Installing Sheet Vinyl Flooring

Intro

One advantage of sheet vinyl flooring is that it has fewer seams than other materials, making it an excellent choice for kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, and other utility areas. Because it comes in rolls that are 12 feet wide, you can install it in smaller rooms with no seams at all. There are two types of sheet vinyl. Full-spread vinyl has a felt backing and requires an adhesive that spreads over the entire floor surface. That makes installation a little time-consuming; however it rarely comes loose from the floor. It requires an almost flawlessly smooth underlayment -- even small particles under the sheet will show up as bumps when the sheet is glued down. Perimeter-bond sheet vinyl is laid with adhesive only around the edges of the room, making it easier and quicker to lay. It is more forgiving of minor underlayment flaws but is more prone to coming loose.

Checklist

Time
About 4 hours for full-spread vinyl on a 10x12-foot floor

Tools
Utility knife, compass, marker, scissors, floor roller, seam roller, straightedge

Skills
Measuring and cutting accurately, lifting, seaming vinyl

Prep
Install or repair underlayment without surface defects; remove all floor trim.

Materials
Butcher paper or kraft paper, masking tape, duct tape, vinyl sheet goods, adhesive, seaming solvent

Previous | Next

Shopping for Quality

Vinyl was designed to replace linoleum, which graced many mid-20th-century homes. (Linoleum is still available today.)

All vinyl floor goods, however, are not created equal. The quality and the durability of the material vary widely and depend almost entirely on how much vinyl it contains.

Solid vinyl is tough, longest lasting, and the most expensive option. Its color and pattern are formed by embedded colored vinyl chips in the vinyl base material. Solid vinyl products also boast more choices of colors and patterns. Because the color and pattern go clear through the sheet, they don't wear off easily.

The same goes for vinyl composition products, whose pattern and color are ingrained but are composed of both vinyl and nonvinyl ingredients. The reduced vinyl content makes this product less expensive.

Rotogravure vinyl sheets get their pattern from a printing process, and the printed layer has no vinyl content at all. It is protected by a urethane wear layer. Once this layer wears to expose the printed pattern, the design will begin to disappear.

You can tell a lot about the quality of vinyl sheet goods by their thickness. Thicker materials contain more vinyl and will last longer. To determine the right material for your application, consider the room's use. For example, it makes sense to install a less expensive sheet in an infrequently used guest bath and a more expensive material in the kitchen.

Step 1

Make a template by covering the perimeter 1/4 inch from the walls with butcher or kraft paper. Heavier paper moves less. Cut small triangles and tape the sheet to the floor through the holes. Overlap all edges at least 2 inches and fasten with duct tape. Roll up the template and take it to the room where you'll cut the vinyl sheet.

Previous | Next

Step 2

Unroll the vinyl sheet faceup. Overlap seam edges by 3 inches and tape the seam. Unroll the paper template on the vinyl sheet, lining up the edges of the template with pattern lines. Tape the template to the sheet and mark its edge on the sheet with a washable marker.

Previous | Next

Step 3

With a straightedge along the marks on the sheet, cut it with a utility knife. Roll up the sheet with the pattern side in and carry it to the floor to be covered. Unroll the sheet, sliding it under door casings, and tug and shift it into place.

Previous | Next

Step 4

For a full-spread floor, lift up one half of the sheet and fold it back. For perimeter bond, lift up the edges. Spread adhesive from the corners to the center with a 1/4-inch notched trowel. Refold the sheet back into place. Adhere the second sheet (or the other half if not seaming the sheet vinyl).

Previous | Next

Seaming the Sheet Vinyl: Step 1

To cut a straight seam, overlap the edges 3 inches and snap a chalk line where you want the seam. Using a straightedge and utility knife, cut through both sheets in one pass. Pull back the edges and apply adhesive under them. Push seam edges down into the adhesive.

Previous | Next

Seaming the Sheet Vinyl: Step 2

Roll the seam with a seam roller (called a J-roller). Use moderate pressure to avoid pushing adhesive up through the seam. Wipe off excess adhesive and let it cure. Then apply seaming solvent to fuse the edges.

Previous | Next

Step 5

Roll the entire surface from the center to the edges with a rented 100-pound floor roller. Use a damp rag to wipe up any adhesive around the edges of the vinyl. Replace the trim, then install baseboards and shoe molding or vinyl cove base. Install thresholds and rehang the doors.

Previous | Next

Comments