Measuring sheet-size requirements: VIDEO
Measure the maximum width and length of the room including any recess or doorway, adding 16cm to each dimension. Avoid unnecessary joins (seams) in your new flooring by purchasing the widest possible width (normally available in 3 and 4 metre widths). If more than one piece is required to fit your room you will need to allow for pattern match along the seam. Is also important that each piece is cut from the same roll thus having the same production batch number ensures you have true colour match along the seam.
Preparation Firstly ensure you have the necessary tools;
Sharp knife
Tape Measure
Long metal rule or straight edge
Soft brush
Seam welding fluid if joints are necessary
Double sided tape suitable for cushioned vinyl floor coverings Prior to installation, lay the cushioned floor flat & leave for an hour or two at a room temperature of +18o C. If this is not possible, leave loosely rolled for 24 hours. This will make the flooring more flexible & easier to handle.
Subfloor Preparations: Imperfections in the subfloor can affect the final appearance & performance of cushioned flooring.
For ALL floors: Subfloors must be absolutely level, clean and free from grit, dust, grease, oil, polish, old adhesive & paint. Dryness is essential as dampness can cause discolouration to the flooring. Underfloor heating should not exceed 28C.
For concrete floors: Use a filling/leveling compound if the surface is uneven, rough or cracked.
For timber floors: Secure any loose floorboards. Hammer down any protruding nail heads. Cover the floorboards with 3-6mm gauge resin-bonded plywood in 1200mm x 600mm panels. Fix smooth side up with 25mm ring shanked nails at 100mm spacing. If the subfloor is timber on top of a solid base (e.g. Wood blocks on concrete) remove the timber & treat as concrete. Do not lay the flooring directly on timber treated with wood preservative.
Quarry or Ceramic tiles: Follow the basic requirements above, using a latex leveling compound to fill the joints between the tiles.
Existing smooth flooring: Remove any existing cushioned vinyl, linoleum, dark asphalt or cork flooring.
Existing hard flooring such as PVC Composition tiles (including bitumen based 'Marley' tiles)
Tile may be left in place. Remove any polish from the tiles with a floor cleaning emulsion and household ammonia. Remove any damaged or loose fitting tiles & cover the area with a latex screeding compound. To prevent staining to the new floor, screed must be at least 3mm thick or as recommended by the manufacturer of the screed.
WARNING: Do not sand any existing flooring material, it may contain asbestos fibres, which can be hazardous to health.
Fitting your cushioned floor (loose laying) Rough cut the material to size leaving a good 8cm all round for final trimming in. If more than one piece is involved, cut the pieces to length but add an amount equal to the pattern match to each piece, plus the 8cm trimming allowance. Line up the cut piece to your selected starting wall.
Lay the material with the 8cm over-cut flapping up the walls, ensuring that any pattern runs parallel with the starting wall.
Cutting in: Cut to correct fit in gradual strokes.
Internal corners: Cut diagonals across the material's corner very gradually, in small strips until the material fits into the corner.
External corners: Push the material down to the juncture of the floor & wall. Cut down the material, following the corner & trim flat to the floor.
Irregularly shaped fittings: Push the material into the juncture of floor & fitting, & cut down almost to the floor. A small cross-cut will then stop the material tearing. Work the material down around the fitting by cutting to the floor at all pressure points & cutting flat to the floor.
Once the material is lying flat around the fittings and corners, the final cutting along the wall lengths should be carried out. Push the flooring into the juncture of the wall and floor with the straight edge and, cutting off small strips at a time, gradually working the material down to the floor keeping the blade tight against the skirting board and held as near the vertical position as possible. (Avoid trimming in too tightly as this will prevent the material lying flat.)
Release any trapped air by sweeping with a soft broom.
Adhering vinyl to subfloor Perimeter adhered We do not recommend perimeter adhesion of Armstrong Cushioned Vinyl floor coverings. However double-sided tape (suitable for cushioned vinyl) can be used in doorways to ensure the vinyl lies flat.
Fully adhered Installations requiring full adhesion should ideally be carried out by a professional.2 or greater) where loose furniture (e.g. Table & chairs) will be used, full adhesion is recommended.
Additional tools/items needed:
sufficient acrylic resin flooring adhesive
a fine notched spreader
an old blanket Follow these steps:
ADHESIVE APPLICATION (one piece installation) After loose laying, turn back the material to expose roughly half of the subfloor to be covered. Apply the adhesive to the subfloor in accordance with the adhesive manufacturer's instructions. Replace the flooring material slowly and carefully over the adhered subfloor to prevent trapping air bubbles. Turn back the other half and follow the same procedure. Press the material into the adhesive and push out any trapped air bubbles using a broom wrapped in an old blanket.
ADHESIVE APPLICATION (two piece installation) Where more than one piece is to be fully adhered, complete fitting as described and pattern-match both pieces, but do not cut the seam yet. Refer to the section "Pattern-matching, seam cutting and welding" before you commence.
Fold back the material from the side walls parallel to the seam, revealing approximately half the floor area under each piece. Spread the adhesive in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, replace the material over the adhered subfloor and allow drying time enough to ensure both outside halves no longer move.
Cut through both pieces of material creating the final seam - this action is fully detailed in the next section. Fold back both edges along the seam and spread adhesive over the remaining exposed subfloor. Allow the recommended drying time and then carefully reposition the material. Press the material onto the adhesive with a broom wrapped in a blanket, taking care not to force adhesive up into the seam. To complete the installation, follow the instructions for welding also in the next section.
Once the installation is complete We recommend that you allow at least two hour's drying time before moving heavy objects back into place.
Pattern-matching, seam cutting and welding (only applies to installations requiring more than one piece of flooring)
Additional items required:
masking or clear adhesive tape
acrylic adhesive and fine notched spreader
chemical vinyl sealant fluid Follow these steps:
Fit or adhere the larger of the rough-cut pieces first in accordance with previous guidelines.
Lay the next largest rough-cut piece so that it overlaps the first by 35-50mm, ensuring that the pattern matches. NOTE (4m width only): adjacent sheet widths should be reversed to minimise apparent shade variation. Fit the piece as already described.
To cut the seam place your steel rule or straight edge so that it's guiding edge lies over both edges of the overlapping material, hold firmly and cut as vertically as possible through both thicknesses simultaneously to create a closely butting seam. (This will require gradual cutting - do not attempt to accomplish in one stroke.)
To join/seal the seam, allow 24 hours after adhering the floor to the subfloor. Cover the seam with ordinary masking or clear adhesive tape (do not use a powerful adhesive packing type tape as this may damage the floor surface when you remove it). Cut through the tape along the seam and apply a cold-welding vinyl sealant fluid. See picture (I). Insert the applicator needle well into the seam until it touches the subfloor. Pull it slowly along the seam whilst gently squeezing the tube. The needle will allow fluid to flow into the seam and, at the same time, a bead of fluid about 4mm wide will be left on the tape. Remove the tape after about 10 minutes when the sealant fluid has dried to leave a virtually invisible seam. The seam will be dry enough to walk on after 20 minutes and fully cured in 2-3 hours, by which time it will be a watertight, dirt-resistant seam.