How to Put Down Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is durable, inexpensive and easy to keep clean. It is a great choice for bathrooms, kitchens, entryways and playrooms because it can withstand spills, dirt, dampness and hard use. Vinyl flooring comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns and textures. Perhaps the best thing about vinyl flooring is the ease with which it can be installed. You can put down a sheet of vinyl flooring in a day, giving your room a whole new look and years of usability.

Things You'll Need

• Graph paper
• Measuring tape
• Sheet of vinyl flooring large enough to cover the room
• Washable marker
• Yardstick
• Flooring knife
• Adhesive, choose the recommended type for your vinyl flooring

Instructions

1. Measure the room. Use graph paper to sketch out a scale drawing of the room. Do not forget to include closets and areas beneath large appliances such as refrigerators and washers. Check your drawing by measuring the room once more to be sure the drawn dimensions match those of the room.

2. Prepare the room. Remove any furniture, doors, trim, appliances, toilets, baseboards and other trim as well as any protruding nails. Patch any holes in the floor and sand out any bumps. Vacuum and wash the floor thoroughly. Even a small amount of sand or grit can make for bad results when putting down vinyl flooring.

3. Lay out the vinyl sheet on a large, clean surface such as a garage floor. Using the scale drawing, a washable marker, and a yardstick, carefully sketch the dimensions of the room onto the vinyl flooring. If you are unsure of your ability to measure and cut accurately, leave a couple of inches extra on each side to be trimmed away in the next step. Cut out the vinyl with a flooring knife. Wash off the marker lines. Roll up the flooring and carry it to the room where it will be installed.

4. Lay the flooring in the room and check that it is the right size. Carefully cut away any excess. Roll up the vinyl flooring on one side of the room.

5. Starting at the center of the room and sitting on the rolled out but unglued vinyl, spread adhesive on the bare floor in front of the roll of vinyl. This swath of adhesive should be about a foot wide and run the length of the floor. Carefully unroll the flooring onto the adhesive, pressing down to get rid of any air bubbles and seal the vinyl to the adhesive. Continue in this way, putting down a foot of vinyl flooring at a time, until the first half of the room is finished.

6. Roll up the unattached half of the vinyl flooring and repeat the process outlined in the previous step. Check the entire floor for fit and to make sure it is smooth. Press down any bumps or bubbles.

7. Allow the adhesive to dry undisturbed for the length of time specified in the manufacturer's instructions. Replace trim, molding, baseboards and doors.

Tips & Warnings

• Use hot, soapy water to wash away excess or spilled adhesive before it dries.

• Open windows and doors or run an exhaust fan to provide ventilation while you work.