Ideal as a do it yourself flooring option, you won’t need any special skills or years of experience to install Firmfit’s luxury waterproof flooring. However, there are some tips and tricks which can increase installation efficiency and improve your vinyl wood flooring. Try out our handy techniques to get the most out of your vinyl flooring…
1.Lay boards so they follow the light
When you lay the boards, make sure they run in the direction of the main source of light. The can improve the appearance of your flooring and creates the perfect professional finish. Of course, rooms with a good level of external light will be subject to lighting changes throughout the day.
However, the direction of your interior lights won’t change from day-to-day so use this to plan which way your floorboards should lay.
2. Under-cut your door trim
You don’t want the edge of the floor to be pinched as this could prevent its natural movement. Asn easy way to stop this happening is to under-cut the door trim. This means your vinyl wood floor will have the flexibility it needs to move underfoot and it won’t be prevented from doing so due to tight finishes and inflexible trims.
3. Plan your layout
It may be tempting to start your installation as soon as your new waterproof flooring arrives but taking the time to plan the layout of each room can improve the appearance of your flooring in the long-term.
Joints in the floorboards shouldn’t sit directly over any joints which are present in the subfloor, for example, and you can prevent this from happening by planning your layout before you start putting the floor down.
Similarly, short pieces of flooring shouldn’t usually be installed at the end of a row. If you need to use pieces which are less than 30cm or 12in, try to refrain from placing them near the wall for a more professional finish.
4. Affix mouldings to the wall
Once you’ve completed the installation process and your luxury waterproof flooring is in place, you may want to add mouldings or other decorative features. If so, make sure you give the floor time to settle before you undertake any additional installs. In addition to this, ensure mouldings are fixed to the wall, rather than the floor.
This will help to protect your vinyl wood flooring and leave it free to move underfoot. Furthermore, affixing mouldings and decorative pieces to the wall gives you a wider range of installation options.
5. Check the width of each row
Depending on the size of the room, you may need to cut boards so that they fit perfectly. However, the first and last rows shouldn’t be too narrow. Using your layout plan, check that you won’t need to reduce the width of the first or last board before you get started.
Whilst the board width of the last row can be cut, it should not be less than 50mm or 2 inches, and it’s best to avoid cutting it at all if you can.
To learn more about installing luxury waterproof flooring, contact us at Firmfit today.