Vinyl plank over uneven floor. If you have an uneven floor that diminishes your home’s beauty, then installing vinyl plank flooring is the best decision.
You may find the vinyl plank flooring better in different ways. For example, it’s affordable, easy to install, and has various vinyl decor styles.
You may extract the stability or durability of vinyl flooring if you install vinyl flooring with proper guidelines. Otherwise, you may face unevenness after a short period.
This article may give you a complete guideline about installing vinyl planks accurately. You may increase the life span of your vinyl plank flooring with these instructions.
Vinyl plank over uneven floor
Guideline To Install Vinyl Flooring Over Uneven Floor
If you are facing uneven flooring and want to give a beautiful look to your floor surface, then you are at the right place for honest information.
But one thing that we want you to remember is installing vinyl plank flooring is a good option, but if your floor is significantly uneven, then we suggest laminate flooring.
Because the laminate flooring is more compatible with the disfigured floor, it may deal better with uneven floors.
Vinyl Planks Compatibility With Uneven Floor
So, as we discussed, the vinyl plank flooring beautifully covers the flaws of slightly uneven surfaces. You may get the vinyl flooring in sheets and tiles.
Vinyl plank flooring is better with light uneven floors but not compatible with highly uneven surfaces because the high rough subfloor surface may incision the vinyl planks.
So before the vinyl flooring installation, you must ensure that the floor doesn’t contain any dust or waste. Using the bubble level or straight pipe, you must check the floor level or disfigurement.
But if you examine the prominent high uneven floor, you may also use other flooring options.
- It includes using carpets as it is more flexible than vinyl floor planks. You can easily wrap, fold and twist the carpet. So, it would be best to use plush carpets as it is even more suitable for the coverage of deformity or roughness of an uneven floor.
- Some people use hardwood floor planks. But due to plank thickness, it is not more pliable than vinyl plank flooring for uneven floors.
- Another option is using linoleum for an uneven surface. But due to its density, it’s difficult to cut. These floor planks also come in sheets and tiles. Linoleum requires accurate installation to combat water destruction and whether the vinyl plank flooring has more ability to hold out against water harm.
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You may also estimate the humps and dips to check whether the unevenness of the floor is suitable for installing vinyl planks.
- So, ensure that the humps and dips are not more than 4.76mili meter with a radius of 10 feet.
Procedure To Install Groove Vinyl Flooring
Finally, we will start the entire procedure to install vinyl flooring for uneven flooring. You may find the procedure accurate and one of the easiest floors installation.
Let’s get started with vinyl flooring without wasting any time.
Required Material
It’s essential to get the required tools for accomplishing the task of installing vinyl planks. So, here is the list given below.
- A double-headed mallet
- A tapping block
- A measuring tape
- Enhanced pull Bar
- Saw for cutting
- Knee pads
- A bubble level
- Carpenter steel square
Initial Preparations
To install vinyl planks over an uneven floor, you may need to do some simple tasks like leveling, taking off the baseboards, and cleaning the surface as initial preparation for the subfloor.
Step 1: Level the Subfloor
The first step for doing the vinyl flooring is leveling the subfloor. You know the vinyl planks are better installed and remain stable on the slightly uneven floor.
So, if you have a highly uneven floor, then you have to check the humps and dips to make it a suitable surface for the vinyl plank flooring.
You must determine the highs and lows positions of the floor, and then you may level the disfigurements by sanding and filling.
You may use a level to see whether your floor requires smoothness. Define the high-rise position and use the sanding technique to level it.
Moisture under laminate flooring
You may also use the self-leveling compound for stuffing the dips. You may easily buy self-leveling compounds online as well as from the nearest market.
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Use a trowel after putting the floor leveler over the surface to make it plane. Let the surface dry for almost 24 hours before installing vinyl planks.
Step 2: Take off All the Baseboards
Taking off all the base shoe moldings and door case moldings would be best before jumping into the task of vinyl plank installation.
It will help you to do the job more efficiently. One more thing that you may consider is if the protrusions are not detachable, then you may simply cut vinyl planks to adjust the planks.
Step 3: Vacuum Or Brush
So the next step goes through the cleaning procedure of the subfloor. Ensure that the area is free from any junk, dirt, or debris before installing the vinyl planks.
You may use gum or glue for patching purposes, but in case of dust or waste, it may stop vinyl plank flooring from patching, and you may face trouble installing vinyl plank securely. (not in tongue and groove installation)
So, if you want to extend the endurance of your vinyl plank flooring and want to prevent future complexities after a very short time, then make sure the floor is cleaned.
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Use a mop, brush, or vacuum to clean the area of dust particles as much as you can.
Get Ready With The Vinyl Planks
When you have done all the essential steps to make your uneven floor compatible with the vinyl plank flooring, then you may switch your attention toward vinyl planks.
In this section of work, you may select the pattern of vinyl plank and make an estimate of how many vinyl planks you need as. Well, you may do cutting vinyl planks in the section.
Step 4: Estimate Vinyl Plank
Estimating the vinyl planks is one of the most important things in installing vinyl plank flooring. So you required a guideline to avoid any additional toughness.
Well, nobody wants to run out of planks due to a shortage of planks or doesn’t want to waste money by purchasing extra vinyl planks.
So, it would be better if you made an accurate calculation by measuring the width of your uneven surfaces where you want to install vinyl.
Measure the area and get the accurate amount by dividing it with vinyl plank width. It would be better to decide the flooring’s direction.
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You may cut the initial line but don’t cut the ending line of the vinyl plank to give a broad visual at the end.
Step 5: Select Pattern Vinyl Flooring
Now, it’s time to select the pattern, as vinyl flooring has a variety of patterns. Go with your desired pattern.
It would be best if you scramble the vinyl plank flooring pieces from the individual packs to give a better decor style. It will make a consistent view.
Step 6: Cutting The Vinyl Planks
Now, it is time to cut down the planks using a suitable tool. We’ll explain the different ways of cutting the planks. You may go with any of them according to your choice or the density of the vinyl plank.
- A tile cutter is also a handy item used to cut vinyl plank appropriately. Don’t forget to measure before cutting the plank. It would be best to use chalk to mark the cutting spot.
- You may cut the plank by making a line using a T-square tool. Then grab a utility knife and groove the vinyl plank on the marked area on the surface area. Use a little force to curve the plank from the line to break it.
- A circular saw is also an ideal piece of equipment and is used to cut down the vinyl planks. Be attentive while doing the procedure, and avoid melting vinyl plank.
Step 7: Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring
Here are the final steps to install vinyl planks over a slightly uneven floor correctly. So, here we go.
- You may start the first line from the left side to install vinyl. You must require to use the carpenter spacers for the expansion gap. It would be better to create a gap of 3/8 in the middle of planks and walls.
- While installing, you must ensure that the planks’ grooves and tongues are fixed with each other. Ensure the vinyl plank interlocks correctly.
- Keep placing the vinyl flooring. You may use a mallet to hit and firmly interlock them gently.
- If a door in the middle of the wall and the last plank and plank are not fitting, you may use the cutting tool to fix it on the spot after cutting it.
- Go to the next line and ensure that the cut from the end is almost six inches in length.
- Ensure one vinyl plank fits with the other vinyl plank.
- Don’t forget to use spacers. When you are done installing, take out the spacers back.
Step 8: Reinstallation of Baseboards
So, when you have installed vinyl plank flooring, you may reattach the baseboards like door case molding and base shoe molding.
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You may get help from the brad nailer while reinstalling the baseboards.
Bottom Line
After following these instructions, we hope you can install vinyl flooring accurately. You may expand the life span of the vinyl plank if you install them accurately.
We also discuss that you may only install vinyl if you have a slightly uneven floor, as the vinyl flooring works great with a plane surface.
If you examine high dips and humps, then we suggest you install laminate flooring. Installing the procedure is not challenging, but if you think it is hard, we suggest you not waste your money and contact a professional.
