What is the one thing you are going to want to think about when it is time to set up vinyl plank flooring at home? The trick to properly laying your wood flooring is to stagger the seams, so they appear random. How do you start first row on a 11.4 ft wide x 16 ft. Planks are 7in x 5 ft room. 5. (Step-by-Step Tutorial), How to Install Lifeproof Vinyl Plank Flooring? Place First Board. Vinyl sheet flooring is one of the most long-lasting and water-resistant flooring options for your home. Set the first plank in place on the starting line with the cut side toward the wall, maintaining the expansion gap. This gap allows for the expansion and contraction of the planks with temperature changes and prevents buckling. To do that, first drop the 13 from 13.667 leaving you 0.667 inch, then add 1 to get 1.667. Leaving a distance between the floating vinyl floors and the wall itself will allow you to save money on installation costs. If you are using tiles that have decorative designs and motifs, consider a straight tile pattern. This results in a neat, staggering pattern that also offers added structural stability. Staggering is a technique used to learn how to install vinyl plank flooring properly. 8. Any severely uneven areas may need to be shimmed, or require further repair before installing your flooring. Repeat steps #2-3 to complete row four. Continue measuring and cutting planks in thirds and continue installing the planks in staggered rows. Different Layouts for Vinyl Planks or Tiles; Why Would You Stagger Vinyl Planks? Allow a gap of approximately 1/8 inch around the perimeter of the room. Use the offcut from the second row to begin the fourth row and the one from the third row to begin the fifth row. Store your planks in the room where they will be installed for at least 48 hours before installation. Using this calculation, you will also determine the correct size of the planks in the first and last rowsthese need to be the same size for a proper staggering pattern. 6. ), Carpet shears, also known as carpet snips. I stack up all the pattern repeats in similar stacks (typically about five, with a few the same patter but reversed. Allow your vinyl flooring to acclimatize by leaving it out in the room where you intend to install it for a few days after it has been delivered. (Solved), Closet America Vs California Closets (Compared). Including all the installation kit you need to help your lay down laminate flooring or vinyl plank flooring. Wear protective gear, such as goggles and gloves, to prevent injury. The only silver lining in this situation is that, while the labor may be, Read More How to Remove Vinyl Flooring [9 STEPS]Continue, Vinyl plank flooring has grown increasingly popular as a flooring option in both homes and businesses due to the huge variety of styles available and the exceptional longevity of vinyl plank flooring. While this is not the first thing you are going to think about during the installation phase, its still important to consider the aesthetics of this type of setup and how it plays out when everything is said and done. If you do this incorrectly, your floor will appear to have been built by a novice. Cut a small piece of wood from the first plank to allow the last piece in the row to be longer than 6 inches if the last plank in the row is less than 6 inches. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Use these planks for the other side of the room when you need shorter pieces as you near the wall. When you reach the end of the second row, you can cut the plank to make it fit the remaining space. How To Perfectly Stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring. For planks wider than 5 inches, you can raise the minimum to 8-10 inches. Step 4: Start laying the third row. Divide the distance across the room by the plank's width, making sure to include a -inch gap on either side of the floor to allow for expansion. When you reach the edges of the room, you may need to cut the planks to fit around obstacles such as doorways or cabinets. Install the second plank by holding it at an angle and inserting its tongue edge into the first plank's groove edge. Lay at least one more full-width plank in this second row. The primary criterion for building a solid stagger is that all boards overlap by at least 6 inches. Be careful not to create an H-joint. We'll also offer some tips for a professional vinyl plank flooring installation you'll be proud of for many years to come! This will help create a consistent and cohesive look for the floor. Take the first board out of the stack and place it on the table. 12. The rule of thumb is to maintain an 8 stagger when it comes to the setup. It is much easier to install than hardwood flooring and requires no special tools. The offcut from the third row can be used to begin the fifth row if desired. But a more severe uneven subfloor could make your floating vinyl planks buckle and be noisy. Use a tapping block and a rubber mallet to help secure the planks in place. Step 2: Planning the Installation. Our website is supported by advertising. It is possible to achieve the look of real wood in spaces where hardwood flooring is not an option by using this cost-effective, Read More How to Install Glue Down Vinyl Plank Flooring [Step-by-Step Guide]Continue, For its durability, affordability, and utility, vinyl flooring is a synthetic substance that is popular in the home. