How to Lay a Cushion Floor

Cushioned floors are a good choice when updating the floor covering in a kitchen, basement or family room. They're comfortable under foot and if a dish or glass is dropped, it's less apt to shatter. Read on to learn how to lay one down.

Things You'll Need

• Pry Bar
• Hammer
• Grinder (optional)
• Leveling Compound (optional)
• Plywood Underlayment (optional)
• Tape Measure
• Marker
• Straight Edge
• Knife
• Installation Kit (optional)
• Floor Adhesive
• Notched Trowel
• Floor Roller

Instructions

Preparation and Cutting Cushioned Flooring

1. Remove all furniture from the room. Take doors off their hinges and store elsewhere. Remove baseboard by using a block of wood against the wall to pry against. If baseboard is being reused, pull nails and mark its location on the backside.

2. Prepare concrete floors by grinding off any high spots and vacuuming the floor. Cushioned flooring can be installed over an existing linoleum or vinyl floor if the floor is smooth and level. Any indentations should be filled with leveling compound applied with a straight-edge trowel. Loose or heavily damaged vinyl floor covering should be removed or covered with underlayment such as 1/4-inch BC plywood.

3. Place the roll of new cushioned flooring in or near the area it will be installed to allow it to acclimate to the room temperature.

4. Measure the entire floor area and cut the sheet of cushioned flooring three inches larger on all sides if the room has few recesses or cabinets to cut around. Lay a piece of plywood or cardboard under the vinyl when cutting to avoid damage to the underlying flooring or underlayment.

5. Make a template on paper of the entire floor area if there are many recesses and objects such as cabinets to cut around. Installation kits are available that include the paper for templates, tape, knives and instructions for making a template. Fit the template to the room and make any corrections before using it as a pattern to cut the sheet vinyl.

Installing the Cushioned Floor

1. Lay the cushioned flooring in the room. Check the fit and do any necessary trimming.

2. Fold back one half of the vinyl to expose the floor underneath for applying the adhesive. Use a notched trowel to apply the adhesive to the floor and allow the recommended amount of time for it to set. Carefully place the vinyl into place on the adhesive, pressing firmly.

3. Fold the second half of the flooring over the glued section and repeat the procedure in the step above.

4. Roll the entire floor with a floor roller, working from the center to the outer edges. Rollers can be rented.

5. Clean off any adhesive that has gotten onto the vinyl. Replace the baseboard and rehang the doors, planing if necessary to allow proper clearance of the new floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep traffic on the new floor light for the first 24 hours. Use a sheet of plywood to protect the new floor when rolling appliances into place or replacing heavy furniture to avoid damage to new flooring.

• Do not wash the new cushioned floor for the first 72 hours after installation.

References

• Cushioned Flooring Installation