How to: Lay a vinyl floor

As the weather gets colder and the nights get darker it’s a great time to start doing some DIY.

A quick and easy update for a space can be achieved by laying a sheet vinyl floor. We have teamed up with B&Q to show you exactly how - with a helpful video below.

Tool checklist: 

  • Vinyl flooring sheet 

  • Knee pads 

  • Hammer 

  • Utility knife 

  • T-bar or threshold bar 

  • Measuring tape 

  • Vinyl floor adhesive or double-sided tape 

  • Vinyl cutter 

  • Adhesive spray 

  • Silicon sealant 

For most rooms you'll only need one piece of sheet vinyl for the whole floor. 

Health and Safety tips:  

  • You’re going to benefit from wearing kneepads or using a knee rest because you'll be spending quite a bit of time on your knees. 

  • When using the utility knife ensure to keep the blade covered or retracted when it's not in use.  

Preparation: 

Make sure you are working on a clean floor by giving the room a sweep or vacuum.

Ensure that your flooring can be covered with sheet vinyl as any flooring treated with a wood preservative or with any protruding nails/screwheads is deemed unsuitable.

Any protrusions will show through the vinyl so this must be avoided, use a hammer and nail punch to flatten any nail heads on the existing floor.  

TOP TIP: Having a clean and level surface is key to a perfect finish.  

Measurement: 

To measure the room for the vinyl you will first need to measure and record the length and the width of the room, making sure to include any alcoves and right up to the centre of any doorways. Add 75mm to each edge to allow for trimming and cutting.  

Laying the Vinyl: 

Begin by rough laying the vinyl, watch the video below to see a demonstration.  

TOP TIP: Using a vinyl cutter around obstacles will give you a nice clean finished edge.

The flooring needs to be bonded to the floor which can be done in a number of ways depending on the chosen vinyl. The video shows an example using double-sided tape and spray as adhesive. 

Finishing touches:  

Finish off your new floor by fitting a T-bar or threshold bar in the doorway to make a neat join between the new floor and the floor of the next room. Once the floor has been laid it must be left to set for a few hours before the room can be used again.  

Visit b&q.com for more DIY tips.