The flooring industry has had a revolution over the past decade. Where soft surface flooring used to make up most of the sales, hard surface flooring has made its comeback on the market thanks to Luxury Vinyl Planking (as known as LVP).
Luxury vinyl is a durable floating flooring option with highly-detailed prints of tiles or hardwoods, and now many LVP’s come with a waterproof feature. With the many benefits of luxury vinyl planking, it makes this option a hard one to combat with regular hardwoods and carpets. This versatile flooring can be installed virtually anywhere and is extremely durable. While installation should be left to the professionals, if you are looking to install your own vinyl plank flooring, we put together a step by step installation tutorial.
Supplies
First, you will need to have the proper supplies for your installation. Floating floors are great because they can be installed over virtually any surface; however, having the proper preparation and tools will allow you to succeed at this task. Here are all the supplies you will need for your installation:
- Luxury Vinyl Planking of your choice
- Broom
- Dust Pan
- Vacuum
- Floor Level
- Luan
- Drill
- Wood Screws
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- Marker
- Jigsaw
- Razor Knife or Laminate Floor Cutter or Chop Saw
- Hammer
- Tapping Block
- Straight Edge
- Level
- Quarter Round
- Nail Gun
Prep
Having a clean, leveled floor is key to a successful installation. You will want to make sure that you thoroughly clean the room are going to be installing your vinyl planks. If you notice your subfloor is uneven, you may need to use floor leveler. A floating laminate planking floor can float over uneven surfaces, but it is ideal to level out the room.
Once you have decided if your flooring is leveled and smooth, you need to broom and vacuum the room thoroughly. Once you install your floor, you will not be able to remove the dust and dirt below it. If you notice any squeaky boards in the room you plan on installing your LVP, use your drill and wood screws to secure down the nuisance boards. Now, that your room is prepped, you are ready to install your luxury vinyl planking.
You can get away with not having all these tools for your install; however, having the proper tools will make your installation process easier. Understand that professionals have had many installations and practice with these floorings and might be the best route to go. If you do choose to install your own floor; however, check out How to Install LVP (Luxury Vinyl Planking) | Part Two for all the tips and tricks you will need to know!
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