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Staggering vinyl flooring also helps to maintain the structural integrity of the floor, minimizing the likelihood of problems such as plank bowing, separating, or warping. To start the third row, pick up a whole plank and cut it into a random length that allows a minimum spacing of 6 inches from the closest joint. The trick to stagger vinyl plank flooring successfully is to play around with the minimum spacing and laying down the planks randomly. Continue this pattern until your entire subfloor is staggered with your vinyl planks. Place a T-square or speed square so that its edge rests on the pencil line and the top sits on the plank. Our planks Dimensions: Each plank measures 6 inches x 36 inches and 1.2mm thick. I want them random. One Way Vision. Racking a laminate floor is a little more difficult than racking a hardwood floor because laminate planks are all the same length, whereas hardwood boards tend to come in different lengths. Use a tape measure to find out the length of the room. [Answered!! Install the plank so that the tongue-and-groove side is facing the wall. Vinyl planks are typically 2 to 3 inches wide, so the 6 inches spacing rule would apply. If your vinyl plank flooring has a click-and-lock system, be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions for locking the planks together. The tapping block will help prevent damage to the planks, while the rubber mallet will provide enough force to securely attach the planks. What is LVT? Shop Stock House Laminate SPC Flooring. Before getting specific, the general solution is to cut the first plank of the next row at a length 2-3 inches different than any first plank in a row yet as long as it is at least 6 inches. 2 Mistakes to avoid when staggering wood floor planks. Change the utility knife blades frequently. This indicates the number of rows of planks youll require for room completion. When it comes to installing vinyl flooring, the most typical rookie blunders are the ones that look like this and this. Staggering the end joints helps to avoid the creation of lines that run perpendicular to the direction of the floor, which is aesthetically pleasing. Now that you have your tools ready, flooring mapped out and a clean workspace it's time to lay your first row of planks. Lay the first plank, appropriately spaced from the wall. This means that the short joint between planks should be at least 6 inches away from the nearest joint in any adjacent row. You will want to keep things simple and continue to follow the rule of thumb where there is an 8 stagger between the planks. Happy flooring! Level the subfloor to remove any bumps that can push against the joints and separate the laminate planks. "While you might think of the laminate flooring from decades agoand maybe cringe a bitpeel and stick flooring comes . Step 3: In the second step start working from the right side. Due to the nature of the material, you will want to make sure it does not expand rapidly. You can alternate pattern how you like. However, if your planks are wider, you can increase the spacing to a maximum of 10 inches, although 8 inches is ideal. If you get the vinyl plank flooring arrangement just right, your friends will have no idea that you made it yourself. The likelihood of an H-joint being formed increases when the gap between the two pieces is greater than 10 inches. You may observe the correct spacing pattern when installing one row of flooring next to another, but if an end-joint in the third row lines up with one in the first row, you've created an H-joint. Use a speed square or T-square as a guideline for this straight cut. When you cut the end off a plank to fit it into the end of a row, you can't use the cutoff in the middle of the row. Laminate planks that are designed to float have a locking system similar to the tongues and grooves on hardwood boards. Its end should be at least 6 to 8 inches apart from the closest seam in row one. Contact us now so that we can start brainstorming! The offcut from the second row should be used to begin the fourth row. Stagger the seams so they appear random to lay your wood flooring properly. Maintenance; DIY; Furniture; About. | Laminate Floor 101, Kitchen Flooring Options Budget Friendly, Durable and Stylish, Living Room Vinyl Flooring Best Options, Brands and Prices. Use a tape measure to determine the width and length of the room where you want to install the vinyl planks. The key to properly staggering vinyl flooring is to ensure that the first plank in every third row is at least two-three inches longer or shorter than the first planks in the two rows. Staggered joints remove vulnerable seam joints while giving the floor a fluid and consistent appearance. Tips To Install Vinyl Planks Around A Toilet, How To Install Vinyl Plank Flooring Under My Vanity, How To Turn On An Electric Shower In A Bathroom, How To Manage A Shower Head For Bathrooms, Do You Put Vinyl Plank Flooring Under Vanity With Legs? You can get a rough estimate on the square footage needed by multiplying the length of the room by the width, but obstacles must be accounted for. 15. That is all there is to it when it comes to staggering vinyl floor planking. Will the joints look randomly placed? With this in mind, you will want to ask, do you have to stagger vinyl plank flooring? Cut the first plank in the third row a random length that maintains the proper spacing without creating an H-joint. This does happen depending on the temperature in the room or how humid it is. Add Joint Spacers. If the room is large and you are using a lot of planks, you may need to increase the offset to 8 inches or more to create a more balanced look. 10. Laminate flooring planks are like puzzle pieces. To