How to start laying a vinyl floor
Have you opted for a vinyl floor and would you like to install it by yourself? We will be happy to get you started and show you how to do it, step by step.
Before you start laying your vinyl
Measure the width of your room and divide the corresponding figure by the width of a plank. You now know how many full rows of planks you will need. Make a mark on the wall where you will be laying your last full plank. The remaining centimetres that you will not be able to fill with a full plank can be distributed across two planks that you can use at the ends of the floor. Do not work any narrower than 5 cm. This will promote the stability of your floor.
Installing the underlay
You are now ready to lay your underlay. If you aren’t sure how to do that exactly, be sure to watch our video “How to install an underlay for a vinyl floor?”.
Unpack and check your panels
After you have installed the underlay, you can take the planks out of the packaging and mix up the various planks from the different boxes to avoid having too many identical patterns and colour variations next to each other. Also Check all panels before and during installation in optimal light conditions. Defective panels must never be used.
Determine the direction
You will get the best effect if you lay the vinyl in line with the longest wall, parallel to the angle at which the light enters your room. Ensure that the end joints of successive rows are never in line. This means that you will have to alternate your alignment of the end joints. Make sure that the short joints of your planks always stagger by at least 30 cm. This will ensure the best possible result.
Considering that a wall is hardly ever entirely straight, it is better not to lay your first plank flush against a wall.
Alpha Vinyl
Alpha Vinyl can be installed in two different ways. The preferred method is method A (angle-angle):
Method A
- First, rotate the short side of the plank to be installed, into the short side of the already installed plank, by means of the angle principle.
- Then raise the newly installed plank to an angle of 20-30°. This will also raise the previously installed planks in the same row, because their short sides are already connected.
- Now place your BOTH hands close to the joint and pull the long side of the plank towards you.
- The panels will now click together. You can either insert the tongue into the groove, or the groove on to the tongue. The tongue in groove method is the most common and easiest way. If method A is not possible (at hard to reach places by example), you can use method B (tapping).
Method B
With Uniclic® you can also join the panels, by tapping the planks into each other, eliminating the need to lift them. This method requires the use of the special Uniclic® tapping block. The planks should not be joined with a single tap. To avoid damaging the panels you must tap them together gradually.
- You can angle the short or long side of the plank first and then tap to connect the other side.
- In places where it is too difficult to install the Uniclic® planks with the tapping block (e.g. against the wall), you can pull them together using the pull-bar and a hammer.
- After the installation of each plank and before continuing with the next plank, check each short and long side joint to make sure there are no height differences and no openings.
- Continue the installation like this - row by row - towards the end of the room.The easiest way to work is to sit on the already installed planks.
- Make sure you leave an expansion gap of 8 mm (5/16”) on all sides of the floor, around pipes, thresholds and under door frames.
For more details about the installation of Alpha Vinyl, please check the installation instructions.
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