David and Kenny Wilson invited Ron to their home in Columbia, South Carolina to help them replace a difficult-to-clean, textured vinyl tile floor with a new flooring system that is made from a tough, durable plastic laminate that looks just like ceramic tile but is much stronger, warmer, softer to walk on and quieter than its tile look-alike.
Click Here For a list of what
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1. Acclimate the flooring
After selecting and purchasing any new flooring, allow it to sit in the room for at least twenty-four hours prior to installation so the material can adapt to the humidity and temperature of the environment where it will be installed.
2. Clear the room
Before getting started, clear everything out of the room. If the existing floor is vinyl, the new floor can go right over the top.
The new floor will be installed up close to the wall, but not touching it. A small margin will need to be left around the edge to allow the new floor to expand and contract.
If there is any molding around the edges of the vinyl flooring it will need to be removed. Use a utility knife to cut through the paint or caulking next to the baseboard, then pry the molding off with a pry bar.
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3. Undercutting
Extra preparation is necessary where the flooring meets the door casings. Cutting the shape of the casing out of the floor would be extremely difficult and it also would not allow for the expansion and contraction that this flooring needs. Instead, cut away a slice of the casing off the bottom so that the
flooring can slip underneath.
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| Use a piece of underlayment and an actual section of the flooring to serve as a thickness guide for making the cut and use a handsaw to undercut the casings. Cut through the caulk with a utility knife and use a screwdriver to remove the loose sections.
The flooring can now slip underneath the casing, with the edges concealed. Repeat this process everywhere the door casings meet the new flooring.
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4. Trim track
Metal trim track is installed at each transition point where the new floor meets the floors in adjacent rooms. Secure the trim track in the center of the doorway with ring shank nails. A piece of finished wood trim will be installed over the trim track after the new floor is in place.
5. Underlayment
The new flooring will rest on a material called underlayment, which consists of tiny foam pellets sandwiched between two pieces of plastic sheeting. This pad gives the floor some resilience and makes it more comfortable to stand and walk on. It also absorbs the sound of footfalls.
Trim the underlayment to size leaving a two-inch margin between the plastic and the wall. Tape the seams together with clear packing tape.
6. Install first row
Before laying the new flooring, you will need to decide on a pattern. The vinyl flooring used for this project is made to look like twelve-inch Saltillo tiles, which can be laid either with the joints in straight lines or with offset joints.
When laying the first row of tiles, insert plastic spacers between the edge of the flooring and the wall. This will ensure a consistent margin that will allow for the flooring to expand and contract.
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| The flooring panels have interlocking edges that eliminate the need for glue and make installation simple and fast.
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| To install the flooring around the air duct, first trim away the underlayment and then use a carpenter's square to transfer the sides of the duct opening to the panel. Next, measure the distance between the spacer and the front and rear edges of the duct, and transfer those dimensions to the plank. Drill starter holes at the four corners and then use a jigsaw to cut out the opening.
To cut the pieces at the end of the row, insert the spacer and then measure from the spacer to the inner edge of the panel. Transfer that measurement to a new panel and draw a cut line. Cut the flooring material with a circular saw. |
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7. Second row
If the tiles are in a staggered pattern, you need to make a cut down the center of the first "tile" so that when laid in position, the joints in the first row line up with the center of the tiles in the second row.
After making the first cut, lock the panel into place up against the first row. That will set up the alternate joint spacing all the way down the line. Stick a couple of pieces of duct tape over the joint to create a hinge, which will prevent the sections from coming apart when the row is tipped up to install each new panel.
Use a hammer and a tapping block to close any small gaps between the joints. This should make any visible seams disappear. A pull bar is used in place of the tapping block when space is tight. |
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Repeat the process with each new row.
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8. Door casings
When installing the flooring under the door casings no spacer is used. Once the entire row is laid in place, apply downward pressure and use the tapping block to slowly drive the panel underneath the undercut door casing.
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| You may have to cut some of the panels to fit around existing cabinetry, etc.
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9. Glue
A great advantage to this system is the interlocking edge that does not require glue, which helps to make the project go very quickly. There are a couple of places, however, where it is recommended that you do use glue. One example is where the end of the panel goes underneath the overhang at the base of the cabinet. The overhang prevents the panels from being tilted up, which prevents the interlocking system from working properly.
Modify the joint by cutting away a portion of it then apply glue to the modified joint and simply lay the end of one panel over the other. Another recommended place to use glue is in the refrigerator alcove. The glue makes the joints watertight, which is helpful should the icemaker ever leak. |
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10. Final touches
Seal the gap between the edge of the flooring and the wall with flexible caulk.
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| Cut the pre-finished wood transition strips for the doorways or floor transitions.
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| When one floor is higher than the other, a transition strip designed for two levels is the perfect solution. The transition strip will attach to the trim track that was installed earlier. One side overlaps the higher part of the floor and the other side rests on the lower part. Use a rubber mallet to gently drive the transition strip down into the trim track. |
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Finally, install new, pre-finished shoe molding to conceal the expansion gap and provide a finished look. To avoid potential damage from missed hammer blows, a nail gun is preferred.
To fill the nail holes, run a color-matched wax pencil over each one, then wipe away the excess.
Installing a floor like this is a job that is actually much easier than most people realize. And the result is a floor that is not only warm, comfortable and extremely durable, but it also hides the dirt much better for a cleaner looking kitchen. |
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