Installing Sheet Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is waterproof, easy to wipe clean, warmer than tiles, and can deaden noise. Simple, light-colored designs will make a small room feel larger, while bigger patterns are better suited to large rooms. Cushioned vinyl is comfortable underfoot but can be damaged by heavy wear. Thinner sheet vinyl is harder on the feet but longer-lasting. Lino is a 'solid' sheet flooring similar to vinyl but much more difficult to work with, so best laid by a professional.

Preparation

Vinyl flooring is quite soft -� uneven areas underneath will soon show through and spoil the appearance. Before laying the vinyl, vacuum the floor thoroughly and take off your shoes to reduce the chances of grit and dirt being trapped under the vinyl and showing through later. The best solution is to lay an initial covering of hardboard before the vinyl. This will provide a smooth surface underneath and will reduce the chance of excessive wear at high points.

Leave the vinyl sheeting in the room for at least a day before laying it, either opened flat or loosely rolled. Vinyl is easier to work if warm, so turning on the heating for a few hours will help.

Laying the Vinyl

1. Lay the sheet out in a flat, open area and transfer the markings for the room shape on to the sheet, allowing at least 4" overlap all around.
2. Cut off the larger pieces of waste before taking the vinyl into the room.
3. Unroll the sheet of vinyl and lay the longest edge against the longest straight wall in the room. Allow about 4" of the vinyl to overlap the wall. Adjust so that any pattern is parallel with the wall.
4. Cut slits at right angles to the edges of the vinyl so that it can be pushed into recesses, around chimney breasts, and so on.
5. Press the vinyl firmly into each corner, making a downward cut in the vinyl where it overlaps the wall, directly into the corner.
6. Trim the waste from each side of this line until the vinyl fits into the corner.
7. Where the vinyl overlaps the wall, use a felt-tip pen to mark a line about 1" from the floor. Trim off the waste above this line with a razor knife.
8. Work around the edge of the room, pressing a straight edge against the joint between the floor and the baseboard. This will make a crease along which you should cut with a razor knife to give an exact fit. Keep the knife upright.
9. Work around door frames or other awkward shapes by pressing the vinyl flat with a paint scraper and cutting around the shape.
10. There are always a few shallow air bubbles at this stage, so use a soft broom to push them out.
11. Use double-sided tape to fix the vinyl to the floor at a doorway, and fit a threshold strip across the doorway to protect the edge of the sheet.