10 Beginner Mistakes Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring
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- čas přidán 10. 01. 2020
- 10 Beginner Mistakes Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring | Home Renovation
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🎥 What to Watch Next:
How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring as a Beginner - • How to Install Vinyl P...
20 Best Tip for Installing Vinyl Plank - • 20 Tips for a Great Vi...
Vinyl Plank Flooring in a BATHROOM - • How to Install Vinyl P...
6 Ways to Cut Vinyl Plank Flooring - • 6 Ways to Cut Vinyl Pl...
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13” Vinyl & Laminate Cutter - geni.us/BXiNp
Trim Puller - geni.us/WOy0
Floor Patch - geni.us/NG2FL
Flooring Install Kit - geni.us/OIMrbd
Better Spacers - geni.us/zK7u9KK
Tapping block - geni.us/OQOPuDG
Non-marring Hammer - geni.us/zr0wuN
Multi-tool - geni.us/6dqI
Door Jam Saw (similar) - geni.us/UBXwPe
General Purpose Handsaw - geni.us/b5LGtfj
Inexpensive Jigsaw - geni.us/5Tt0
48” T-square - geni.us/16gJB1
12” Carpenter square - geni.us/txgwAH
Quick Clamps - geni.us/tHSyPH
Miter Saw - geni.us/aEVqP7
Knee Pads - geni.us/4chppw
ISOtunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection - bit.ly/2Ru4Es8 (10% off code: FTBT)
Vinyl Plank Flooring - bit.ly/2sJZGxX
Threshold Molding - bit.ly/37Oljf5
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#flooring #vinylflooringinstallation #vinylplankflooring - Jak na to + styl
Check out my other flooring project videos: bit.ly/2uFkWp6
20 Best Tips for Vinyl Plank Installation - czcams.com/video/v-Uxeh3EmWI/video.html
Vinyl Plank Flooring in a BATHROOM - czcams.com/video/LrdWvtgOEFg/video.html
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Fix This Build That I’m 13 an we found when laying the floor in that removing the skirting was the way to go
Fix This Build That 1. Use a floor scrapper that has a pole and a blade, this way you can get more surface area done opposed to the way you did.
Dip , it’s called deflection,
Another mistake, thinset u will result in problems, this will crack and separate over time since u did not use a primer prior to flashing, and used the wrong product. Ardex feather finish or cmp prepstar is appropriate
Another mistake never use a full board in a starter row
Fix This Build That u also need to choose boards with different variances so u don’t have a pattern which looks fake or less natural. Open few boxes up and spread to cherry pick ur boards
Fix This Build That I started in the flooring business at 16 and have been every facet of this business from warehouse to install to sales to management now ownership and over 20 years!
Fix This Build That my crew would of installed that room in 2 hours start to finish lol
When you said we dont need fancy tools I had to mute it so my wife didn’t hear...shhh. How do you think guys get new tools? We tell them it’s a necessity to do the project. 😂
Yep. Speaking of which....
🤫🤭😇
I'm a wifey with a tool collection and didn't like the "don't need fancy tools" comment either. How do I now justify getting the hand tool to remove the baseboards!? :)
You saved money installing yourself, so make it easy for you and buy extra tools to do the job. And still save money. Than paying someone to do for you.
@matanuska high I'm telling your wife!😲
I love that you’re showing “What NOT to do” because people really only learn from mistakes, so this is a great method of teaching 🙏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 thank you, I hope more people take a page from your book 💯🔥🙏🏼❤️✊🏼
this is the first time you've seen someone explain common mistakes in a how-to video? Pretty standard and ubiquitous.
This guy provided more information than the manufacturer did. His video was a big help.
no matter what age they are, young or old, ladies response to a job well done always brings a smile to ones head. And a sense of accomplishment.
Finally an educational video on how to install Vinyl plank flooring...Too many people on youtube are subject matter experts that just cannot contain their excitement, and felt the need to share that with the world.
I used this same home flooring. From home depot. It is amazing 5 years later and it still looks like day 1 when it gets mopped. I even used it in my living room that is 20x24, no random gaps, no weird pop outs at all.
Should NEVER EVER mop any vinyl planks because if water seeps into cracks you end up with a mold infestation. Swiffer is recommended.
