How to install luxury vinyl tiles
You’ve finally found the perfect luxury vinyl tiles for your home, but how do you install them? Firstly, let us preface this by saying whilst the click-fit LVT can done DIY-style, all other types of LVT should be fit by a professional floorer to prevent any mishaps and expensive mistakes. With that in mind, let us provide a little additional expert guidance on correctly preparing and installing your LVT flooring. As well as some final tips on how to look after your LVT after they’re down to make sure you’re getting the most out of them.
Table of contents:
- How to measure a room for luxury vinyl tiles
- Tools needed for fitting LVT flooring
- Preparing the floor for new luxury vinyl tiles
- Acclimatising your LVT
- Can LVT flooring be laid on top of underfloor heating?
- Do you need to use underlay with LVT flooring?
- How to cut your LVT flooring
- How to lay luxury vinyl tile
How to measure a room for luxury vinyl tiles
As with any DIY project, preparation will be your key to success, and the most integral part of your preparation will be measuring the room in which you want to install the LVT.
Getting the correct measurements will make or break your project, determining whether you get too much or too little flooring to cover the space. Whilst getting too much isn’t ideal if you’re working to a set budget, it’s not necessarily the worst problem you can have. However, if you mismeasure and end up with less than you need to cover the area you want to floor, it will be much more difficult to rectify.
It’s unlikely that rooms are perfectly square or rectangular, so making a small diagram of the room is worth it when planning your layout – this will help give you an overall idea of what the floor will look like and help you plan around any chimney breasts, alcoves and other nooks and crannies that must be considered when cutting and laying the tiles.
If your room is square or rectangular, multiply the length by the width to determine how many square metres you need. For example, if your room is 5m x 2m, you will need 10m² of vinyl tile.
Tools needed for fitting LVT flooring
Having the correct tools is vital, and you’ll need the following to fit your LVT properly:
- Spirit level
- Tape measure
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Stanley knife or saw
- Rubber mallet
- LVT underlay
Most of the tools you will need to fit luxury vinyl flooring are pretty standard and are found in most toolboxes and households, but if you don’t already have them, they will be available to purchase in most DIY outlets. Some DIY stores may also sell specialised LVT fitting kits.
Preparing your floor for new luxury vinyl tiles
Luxury vinyl tiles are a greatly versatile flooring that isn’t fussy about where it’s laid, as long as it’s placed on a flat, even and clean surface. However, you should do some prep work to ensure your LVT lays correctly.
- Ensure any furniture, fixtures or fittings are removed and out of the way before you start.
- Don’t lay the tiles over recently treated wood or concrete that is too damp. Ensure the surface you plan to lay over is fully dry and aired out.
- You should remove any existing floor tiles or coverings before laying your LVT.
- Prepare your existing floorboards by ensuring no nails protruding and securing any loose boards. It’s also worth sanding down any boards that aren’t level with the rest of your floor.
Acclimatise your LVT
Another crucial step when installing luxury vinyl tiles is acclimatisation. To do this correctly, simply leave the closed boxes in the room where you plan to install the flooring for 48 hours before laying. The room temperature should be 18-28 degrees to keep the flooring from bowling excessively. Acclimatising the LVT in the typical conditions of the room will help them react better to the living conditions after installation, helping to reduce excessive movement once the flooring is laid.
Can LVT flooring be laid onto underfloor heating?
Most luxury vinyl flooring is compatible with underfloor heating, but only if it is a water-fed underfloor heating system. It must not be used with electric underfloor heating systems, and the temperature should not exceed 29 degrees.
As LVT tiles shrink and expand in accordance with temperature, care should be taken to include expansion gaps around the perimeter of the room to allow for this when using it alongside underfloor heating, as the temperature changes will be dramatic. Always refer to the manufacturer’s guide when using luxury vinyl tile on top of underfloor heating.
Do you need to use underlay with LVT flooring?
Underlay is an integral part of laying luxury vinyl tiles and shouldn’t be treated as an optional extra, as it will impact how the flooring fits, feels, wears and looks. It’s important only to use LVT underlay, as any other underlay may not support the click joints of the luxury vinyl tiles. Most LVT underlay is a thick foam, usually around 1-1.5mm thick, which acts as a moisture barrier, absorbs shock and noise and acts as an insulator.
How to cut your LVT flooring
One of the many perks of LVT flooring is that it is extremely easy to cut. To cut the tiles to the desired length, simply place the tile face up and firmly score the tile 2-3 times with a sharp utility or stanley knife; this will allow you to split the plank or tile neatly and evenly. However, once you have snapped the main core of the LVT, you may occasionally be required to cut through the reverse underlay layer – this can be done using the same utility or stanley knife.
TOP TIP: Once scored, line the vinyl along the straight edge of a table or bench and apply enough pressure to snap it cleanly.
How to lay luxury vinyl tile
After finishing the all-important preparation work, it’s time to start laying your flooring. Typically, LVT is designed to be fairly easy to lay, so within a few steps, you should be set and ready to go. You should always refer to the manufacturer’s installation guides as you go; however, there are some basic steps you should follow when installing luxury vinyl tiles.
- Sweep and vacuum the surface you want to lay the flooring onto to remove residual debris.
- LVT flooring has a click system, allowing each tile to be easily clicked. We recommend you begin in a corner and work by laying them from left to right.
- For the first row, place the tiles in a horizontal line with the short ends of the tiles matched together.
- When laying the subsequent tiles, gently push the short edge joint down with your thumb and slide the far corner towards the tiles you would like to join until you hear a click. You may have to use your rubber mallet to secure the joints together properly.
- Knock the opposite short edge click connection with your hand to ensure the short edges are closed correctly.
- Follow this process in rows until all flooring is complete.
- Leave a 7-10mm expansion joint when working along walls, door frames, radiators, etc., to allow for the natural tile expansion. Skirting boards, beading, and threshold bars will cover most expansion gaps.
Discover carpets and flooring at Morgan & Quinn
Now that you’ve got that room floored and ready to go, it’s time to move on to the next. Why not check out our complete range of flooring, carpets and accessories? From laminate flooring and vinyl to carpet and carpet tiles, you’ll find everything you need to get your home in tip-top shape.
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