9
Spread another foot-wide strip of epoxy on the floor.
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Step 10
Unroll the vinyl farther and press into the epoxy.
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Step 11
Continue applying epoxy and unrolling vinyl until this half of the floor is covered.
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Step 12
Wash epoxy off exposed surfaces with hot water before it dries.
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Step 13
Repeat the process on the other side of the room.
Comments
minnslim said
on 12/4/2009 Con't - ...against a wall or complex shape) you only get one chance at achieving a perfect fit. One miscut can ruin the entire job.
5. I am in the glue business and even so advise to avoid applying glue because it is messy, and causes so many needless complications during and after the installation. Just go with pre-glued tiles, or look around at the many vinyl products that are glueless.
Whatever you do, DO NOT follow the advice in the above atricle!
minnslim said
on 12/4/2009 Con't - Pro's know how to fix or avoid these inevitable errors, but you don"t. With tiles there is minimal waste and if one gets screwed up, simply toss it and use another. Heck, some tiles are actually pre-glued. (and not with epoxy...)
3. With tiles, after you get the bulk of them installed and need to trim around stuff along the perimeter of the room, you can easily make a template out of stiff paper and then transfer the shape onto a tile. This pretty much assures a good fit with nominal anxiety. Again, most manufacturer's instructions detail how to make templates or how to transfer that complex shape directly to the tile to be cut. And with a little practice, you"ll get the hang of it.
4. With sheet vinyl, making a template (also called a pattern) of the entire floor area is challenging, to say the least. And if you try to "free hand" (that is - simply cut the flooring to fit ...
minnslim said
on 12/4/2009 Speaking from over thirty years experience in the flooring business as an installer and tech rep for various resilient manufacturers, I can say that these instructions are perfect as a means to pass on bad information. The writer is egregiously ignorant. Epoxy? Really?! SHEESH!!
1. If you are thinking about a do-it-yourself project with a particular kind of flooring, go to the manufacturer's or distributors website and get their installation instructions. These will detail preparing the floor, what adhesive to use and guidance for installing the product. Believe me, you will NEVER use epoxy adhesive... ever.
2. In my opinion, while sheet vinyl is attractive on the basis that there are few, if any seams, tile is the best way to go for the novice DIYer. With sheet vinyl, any mistake, whether due to ignorance or accident, is permanent. Pro's know how to fix or avoid these inevitable ...
cphill58 said
on 4/27/2009 These instructions are severely lacking and provide little if any detail as to floor preperation and proper adhesives. Always call the manufacture for the specs and follow those as closely as possible ...For floor prep I think it would need a seperate category by itself. The idea that you can install a vinyl floor from this point is ridiculous.
amug0304 said
on 3/15/2007 Would like to know how fix vinyl flooring that is bubbling in certain places. It is sheet vinyl flooring.