@djirate052380 🤔swifter wet formula be leaving a slight film on my 7yo laminate floors. I have better results with my "spin mop" which allows me to choose how wet I want the mop head. Trust me, it be too dry sometimes 😂 my floors were made for heavy traffic (grands) and swifter not gonna cut the dirt like a hot mop will
@@4evrcaligirl899 just saying....we replace black molded floors all the time. Be careful...can make you really sick
Doing floating snap flooring for the first time. I'm a contractor and the customer is fully aware this is my first time. I've done plenty of tile, and so far it's been a snap! (Horrible pun, I know) any diy people out there don't be intimidated, you got this. This video perfectly explains and goes over everything you need to know. I really wanted to let you know your video is extremely spot on, like always. I also wanted to let you and your subscribers know about a trim pulling tool from Goldblatt that a friend introduced me to that is far superior to the Trim Puller. I ordered it off Amazon for just over $20 US, and it's just amazing. Anybody buying a trim pulling tool, you've gotta try this one! I swear I'm not some Goldblatt troll, just love tools and wanted to drop a line and let anybody know it exists. Again, great video thanks for sharing the info. Have a great day everyone!
Yes! Trim puller didn't break even 1 baseboard (aside from the fact that whoever installed it was overzealous with the nail gun). I also used it to easily pry up the tack board.
I'm bidding on my first major job, replacing the entire subfloor, laying lvp etc. AND its just me myself and I. I've done a lot of floors but for some reason I'm nervous about this
How did the job go?@@FinznFowl82
Great job. I mostly use a barrel grip jigsaw for 90 percent of my cuts , cutting from the bottom of
the vinyl flooring , so you are cutting with the saw upside down . Very easy to see your lines , plus no tear out
and no chance of marring the flooring. Takes a little getting used to , but for each their own .
When removing the tack strip save some carpet pad to roll them up in
And I read this AFTER I threw the padding out. 😔
Ill be doing that from now on
Finbar Mathews
Excellent tip ! 👏👏👏👏🇬🇧
Yup !
that's awesome advice thanks....
What a great video! Thank you so much for some important reminders for those of us DIY'ers who don't do this kind of thing very often. The use of the multi tool and the way you spaced the edges under the door jams and trim where needed is going to come in so handy as well as many of the other tips like the *Warranty! Thank you for the reminder to be mindful of the contract!
Good job, this was a simple one. A previous comment talked about the base and I agree. By all means use bigger pre painted base to cover the old paint and calk line.
Also, if you take tack strip off, staple the carpet down to avoid future wrinkles and pull apart.
Good luck. Some of this stuff goes together easy and some is a pain.
This video is a must-watch for anyone new to installing vinyl plank flooring! The detailed explanations of common mistakes, like not acclimating the planks and improper subfloor preparation, are incredibly valuable. Your practical tips will definitely help me avoid costly errors and achieve a professional-looking finish. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Wished I had seen this vid before I attempted my sons floor. There were some great tips. Thank you
I love that you make mistakes along the way then show how to fix. Other videos don’t show their mistakes at all. Thanks
My first time installing this in one of my rooms , mistakes , I didn’t remove the staples from the carpet install before, didn’t remove the baseboards . It still looks good and feels good I’ve had no issues with it but obviously there’s little bumps here and there but now I know what to do for next time! Don’t be scared to try things on your own people !
thank you i bought all the materials and someone wanted to charge $800 to install it, but your video shows that is very easy, Im saving my self $800 thank you!!
Great tips! I like how you showed how to fix mistakes too...makes me feel assured I can salvage mine when I try this soon!
As a certified journeymen Floorlayer- I say good job on this one1 Its a great guide for a DIY and hits a lot of points others miss. I watch so many you tube videos on DIY flooring advice and see so many things missed and weak and even wrong advice given.. but you guys nailed this one. Good job.
Can you help me!!! I am using this product (Life Proof vinyl planks) in an old small office in an old building where I work, approximately 8x8. Unfortunately, the existing floor consists of a carpet, (which I started to pull up because I was told it was concrete underneath the carpet), but when pulling the carpet up I found out it was glued down to thin square tiles (I think vinyl) which were under the carpet. In some places where there was a lot of glue/adhesive, pieces of square tiles broke and came up stuck the back of the rug. Of course where those pieces broke, I noticed under the layer of tile that the carpet was glued to are old cork tiles. So since the vinyl plank floors are a floating floor and there is adhesive still on the top of the tiles, as well as the small areas where the vinyl tiles broke there is cork tiles, I was told I can't place the new vinyl planks unless everything comes out, which I can't do, or...
I was told I could use a thin layer of something like floor leveler to create a new layer over the tiles and cork tiles that are showing.
My million dollar question is can I use a concrete self leveling material on the cork tiles? and if so, will that layer of self leveling material be suitable for the vinyl planks to rest on when expanding/contracting due to fluctuating temperatures?
Placement of the transition (under the door) was correct, I've seen too many jobs where the installers didn't, looks like trash. Glad he stressed avoiding short pieces, mentioned the story-stick measuring method, etc.
An excellent guide. I'm not a master, I've only put in somewhere around 150 floors, but agree with all tips.