create an . For example, if your room measures 123 in., and your flooring is 5.75 in. Yes, vinyl plank floors must be staggered to prevent buckling in the floor over time. Repeat steps #2-3 to complete row four. Doing so makes it difficult to avoid H-joints, which, in the art of installing laminate flooring for beginners, is one of the most common racking mistakes. As you install the vinyl planks, be sure to leave a -inch space between the walls. When you get to the end of the second row, you can cut the plank to fit. Keep the offcuts and use them to start subsequent rows. When laying subsequent rows, be sure to match the pattern of the first row as closely as possible. x 60 in. Get the vinyl plank flooring layout right and your friends wont believe you did it yourself. Use a tapping block and a rubber mallet to help secure the planks in place. Measure one-third of this plank and mark a small vertical line with your pencil. They can be anywhere from 5 to 12 inches wide, so following this rule is impractical when installing a floating floor. Dont use the offcut to begin staggering the third row, as this will create a similar pattern, resulting in the step pattern that you are trying to avoid in the first place. Staggering is used to avoid flooring patterns like the H pattern, in which the seams of the planks are aligned to form the letter H. Flooring patterns appear strange and may draw attention to themselves. 6. I started hanging wallpaper and painting at 14 and learned enough on the job to be the general contractor on two homes we built for our family and did much of the finish plumbing, electrical, painting, and trim work myself., Is nobody accounting for the full half inch of space needed for the planks to breathe when measuring the width of the room? Use the cutoff to begin the next row. Use the offcut plank from the first row to start the second row. It is not necessary to use the offcut to begin staggering the third row because doing so will result in a pattern that is identical to the step pattern that you were attempting to avoid in the first place. Benefits Of Staggering Vinyl Plank Flooring. "Piece of cake," you thought to yourself as you admired your work. [Super Simple Steps], Which Direction to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring? Don't forget to mark the expansion gap for the sides & every row. Repeat this process until the entire room is covered. Then, lay the second row and cut the final plank to fit. Step 2: Cut the final plank in the first row. Step 5. (Easy Step-By-Step Guide), Types Of Basement Floor Drains (A Complete Guide For You). 4. Arrange the tiles loosely along the layout lines with the arrows (grain) facing in the same or opposite directions (depending on the look you want). Its common for mistakes to be made when the flooring is laid and it can cause the planks to shift and/or not remain stable. But you'll have less waste using this technique than if you simply cut boards randomly to start each row. 40 Piece Spacers can stack and stagger the spacers to create different thicknesses.They are tapered, just put two together and adjust to any width,following the instructions,a helpful kit for a faster and efficient laminate floor install. Copyright 1990 - 2023 | Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers, Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Vinyl planks emit a minor chemical odor for several hours or days after installation, a process known as off-gassing. Open the windows to help with the stench. Contact; No Result . Additionally, you should plan on trimming the door jambs to make it easier to install the flooring in all areas of the room. This does matter to those who want to keep the floor in pristine condition year-round. Above all, a kitchen will have cabinets and appliance . Would the joints occur as randomly placed? After conducting a significant study, we will teach you how to stagger vinyl plank flooring in this post today. Then full , halves, then 3/4 and 1/4. How to Determin Which Direction Install Vinyl Plank Flooring? Figure Out The Spacing Rules For Vinyl Plank Flooring. Wear a respirator to protect your lungs from dust and other particles. Vinyl planks are a type of laminate flooring that has recently gained popularity. I need a pattern that will minimize my waste on a plank floor. Example: You are about to run your first row of flooring. Wear protective gear, such as goggles and gloves, to prevent injury. Wide x 60 in. Install one plank at a time after the first one is down, continuing until you have covered the entire length of the wall with planks. Cut planks with a straight edge and a utility knife to score the planks and then snap them together if you have to do so. Lay a piece of vinyl flooring against the door casing. Staggering vinyl flooring also keeps the structural integrity of the floor intact, reducing the risk of issues such as plank bowing, separating or warping. To do this, start the first row with a full plank, install the row, cut the last plank to length and save the off-cut. i will be laying vertical. If you come up with a fraction greater than the minimum stagger spacing, go ahead and use a whole plank to start the first row. Be aware of any potential dangers when installing vinyl plank flooring. In this section we will answer a few of the common questions about staggering vinyl flooring. You dont want to inhale the particulate that comes from any construction materials. Staggering the planks will help stabilize the flooring and ensure the wood does not crack due to natural expansion from moisture.