The device of the vinyl floor, its types, preparation for installation, the procedure for laying and maintenance of the coating. Vinyl flooring is an excellent finish with a presentable appearance and decent performance. Its installation is not particularly difficult and can even be done independently. Therefore, today you will learn how to lay vinyl floors using all the subtleties and nuances of this process.
The main types of vinyl floor
The installation method of vinyl flooring depends on its type, which determines the shape and design of the floor elements. Polyvinyl chloride products intended for floor cladding are presented in roll materials with a web width of 2-2.5 m; tiles of 300x600 mm with a self-adhesive base or lock connection; laminated modules with dimensions of 100x920 or 180x920 mm.
In turn, the above products have different designs of attachment to the base and to each other:
- Lockable coverings … They consist of elements that are joined to each other in a "tongue-and-groove" system. This allows them to be assembled at high speed. Tiles and laminated modules are equipped with locks. Their installation requires a completely flat subfloor.
- Self-adhesive coverings … Their elements are tiles with an adhesive layer on the back, protected by a special film before laying the material. The requirements for the base surface are not as strict here as in the previous case. It can be relatively flat, but not loose.
- Adhesive coatings … These are common vinyl tiles and roll material. To fix them to the floor, use a special glue recommended by the manufacturer of the PVC coating. Other adhesives should not be used, since the reliability of fixing the coating to the base surface in this case is not guaranteed.
Preparatory work before installing the vinyl floor
A quality vinyl floor requires a clean, dry and level surface. Polyvinyl chloride does not allow moisture to pass from the floor. Therefore, if it does not dry enough before cladding, water vapor will condense in the closed space between the base and the finishing material, destroying the adhesive layer that fixes the coating. This will inevitably lead to flaking.
The permissible moisture content of the base should not exceed 5%. It can be accurately determined with a hygrometer or roughly in another way. It is as follows. On the surface of the floor, you need to fix a piece of plastic film with tape and leave it for a day. If after this time no condensation drops appear under the film, the moisture content of the base is normal, and it is suitable for cladding. Otherwise, it should be dried.
The leveling of the floor surface must be done especially carefully if the technology of laying the vinyl covering requires it to be glued to the base. With a significant curvature of the surface, a cement-sand screed is used along the beacons, with small differences in the base in height - self-leveling liquid mixtures. Snap-on vinyl flooring, which does not require adhesion, can even be installed on old floor finishes. Treatment of the base in such cases is often reduced only to sealing its deep cracks.
After cleaning the floor from dust, debris and applying a leveling screed, it must be left to dry, and then treated with a primer to ensure future adhesion of the coating adhesive to the substrate. No primer is required before installing the interlocking vinyl. For the successful laying of vinyl flooring on the floor, the air temperature in the room should be 15-25 degrees Celsius, and the humidity should not exceed 60%. Before installation, the cover must be adapted to the new location. From the moment it is introduced into the room and until unpacking, it should take from 24 to 48 hours, depending on the time of year.
To mark the floor before cladding, you will need a tape measure, a paint cord and a pencil. To trim vinyl modules or canvases at their abutment to walls or outlets of utilities, you will need a construction knife and a metal square. If the material will be attached to the base with glue, you should stock up on a spatula, rubber roller and sponge.
Vinyl flooring technology
As mentioned above, vinyl flooring materials are available in the form of laminated modules, tiles and rolls. Let's consider the order of their stacking separately.
Laying vinyl tiles on the floor
Before installing it, it is necessary to remove the old coating, concrete beads on the surface, protruding reinforcement, and then level, dry and prime the base. Further work is carried out as follows.
Laying vinyl tiles is carried out from the center of the room to the walls. Therefore, it should be defined using a markup that will consist of two intersecting lines. If the tiles will be laid perpendicular to the sides of the floor, you should find the midpoints of the walls located opposite each other, and connect their marks with straight lines along the base. From the point of their intersection, you need to start installing the tiles. In this case, the floor will be divided into 4 equal rectangular sections. Lines can be applied to it with a paint cord.
In the case of diagonal tiling, the center of the floor is determined by drawing on it two lines connecting opposite corners of the room. The result of this marking will be four triangular sections of the floor. In both cases, the facing of each part must be proceeded in turn.
To install a self-adhesive vinyl floor, you must remove the protective film from the back of the tile and immediately apply the product to the base along its marking line. When laying the rest of the tiles, they should be tightly combined along the side edges. After facing the first section of the floor, you can proceed to the next, proceeding in the same way.
For cladding the abutments of the floor covering to walls and other obstacles, the tiles should be prepared in advance by cutting them to the appropriate dimensions. The rest of the work is done in the usual way. It is necessary to complete the laying of the material by rolling its outer surface with a rubber roller, this increases the adhesion of the tile to the base.
Tiles that require glue for fixing are also easy to install. Before work, you should study the instructions for preparing an acrylic-based binder solution. Its consumption usually does not exceed 0.5 kg / m2… Too much glue "in reserve" is not advisable to procure. This will lead to its unjustified cost overruns, the surplus may appear as bumps on the tile and they will have to be removed anyway.
