Long gone are the days when vinyl was purely used for utilitarian school corridors and factory floors. Today’s vinyl is absolutely top class and suitable for every room of the house.

You can find an extensive range of designs, effects, and colours that means that there is something for everyone. This flooring type can replicate wood and stone so well that it is a great alternative to the real thing with further benefits such as durability, slip resistance, warmth and comfort under foot, and easy maintenance.

Is it easy to lay vinyl flooring?

Yes! Once you’ve prepared the subfloor, the actual installation of your vinyl or lino flooring is very easy and straightforward.

There are two different types of vinyl flooring to choose from - self-adhesive and standard types. The self-adhesive type of flooring comes with a layer of glue already on the underside of the tiles or planks with a paper backing to peel off prior to sticking it down on your subfloor.

The other type of vinyl flooring doesn’t have this self-adhesive feature and needs to have glue applied to the floor. Although this might sound more fiddly, there isn’t much more you need to account for when laying lino flooring.

How do you prepare a floor before laying vinyl?

Before you begin anything, it’s usually recommended to leave your flooring in the room for at least 24 hours before you plan to lay your floor. This will allow for an easier installation later down the line and will allow the flooring to acclimate to the environment.

Next, to achieve the best possible results and to avoid a lumpy floor and lifting tiles, it’s a good idea to prepare your subfloor before laying your flooring.

Whether you’re laying directly over concrete (new or existing), stone, or wooden flooring, you need to ensure the floor is smooth, hard, clean, and dry and that there is a damp-proof membrane installed. Vinyl tiles and planks also require the subfloor surface to be primed to provide a good base for the flooring to fully adhere to.

To begin, sweep, vacuum and clean your subfloor. If you are laying over existing ceramic or quarry tiles, they should be in good condition and fully bonded to the subfloor. A smoothing compound should then be applied by following the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you have existing vinyl flooring, it should be removed, along with any left over adhesive, before applying a smoothing compound.

For wooden subfloors, secure all loose boards, hammer down any protruding nails and sand down any high spots.

Once your subfloor is clean and level, apply a coat of floor primer across the entire surface. In most cases (depending on brand etc….) it will form a white film, which turns transparent as it dries ready for use. When the primer is dry, you’re ready to lay your vinyl planks or tiles.

Install the floors

The first step to laying vinyl flooring is to find the centre of the room to know how to fit lino into your space. To find the right point, measure the width and length of the area and strike a chalk line halfway across both. It’s best to check the positioning and patterning of your tiles or planks by loosely laying a single row of flooring both widthwise and lengthwise along the guideline line to ensure even spacing on both sides. If necessary you can now reposition the guideline so that equal cuts can be made around the perimeter. Cut the required tiles or planks with a sharp knife.

Now, lay down the tiles or planks from the centre point. If you’re using self-adhesive tiles then peel away the backing paper before sticking them to the floor. If you’re not using self-adhesive tiles, apply some adhesive to the back of the tile and then lay it accurately. Smooth out the tiles to ensure no air bubbles are trapped underneath.

Top Tip: Try to avoid sliding the tiles to butt up close to neighbouring tiles as this can sometimes force the adhesive in between joints and in some cases can cause a bad fit.

Work from the centre points out to the walls before going back in and wiping away any excess glue from the joints before allowing it to cure completely.

Once the tiles are fully cured after a couple of days, you can replace any sealant around the walls (such as in bathrooms) and fit any door thresholds or skirting boards to give your floors a nice finish.