Only add-on I have is the cutting. Doesn't work for ripping, but I use a vinyl plank cutter (Brutus) to cut to length. Cost is about $130 at Lowes, so not great if you're doing just one or two floors, but faster and easier than any other method I have found. Also no little vinyl chip dust you get with saws that gets everywhere. Though I still use a utility knife and/or jigsaw for circumferences and detail notches.
Mike R. I'm a retired worn out tile guy. I've installed everything except carpet in over 30 years. The last 15 years I specialized in "hard tile". My advise, buy an 8" floor scraper, one that has a razor cutting edge. Get everything up, everything. Any leveling compound will not like a spongy surface, aka cork. Other things to consider is the types of adhesive used in the old flooring material. If it was water based then the moisture from the leveling compound may cause it to break down releasing the old flooring.
Remember, surface prep is about 75% of the job. Short cutting to save time and sweat/blisters may cause product failure and the loss of any warranty.
Be safe and good luck
Ply wood subfloor over existing floor drum sander to lower the high spots and level flow for the low spots.
@@miker6402 prep is 74% of the job. Take the time to remove All of the old flooring. See Donny’s response. We had carpet over linoleum and the linoleum backing stuck to the particle board sub floor. Lots of scraping and pulling of nails and staples out of the whole house. A big challenge, but in the end. Fabulous new look.
I just did a whole bedroom with no experience except from CZcams and I’m watching that after the fact. Still got 3 more rooms to do so thank you for the tips brother!
Great video, very helpful. I would take the baseboards off before doing the flooring as well. A lot less of a headache, can also give them a quick coat of paint to clean them up while they're off if need be, much easier.
I'm still working on mine and yes, I've made a few mistakes along the way but my saw is a scroll saw and a dremmel.
ooh, ooh. I really like how they ensured a straight cut using the jigsaw kept in line with the straight edge clamped down on both ends of the sawhorse table. Cool beans!!!
i just use a multi-tool and my knee. lol
I LOVE THIS FLOORING! I had five dogs due to new marriage and cats. I had a dog door and lots of mud and dirt coming in. I did not install myself but had Lowes install. I had the first floor of the house totally covered with this, 1,500 sq. ft. I lived with this floor for 13 Yrs. Before downsizing. It still looked fabulous!
The people who bought the house loved it Too, because they had kids AND dogs!
Best decorating/practical decision I’ve ever made. Really takes a beating & EASY CARE!
This is the only video I can find that shows how to fix uneven flooring on a second floor. Thank you very much. I'm gonna give this a go!
From a professional standpoint you guys made this simple job look and sound way harder than it actually is.
That's what I thought too.
Same here, its a good video but he talks too fast and feel like they over complicate the job.
"From a professional standpoint"...well, you're a professional and this isn't for you it's for DIYers. So there's that. He covers the basics nicely and brings up good points many wouldn't think of until it's too late.
Subbed, you definitely earned it. Great video: filming angles, audio, and edits were all well done. Thorough and detailed without being exhaustive, all around a great video
Thank you so much this was sooooo very helpful! Hubby and I will be tackling putting in a new floor for the first time in our lives, and this will help us avoid common errors, thanks!
Excellent video - thanks! I usually take the opportunity to upgrade the baseboards to something taller / nicer. This is especially helpful if you're going from carpet to plank flooring because otherwise you're going to have some painting to do if you put the original baseboards back on.
Requiring Natalie's sweat equity and your kindness to Copper are as valuable as all the other great things you show. Thanks for the post.
I have found over the years that using planks with the underlayment built onto the back is a big let down. We usually use the underlayment made of recycled tires with built in vapor barrier, that gives a much more sound deadening effect, and it is firmer and more comfortable to walk on, just make sure you get planks with no underlayment already installed. Also, you might have to put down 3 mil vapor barrier first if your underlayment has none. We always remove the baseboards, I too prefer to slide the wood planks under where the baseboard will be, so that it can expand under the drywall. This provides you with some good buffer for error when you have wavy walls, but you still need to hide the gap. For concrete and wood floor dips, we use a self leveler mortar, which when mixed pours down like pancake batter, very liquid and loose, and it finds its own level. We just coax it into place and make sure it is flush with the rest of the floor.