The adhesive mixture should be applied to the area of the floor to be tiled with a notched trowel. You should not immediately cover a large surface area with glue, since it can quickly thicken, and then it will not be possible to glue the tiles with high quality. The position of the glued products can be adjusted within 15-20 minutes. After laying the vinyl floor tiles, the surface of the finished covering must be rolled in all directions with a rubber roller. Excess glue that appears at the joints of the tiles should be removed with a clean, dry cloth. The cured composition is removed with rags and ethyl alcohol.
After 30-40 minutes, you need to process the coating with a roller again. In this case, each element of the cladding should be inspected for adhesion to the base surface, it is recommended to pay special attention to the corners of the glued tiles.
To give the products the desired shape or fit them to the required dimensions, markings should first be applied to the material. After that, the line must be cut to half the thickness of the tile, bend the product, and then completely separate the selected part with a sharp knife. Wet cleaning of the coating made up of adhesive modules can be done no earlier than 5 days after the end of the work. Arrangement of furniture is allowed after two days.
How to lay rolls of vinyl on the floor
Before laying it, it is required to remove protruding nails, rebar spouts and debris from the floor surface. After that, you need to clean the floor from dirt and dust with water and a rag, and then dry it.
Next, measure the length of the longitudinal walls with a tape measure and, in accordance with its value, cut a roll of vinyl covering into separate canvases. The geometric shape of the room may not be ideal, so it is advisable to take the length of the canvases a little longer than necessary.
All strips must be spread dry over the entire floor and the material must be adjusted to the size of the room, cutting off excess from the canvases on the protrusions of the outer corners of the walls and other abutments.
To stick vinyl stripes on the floor, you will need a special glue designed specifically for this material. Any universal formulations are not suitable. The adhesive should be prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions for the vinyl covering.
After that, the canvas must be wrapped from the wall to its middle. Apply a layer of glue evenly to the freed area of the floor with a spatula. Then the wrapped half of the canvas must be returned to its original position on the area treated with glue. Using uniform pressure with your hands, it is recommended to press the blade to the surface until it is fixed.
A similar procedure should be done with the second half of the canvas. All other vinyl strips are attached to the substrate in the same way. Any glue stains or other surface contamination can be removed with a cloth and some suitable solvent.
After finishing the installation of a vinyl floor made of rolled material, it is necessary to roll it with a roller for reliable attachment to the base and smoothing out minor irregularities.
Installation of vinyl laminated modules
Laminated vinyl modules can be snapped and glued to the backing. Laminate, which is laid without gluing to the base using the so-called "floating floor" technology, does not require careful leveling. It is enough to seal only deep cracks on the base surface with putty. In this case, its permissible differences can be up to 3 mm per square meter of area.
Laminated modules of some types of material can even be laid on old finishing coatings. In any case, the base must be cleaned of debris and dust, since all this can get on the glue lock of the product during its installation.
The installation of vinyl panels with locks is very quick and does not require preliminary marking of the base. It starts from the most distant wall of the room from one of its corners. Here, the first modules are attached to the floor between themselves, which then gradually fill its entire surface. Laying the vinyl floor is carried out towards the exit from the room.
For the installation of adhesive vinyl laminate, a base marking is required. It is done in the same way as in the case of vinyl tiles described above. After splitting the floor with center lines into 4 sections, laying the modules should begin with the one that is farthest from the front door. The first panels are mounted from the center of the room.
Apply the adhesive to the substrate with a notched trowel. When the layer dries a little, you can lay vinyl panels on it. In the process of work it is necessary to pay special attention to the edges and corners of the modules. Their joining should be even, and the fit to the base should be tight. Any excess glue from the surface of the panels that has come through the seams must be removed with a soapy solution and a clean cloth. Wet cleaning of the new floor can be done no earlier than 24 hours after the installation of the coating is completed, and interior items and furniture can be brought into the room - no earlier than two.
During this time, the glue under the vinyl covering will completely harden and gain the necessary strength. It is waterproof, so this composition can be safely used for the installation of vinyl flooring in the bathroom. Self-adhesive laminate does not require this precaution. The coating can be used immediately after installation.
Features of the care of vinyl flooring
During the entire service life of the laid coating, you need to be able to properly care for. To prevent a lot of dirt and sand from getting on it, which contribute to premature abrasion of the floor, it is recommended to lay rugs near the entrance that can absorb abrasive particles of debris.
Vinyl tiles should be washed with neutral detergents that should be free of ammonia and bleach. There are special cleaning agents for such coatings. It is not recommended to use household chemicals for washing dishes, various washing powders and soaps to remove food stains on the floor.
The best cleaning options for vinyl kitchen floors, for example, are biodegradable substances. They do not leave marks and do not require rinsing with water. The same products are recommended for removing stains on vinyl flooring.
After the end of wet cleaning, the floor must be wiped with a dry cloth. Polishers are used to clean heavily soiled vinyl surfaces.
How to make a vinyl floor - watch the video:
If you cannot cope with the care of the coating on your own, you can consult the seller or carefully study the manufacturer's instructions for this product. Good luck with your work!
