Sheet vinyl flooring installation: how does it work?

What are the secrets of sheet vinyl flooring installation? We answer this question in this blog post. The good news: you don’t always have to resort to liquid adhesive. In many cases, vinyl flooring rolls can also be installed with double-sided tape or even laid completely loose. We explain step by step how to lay a sheet vinyl flooring and clarify which installation method is suitable for which type of flooring.

First of all: always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Depending on the product type, installation methods, adhesive recommendations and airing times can vary considerably. What you should definitely know: if you choose a very wide 5m wide vinyl flooring roll or 4 m, for a room of around 20 to 25 m², the covering can usually be laid loosely without adhesive.

First step in the sheet vinyl flooring installation: Preparation

Before starting the installation of the PVC floor, make sure to completely remove any old floor coverings as well as adhesive residues. Then, check the subfloor for unevenness and cracks, and repair these with filler if necessary. Before laying the PVC covering in the room, the subfloor should be completely dry, clean, level, and stable. Once unrolled without creases, cut the new PVC floor roughly with a 15 cm excess and leave it in the room for at least 24 hours to acclimatise.

For the preliminary cut, measure the full width and length of the room (including recesses and door openings) and add 15 cm in each direction. To avoid unnecessary seams in your new flooring, it is always advisable to purchase the largest available width. At BRICOFLOR you can also find vinyl flooring by the metre in 4 m widths. If several pieces are required, ensure that the pattern is continuous at the joints (pattern repeat). It is also essential that all pieces come from the same roll, as this is the only way to prevent colour variations in the PVC flooring.

Cutting

Next, the extra wide vinyl flooring rolls can be cut precisely. Ideally, use a carpet ruler and a carpet or utility knife with sharp blades. Leave a few millimetres of space along the wall. This expansion gap allows the PVC floor to shrink or expand with temperature fluctuations.

It is advisable to cut the flooring in small stages. Several short cuts are more effective than one continuous cut and ensure a more accurate result. Always hold the knife vertically to the floor for a clean, precise cut.

Special case: Corners

When working on external corners, first cut the PVC floor diagonally from the edge towards the corner and press the fold, then trim off the excess material.

Heating pipes are a special case: press the material into the joint between the floor and the fitting, cutting it almost down to the base. A small X-shaped cut prevents the material from tearing. Gently press the material around the fitting, making a cut down to the floor and a flat cut along the floor at each pressure point.

Once the PVC floor is evenly positioned around the fittings and corners, you can make the final cut along the wall line. Use a ruler to press the covering into the joint between the wall and the floor and gradually fit the PVC flooring by trimming thin strips, keeping the blade firmly and as vertically as possible along the skirting board.

The Beauflor Moonlight PVC floor can be laid loosely in rooms up to 35 m².

How do you lay sheet vinyl flooring? Loose-lay or glue-down?

In principle, there are two possible installation methods (depending on the area of use and product type): loose laying or full-surface bonding. With the loose-lay method, the floor covering is simply laid down or secured with some double-sided tape. Full bonding with liquid adhesive is mainly recommended for large rooms, areas subject to heavy use, or commercial premises. In living rooms, bedrooms, or kitchens, a loose installation of PVC flooring is usually not a problem. However, if you intend to use PVC flooring in a commercial setting or in areas of heavy wear, bonding is advisable.

Manufacturers of PVC flooring generally have their own specifications regarding when full-surface bonding is necessary. Most PVC floors can be laid loosely in rooms up to 20 or 25 m². Depending on the backing, some manufacturers even approve loose-lay installation in rooms larger than 40 m².

The Sommer vinyl flooring rolls can be delivered in 3-5 working days.

Gluing vinyl flooring rolls

For a full-surface adhesive installation, it is recommended that the floor be installed by a professional. In general, however, the following should be observed: apply the appropriate adhesive according to the manufacturer’s instructions and wait until it achieves the required initial tack before beginning the installation. The flooring must lie flat—remove any air bubbles, folds, or tensions. The seams should fit tightly together. Do not press together any wavy edges, as waviness indicates a faulty joint between the strips.

Wet adhesive method

When laying PVC flooring on an absorbent subfloor, it should first be placed into the slightly dried adhesive bed. It is important that the backing of the flooring is fully covered with adhesive.

