How to Lay Self-Stick Vinyl Wood Strips

Create the appearance of real wood by installing self-stick vinyl wood strips.

Installing self-stick vinyl wood strips adds elegance and style without the expense of hardwood flooring. Self-stick vinyl wood flooring has the appearance of real wood. The wood strips float over the existing subfloor to eliminate the hassle of a nail- or glue-down floor. These self-stick flooring options hold appeal for many homeowners and do-it-yourselfers who are on a tight budget with a little time. Update and restore the look of one room or an entire house with this easy-to-install flooring alternative.

Things You'll Need

• Pry bar
• 1/4-inch wooden shims
• Painter's tape
• Utility knife
• Hammer
• Finishing nails

Instructions

1. Remove the existing floor baseboards and shoe moldings with a pry bar. Do not damage the baseboard or shoe moldings, as you will reinstall them after the self-stick vinyl flooring is completed.

2. Create an expansion gap between the wall and the vinyl wood strips by taping 1/4-inch wooden shims at the bottom of each wall, spaced 2 feet apart, with painter's tape. This gap will allow the vinyl strip flooring to constrict and contract with the fluctuating temperatures.

3. Install the vinyl wood strips at the farthest corner of the room. Lay the first row of wood strips along the farthest wall with the under-edge facing toward you. Lock the ends of the wood strips together by angling the second wood strip up and pushing the end into the first strip's end until you have a tight fit. Continue locking each end together in this same manner.

4. Cut the end of the last wood strip to correspond with spacing needs, using a utility knife and then your hands to snap the piece off.

5. Begin the second row of self-stick wood strips at the end of the first row. Lock the second row of wood strips into the first row of wood strips by angling the second row's over-edge on top of the first row's under-edge. Continue locking the wood strips into the first row, staggering the joints, and make any necessary adjustments with the utility knife.

6. Continue across the floor of the room until you've covered the entire space with the self-stick vinyl wood strips.

7. Reinstall the baseboards and/or shoe moldings with finishing nails and a hammer, securing the baseboards and shoe moldings to the wall, not the wood strips. Leave a 1/8-inch gap between the top of the wood strips and the bottom of the baseboards to allow for expansion.

Tips & Warnings

• Open the boxes of self-stick vinyl wood strips and allow them to acclimate the room's temperature and humidity for 48 hours before installing.

• Install the self-stick wood strips onto clean, level concrete flooring.

References

• The Home Depot: Installing Allure Vinyl Plank/Tile