Vinyl flooring is relatively new coating, so for those who wonder how to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete base we present some professional tips.
Vinyl plank flooring is sufficiently plastic and thin coating having a thickness of less than 3 mm. That’s why nowadays many people may wonder how to lay it correctly. Accordingly, while installing it on an uneven surface you will face disappointment: all of shortcomings will be clearly visible. Therefore, the manufacturers warn: vinyl plank flooring needs to be laid only on the perfectly smooth, specially prepared base ONLY. Let’s talk on how to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete base in a proper way.
It is strictly forbidden to lay vinyl flooring on:
- linoleum
- wood flooring
- plywood
- particleboard
- fiberboard
All these surfaces are more or less susceptible to deformation from moisture or mechanical action. So, the best base is concrete.
Preparing the subfloor
Take advantage of modern tankers (self-leveling mixtures). They may be cement, plaster or polymer. The last option is the most worthy. Polymeric solutions allow you to create a thin layer for the perfectly flat and smooth surface being the best underlayment. The main thing is to completely clean the subfloor from the residues of paints, fillers, contamination. All detected defects – even small cracks and sinks – should be cleared and treated with putty. After the drying of the putty it needs to be polished. At the last stage of preparatory work it’s necessary to remove the dust and apply primer to the base. Sweep all the dust with a vacuum cleaner and ventilate the room.
IMPORTANT! Prefer two-component polyurethane impregnated primers for concrete floors which are water soluble. The soil will provide better adherence of the adhesive composition with a coupler and further fasten the upper layer of the subfloor. Accordingly, the coating will increase the durability of vinyl coating. Laying of the vinyl plank flooring can be started only after drying the base to 5% moisture, otherwise the cover will deform or come unstuck.
Installing vinyl plank flooring over concrete
The good news is that it is rather simple to install vinyl flooring on concrete base. It will take you several hours (in case the underlay is prepared perfectly, of course). Judge for yourself: the floor of about 130 square feet can find its new “vinyl” life in just 1.5 hours!
Surface marking
The laying of all modular coatings needs high-quality floor marking. It’s performed in the following way. Draw centerlines at the intersection of which is the center of the room. On one of the walls mark the middle of it is conducted to guide the other wall with a tape measure. Then there is the center of this axis and 90 ° – draw a line perpendicular to the other two opposite walls. Now the space is divided into 4 parts. Fixing vinyl modules will start at a center line, according to the selected scheme of installation.
The laying itself: Technology
The coating is usually laid on acrylic adhesive. It is applied with a notched trowel – with arcuate motions distribute it over a small surface area. Wait for 8-10 minutes, and only after that start laying tiles. Acrylic adhesive retains its working condition for about an hour – after that it is no longer able to hold anything. If this time has elapsed for some reason, the unused adhesive must be completely removed from the base. Spreading the adhesive on the subfloor to cover is performed for fixing the elements of covering modules. It is necessary to be performed from the center of the room, slowly moving toward the periphery, with the selected pattern. On the back of the tiles mark with the direction of laying – they need to adhere to when building the correct floor pattern. Laying should be led away from you.
The final step
The tiles are laid without seams and gaps, close to each other, for even the minimum displacement to be impossible. 10-15 minutes later glue smooth edges of the modules to fix them definitively to prevent scoring and edges.
How to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete base