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Laying Click Vinyl Flooring: How to Do It Yourself in a Few Steps
You can lay click vinyl flooring yourself by first letting the packs acclimatise, then making the subfloor flat, dry and dust-free, and laying the boards row by row with a small gap along every wall. The boards click together, and you cut the last pieces to size with a knife or a saw.
With good preparation, laying a click vinyl floor is a job a reasonably handy DIYer can do. Most problems with open joints or lifting boards come from skipping the preparation, not from the laying itself.
What will you learn in this article?
- What do you need to lay click vinyl flooring?
- How long should vinyl flooring acclimatise?
- How do you prepare the subfloor?
- Laying click vinyl over underfloor heating
- How to lay click vinyl flooring step by step
- Cutting click vinyl to size
- How long does it take to lay a click vinyl floor?
- Common mistakes when laying click vinyl
- Frequently asked questions about laying click vinyl flooring
- In short: laying click vinyl flooring
What do you need to lay click vinyl flooring?
- Click vinyl planks, plus 5 to 10 per cent extra for offcuts and waste
- A suitable underlay and, if needed, polythene sheet as a damp-proof membrane
- Tape measure, pencil, try square and a long straightedge or spirit level
- A sharp utility knife and a jigsaw, circular saw or mitre saw
- A rubber mallet, tapping block, pull bar and spacers
- Knee pads and work gloves
How long should vinyl flooring acclimatise?
Leave the unopened packs for at least 48 hours in the room where the floor is going, unless the manufacturer gives a different time. Keep the room at around 18 to 20 degrees during that period. Lay the packs flat and do not stand them on end against a wall, as the boards can warp.
How do you prepare the subfloor?
Vinyl is thin and follows every bump and dip in the floor beneath it.
- Flat: check the floor with a long straightedge or spirit level. An underlay takes up small irregularities of a millimetre or two. Level larger differences first with a levelling compound.
- Clean: vacuum the floor thoroughly and remove loose debris, old adhesive and nails.
- Dry: a new or freshly levelled screed must be dry enough. If in doubt, have the moisture content measured and keep to the limit given in the fitting instructions.
Which underlay do you need?
If the boards already have an integrated underlay, you usually do not add another one. A double, soft layer weakens the click joint. Otherwise, choose a thin, firm underlay made for vinyl, not a thick laminate underlay. On concrete or tiles, a polythene damp-proof membrane often goes down first. Check the fitting instructions to see what your floor needs.
Can you lay click vinyl over tiles?
Yes, as long as the tiles are firmly fixed and the floor is flat. Deep grout lines can show through a thin vinyl floor over time. Fill the grout lines or level the floor first.
Laying click vinyl over underfloor heating
Click vinyl can go over underfloor heating if the manufacturer says the floor is suitable for it. Turn the heating down or off a few days before you start, so the subfloor is at room temperature. After laying, bring the temperature back up gradually. Keep to the maximum floor surface temperature given in the fitting instructions for your floor and do not exceed it.
How to lay click vinyl flooring step by step
Decide which way the boards run
Ideally lay the boards along the length of the room or in the direction of the light coming through the main window. The joints are then least visible. Work out how wide the last row will be. If it will be very narrow, cut the first row a little narrower too, so both edges look balanced.
Lay the first row
Start in a corner along the longest straight wall. Put spacers against the wall to leave an expansion gap. The width of that gap is given in the fitting instructions. Click the boards together at the short ends and check that the row is straight, because every other row follows this line.
Mix the packs and stagger the joints
Open several packs at once and take boards from different packs in turn. This spreads small differences in colour and pattern across the floor. Start each new row with the offcut from the previous row, so the end joints do not line up. Keep to the minimum joint offset given in the fitting instructions.
Click the next rows into place
Angle the long side of the new board into the previous row and lower it until it clicks in. Tap it where needed with a rubber mallet and tapping block, never with a steel hammer directly on the click edge.
Lay the last row and finish off
Measure each board in the last row separately, because walls are rarely perfectly straight. Rip the boards lengthways, allowing for the expansion gap, and click them in with a pull bar. Remove the spacers and fix the skirting boards or beading to the wall, not to the floor.
Cutting click vinyl to size
For straight cuts across a board, score and snap is usually quickest. Score the top surface a few times with a sharp utility knife against a try square, snap the board and cut through the underside. Change the blade regularly, because a blunt blade leaves a ragged edge.
For long cuts along the length, cut-outs around pipes and door frames, and boards with a thick rigid core, use a saw:
| Saw | Useful for | Blade |
|---|---|---|
| Jigsaw | Curves and cut-outs around pipes and door frames | Fine-toothed blade for plastics or laminate |
| Circular saw | Long straight rip cuts | Fine blade with many teeth |
| Mitre saw | Square and angled cross cuts | Fine blade with many teeth |
A cordless jigsaw or circular saw from the Maxxpack 18V range is convenient because there is no cable to trip over or drag across the new floor. Cut with the decorative face up on a mitre saw and face down with a jigsaw or hand-held circular saw, so any chipping ends up on the underside. Use a low or medium speed so the plastic does not melt.
Cutting and sawing safely
Wear safety glasses and keep your fingers out of the path of the knife. Clamp the board down and remove the battery from the tool before you change the blade.
How long does it take to lay a click vinyl floor?
That depends on the size of the room, the number of corners and doors, and your experience. Also allow time for acclimatising and preparing the subfloor, because that often takes longer than the laying itself.
Common mistakes when laying click vinyl
- Laying the boards straight from the car without letting them acclimatise.
- Leaving no expansion gap along walls, pipes and door frames.
- Adding an extra underlay under boards that already have one.
- Not levelling an uneven subfloor, so the joints open up.
- Fixing skirting boards or kitchen units through or onto the floor.
If you have laid laminate before, much of this will feel familiar. Our guide to installing laminate flooring covers the similarities in more detail.
Frequently asked questions about laying click vinyl flooring
Does click vinyl really need to acclimatise?
Yes. Without acclimatising, the boards can still expand or shrink after laying, which leads to open joints or boards that lift. Leave the packs flat in the room for at least 48 hours.
Can you lay click vinyl in a bathroom or kitchen?
In a kitchen this usually works well. For a bathroom or other wet room, you need a floor that the manufacturer states is suitable. Seal the edges along the bath and shower with a flexible sealant.
Why are the joints in my vinyl floor opening up?
This is often caused by an uneven subfloor, too little expansion space or an underlay that is too soft. Rapid temperature changes, such as strong sunlight or underfloor heating turned up too quickly, also play a part.
In short: laying click vinyl flooring
Let the packs acclimatise, make the subfloor flat, clean and dry, and choose a suitable underlay. Lay a straight first row, stagger the joints and leave an expansion gap all round. Cut straight pieces with a knife and use a saw with a fine blade for rip cuts and cut-outs.