Sheet vinyl flooring installation using the pressure-sensitive adhesive method

Unlike the wet adhesive method described above, the pressure-sensitive adhesive method can be used on both absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors (always follow the manufacturer’s instructions). Non-absorbent subfloors should be worked with TKB notched trowels to ensure minimal adhesive consumption, thus avoiding residual impressions. The PVC flooring is then placed into the adhesive bed once it has dried to the required tack.

Dense, non-absorbent subfloors must first be checked for the adhesive film. Simply touch the surface with your finger to ensure the subfloor is sufficiently covered with adhesive. When lightly touching the adhesive bed, no adhesive should remain on your finger. In this “pressure-sensitive phase,” the PVC must be laid into the adhesive bed. With this method, residual impressions are more likely than with the wet adhesive method. In both cases, the timing of installation depends on the room’s climatic conditions.

What to consider regarding adhesive

When gluing PVC flooring, it is preferable to use solvent-free, low-emission dispersion adhesives. Dispersion contact adhesives (e.g., for stairs), reactive resin adhesives (e.g., for heavy traffic areas), or dry adhesives are also possible options. Make sure to use only adhesives approved for use with PVC flooring. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and, if in doubt, consult a trusted flooring installer.

Meeting of the rolls: Pay attention to seams

Manufacturers generally supply edge-cut rolls. In some cases, however (e.g., in the event of damaged edges), they may need trimming. For seam cutting, the rolls are placed with several centimetres of overlap and precisely aligned. For long lengths, the cutting line is marked on the top roll with a chalk line, then cut with a utility knife along a steel ruler, and finally cut through with a hook knife.

When cutting the lower roll, the edge of the upper roll serves as a guide. Slightly undercutting the upper roll allows for particularly tight seams (essential for cold welding). Experienced installers can also cut the overlapping edges directly with the hook knife, using the lower roll edge as a guide (bottom-edge cut).

After cutting, one roll (guide roll) is folded back halfway lengthwise. On the exposed edge of one roll, the seam position is marked on the subfloor. The other rolls are then folded back halfway.

The Beauflor Supreme PVC floor is also available in a 5 m width.

Welding when laying multiple rolls

If your PVC flooring is only available in narrow widths and multiple rolls need to be laid, the seams of adjacent rolls must be welded together. Professional installers generally use the thermal welding method, but cold welding is also possible. Before proceeding, check with the manufacturer or the installation instructions of your PVC flooring whether the seams should be welded cold or hot. Thermal welding should be carried out by a professional.

Sheet vinyl flooring installation using the cold welding method

The cold welding method is used for sheet vinyl flooring in kitchens or other residential areas with low foot traffic and can be carried out one day after installing the vinyl flooring. The welding along the joint edge should (for full-surface adhesive installations) only be done once the adhesive has fully cured, at least 24 hours after installation. Be sure to follow the cold-weld adhesive manufacturer’s instructions, as drying times may vary. The instructions provided here are only a rough guideline.

• Apply the appropriate paper tape centrally over the seam and press/roll it firmly in place.

• Cut the tape with a sharp knife or trapezoidal blade (using the seam as a guide) exactly in the centre.

• Position the applicator needle according to the manufacturer’s instructions, either to the base or along the joint. Pull it through the entire seam while gently pressing the material from the tube.

• The welding material flows through the needle into the seam, creating a 2–4 mm wide liquid strip on the tape. Remove the tape after 5–10 minutes, once the welding material has set, to achieve an invisible seam. The joint reaches walking strength after approximately 20 minutes. After another 2–3 hours, the seam is fully sealed against water and dirt. The seam edge becomes invisible over time through cleaning and normal wear.

Skirting boards

To create a transition to the wall, profiles made of plastic or MDF are used, which, depending on the design, can be screwed, nailed, slotted, or glued. To simplify the process, pre-cut internal and external corners can be purchased, or alternatively, the corners can be cut manually.

Conclusion

What are the secrets of sheet vinyl flooring installation? It mainly depends on whether you can install your vinyl flooring in a single piece or need to lay it in rolls, and whether the flooring is intended for commercial or residential use. Always check in advance whether your PVC floor is suitable for loose-lay installation. For commercial use, large rooms, or heavily trafficked areas, the PVC floor should be glued. In such cases, it is best to consult a professional, as installation with liquid adhesive can be prone to errors.