Vinyl flooring planks add a glorious look to the place. These planks are budget-friendly, easy to install, and very durable. For the installation of vinyl plank flooring, you need a level floor, but if your floor is not level, then what should you do? You just don’t need to worry about this and have to read this article.
Today, I am going to tell you about the process of installing vinyl plank flooring on an uneven floor in detail. If you have an uneven floor, then there is no need to ignore your favorite flooring option. Instead, follow some basic steps mentioned below and get the most suitable flooring for you.
How Uneven The Floor Could Be That Is Acceptable For Vinyl Planks?
The first question that comes to everyone’s mind is how much the floor can be uneven on which you can install vinyl flooring planks. You can install vinyl flooring with 3/16-inch bumps, plunges, and gaps. If your floor is more uneven than this measurement, then I’m sorry to say, you can’t install vinyl planks on it. If your floor is uneven to within about 3/10ths of an inch, or less than that, then this article is for you.
How To Prepare An Uneven Floor For Vinyl Plank Flooring?
You have to prepare your floor for the installation of vinyl plank flooring before it is installed. Make your floor flat as much as you can so the installation of vinyl flooring can be perfect according to your needs. To make your floor properly flat and even, follow some steps.
1. Check The Moisture Of The Floor
Checking the moisture level of the floor is one of the most important steps. You have to properly check the moisture with a moisture meter to know whether your floor is suitable for flooring or not. Usually, 6% to 9% moisture is ideal for vinyl plank flooring. Floors that have more than 12% moisture are not suitable for any of the flooring.
If the moisture of your floor remains 3 pounds per 1000 square feet in a day, then it is ideal for fixing the vinyl plank flooring.
2. Clean The Floor
After measuring the moisture level of the floor, clean the floor properly and make sure that there is no debris on the floor. For cleaning, you can use a vacuum cleaner, or you can also use a wipe on your floor.
3. Measure High And Low Areas Of Surface
After cleaning the surface of your floor, measure the high and low areas of your floor; Use a carpenter’s leveler to find where your floor is high and where it is low.
4. Grind The High Areas
Now you know where your floor’s surface is high, so you can easily use a hand grinder and try to level the top surface. Make them equal to the other surfaces of your floor.
5. Fill The Lower Areas
Now fill in the deep areas of your floor. Use any floor leveling compound easily available on the market and apply it to the gaps and holes in your floor. You can use a knife to evenly apply the mixture, so your floor should be as even as you want it to be.
6. Start Installing
After leveling the floor, it’s now time to start the installation of your vinyl plank flooring.
Step By Step Guide For The Installation Of Vinyl Flooring Planks On The Uneven Floor
If you are worried after leveling your floor about how you install vinyl flooring planks on uneven floors, then here is a step-by-step guide to explain to you how you can easily fix the vinyl flooring planks on your uneven floor by following simple steps.
1. Remove Baseboards
The first step towards the installation of flooring planks is to remove the baseboards around your floor. To remove the baseboard, find a point in the baseboard where it is easy to create a gap for you. Always try to find an outside point so you can easily remove nails from it. Use the blade of a thin knife and bring it to the backside of the molding. Now push the knife handle with a hammer and then remove the baseboard.
Once a small part of the baseboard is removed, further removal will be easy for you because now you just have to remove the nails and separate the baseboards from the wall. After removing the baseboards from all the sides, clean your place properly.
2. Take Measurements
For this step, measure the width of your room. After measuring the room width, measure the width of one plank, and then you will know how many planks are going to be installed in your room.
3. Cut The Planks
Now cut the planks of the laminate flooring so you can easily install them. One thing you will need to notice while installing planks of laminate flooring is to stage the flooring. While you are cutting the planks, take care of the installation pattern of your flooring.
Carefully measure the planks that you need, and then cut them. For the cutting of the plank, you should use a pencil or chalk to mark the plank where you have to cut it. After marking the plank, use a circular saw for the cutting of plank flooring.
4. Install Planks
Installation of planks is a time-consuming task because you have to create strange patterns on the floor instead of parallel or H patterns. Staging your flooring is an arduous task, but when you complete it, it will create an unbeatable level of durability for your floor.
You have to leave a space of ⅛ inches on all the sides of your place, so after placing the flooring, you can reinstall the baseboards. To stagger the vinyl plank flooring, place the first row carefully. Start placing the vinyl plank in the middle of your room. Then place other planks on either side of the middle plank. After placing the first row, start placing the second row.
For the second row, take any joint from row one and create a distance of 6 to 8 inches where the joint ends, and place the plank there. Then start placing the planks on the sides of the first placed planks.
Now for row three, place the first plank in the middle of the joint of the second plank. And follow the pattern throughout your room. It will create a staging pattern on your floor. For the fixing of the planks, you can use the tongue and groove method, in which the tongue of one plank is fixed in the groove of the other plank.
You can also use the glue-down method for the fixing of planks, in which you have to apply a generous amount of glue on the back of the plank and then fix it on the floor. You can also use the nail-down method if you are comfortable with the use of the nail gun.
5. Once Again Clean The Floor
After installing the flooring planks, it’s now time to thoroughly clean your floor. Check the entire floor. If there is glue on your floor, then clean it with a mop so it can’t ruin the look of your floor when your installation is completed. Clear all the dust particles from your floor.
6. Check The Floor If There Is Any Error
After the installation of your floor, you must check your flooring carefully so that if there is any error, you can remove it on time. If you leave a hole in your flooring, water will seep into it and ruin it from the inside, making it short-lived.
7. Reinstall Baseboards Carefully
When you are done with your flooring, then it’s time to reinstall the baseboards around your flooring to prevent it from being damaged. As you remember, at the start of the installation, we left ⅛ inches of space for the installation of the baseboard. It’s time to use this space and reinstall the baseboards.
For the fixing of baseboards, use a miter saw, miter box, nailer, stud finder, caulk, and caulk gun. As you are installing your old baseboards, it is easier than installing new ones. Your baseboards are already cut according to the size and walls of your room, so you can easily fix them by using a nailer and stud finder.
You have to use caulk and a caulking gun to fill all the gaps between the wall, the baseboards, and the joints of the baseboards.
8. Leave The Floor For Almost 30 Hours
When you are done with your flooring, give your flooring some time to adjust to your floor. You have to wait for almost 30 hours to reuse your space.
Conclusion
Now you know how to install vinyl plank flooring on an uneven floor, so you can easily install your favorite vinyl flooring in your uneven room. You just need to follow the above-mentioned steps and you can perform the installation process like a pro. If you want any specific types of vinyl flooring in Bellevue, consult with a Bellevue laminate flooring company. Best of luck with the installation of your flooring.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Necessary To Level The Floor Before Installing Vinyl Flooring Planks?
Yes, it is necessary to level the floor before installing the vinyl plank flooring on it. On an uneven floor, vinyl planks can’t be set properly, which makes your flooring very delicate, and there are many chances that your flooring planks can crack from the middle. Therefore, always level the floor before installing vinyl flooring.
How Can I Concrete The Floor Before Installing The Vinyl Flooring?
Concrete is used for the leveling of the uneven floor before the installation of vinyl flooring. Measure the higher and lower areas of your floor, and then grind the higher areas and fill the concrete in the lower areas with the help of the knife to make your floor completely balanced.
Is It Mandatory To Install Plywood On The Floor Before Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring?
In residential areas, it is mandatory to use plywood before the installation of vinyl plank flooring. Plywood sheets are installed as the underlayment of the vinyl flooring. The thickness of the plywood sheet depends upon the quality of the floor on which it is installed. Usually, 4 by 8-foot sheets are used on the floors to make them more productive for the installation of vinyl flooring