Vapor barrier on a ground slab will result in a saturated concrete floor if you live in a humid climate. I have torn out laminate floors and was shocked at how wet the slab was. So wet it had to dry out for more than a week with dehumidifiers running. Not only does it create a double vapor barrier, moisture cannot escape, it brings in fresh moist air (to condensate) every time you walk on a spot that is not perfectly flat. No sub floor is perfect. Also grinding the floor (concrete) is my preferred method to level. No set up time, no risk of product failure. Floor leveler only for severe dips.
jeffostroff great tip I never knew there was such an underlay
@@dcwoodworks Yup, they sell it at Floor & Decor and also Lumber Liquidators
Mistake 11 - be careful of color variations by box in addition to pattern variations. Different boxes may be different lots and could be slightly lighter or darker than other boxes. This will be very noticeable if several lighter/darker planks and near each other, spread them out and not very noticeable. Mistake 12 - shoe molding is the correct term, quarter round vertical and horizontal dimensions are the same. Shoe molding is taller than it is wide and is the correct profile to use for floors.
👍
1/4 round is the correct term if you are using 1/4 round. The flooring I am installing only has matching 1/4 round, not shoe molding available.
I would add mistake 14 using pliers to remove staples use a shovel or scraper much faster and easier on the back. Mistake 15 using a prybar to remove tack stripes again use a spade shovel and save your back. ( i know i just did room the hard way and my body was not happy)
I love that you gave different options to cutting the floor because I’m one of those people that is a DIYer but that does not have a lot of fancy tool thank you so much and this is very helpful
Seeing an install without a quarter round is definitely a sign of a pro/enthusiast install. The only time I might look past it is if you've got some really nice built-up baseboards where the quarter round looks appropriate and not just an afterthought.
I think quarterround looks ugly but you do need to give floor space to expand
I had an old house with built in wood baseboard trim so in that room I did use quarter round but it turned out really nice. In the bathroom I pulled the trim and it was super clean looking after I was done. Definitely would say remove the trim if the option is there!
@@sweetbriarhuslin7371 I was thinking that same thing and hadn't noticed spacers or anything. Maybe I just missed it. 🤷
Pros use shoe molding unless the homeowner wants to go with a larger base or the base is very low to the ground in the first place. Removing base that is caulked to a wall can cause all kind of ugly when the base is put back on lower than it originally was. If you do opt to take the baseboards off, then you have to very carefully cut it off so it doesn't rip any of the sheetrock paper and then you have to clean off all the caulking and repaint the wall before putting the baseboard back on.
Base shoe is more attractive and less chunky looking especially on a shorter baseboard.
Thank you so much! About to lay some LVPs for the first time and this is really helpful.
Very good examples of problems to look for when laying out the install. Around small corners and transition were also helpful.
Thank you, FixThisBuildThat for the informative video.
We too, pulled all base boards from our previously (carpet over cheap vinyl that was glued down). By removing the base board, you have more options with replacing the baseboard, or reinstalling the baseboard just lower. Maybe even add an accent of 1/2" or 3/4" quarter round to make it look clean. Well worth the extra attention to detail.
I am smiling as I watch you explain the mistakes you made, as I have made every one of them myself, and the correct way to fix and avoid them. Great Job.
Should have watched this vide first. Lol.
Flooring guy here. First mistake, using tile ADHESIVE as a floor leveling compound. Not sure how old this video is, but probably by now, the flex between the joists on that subfloor have started cracking that tile adhesive, soon it will start to crunch underfoot when it’s walked on. Number two, when you cut the carpet at the door to install flooring n the bedroom, you should have installed a piece of tack strip across the doorway under the carpet to mechanically hold it in place, without it the carpet will loosen over time and develop a wrinkle close to the door in the carpeted area.
First mistake was using pliers to remove staples! Lmao. Then suggests using a scraper on nails?
What product would you recommend using to level an OSB subfloor over large areas like this?
Canonjac I use a combination of sanding high areas and leveling with a Portland cement based floor leveling compound such as Ardex or Mapei floor leveler in conjunction with a latex primer to adhere the leveler to the subfloor. Make sure the osb is screwed tight to the floor joists or trusses before leveling. Allow at least 24 hours after pouring before installing any floor covering. i.e. carpet, vinyl etc.
@@ryanbraun3263 With scraper is 10 times faster than pliers.
do you need subfloor primer if the floor is concrete? im trying to get new floor for small storage next to the kitchen. It's only about 4x8 size. I also have adhesive tile (marble design or whatever) to cover on top of the plywood. The instruction of that tile tells me to apply the primer, but I do not feel it is neccessary for small storage.
I've been researching for weeks on what I want to do for flooring for my basement and settled on vinyl plank. This step by step installation helps greatly! You got another subscriber and keep up the good work! Thanks man!
You NEED. A vapor barrier over concrete.
Sure do over concrete.
Wonder what happens if you use 4mill poly?
@@jonwebster6172 Not with Lifeproof.
If you find it hard to see your pencil marks for cut lines on dark surfaces, try putting blue painters tape on the dark surface and draw the cut lines on the blue tape. I also put blue painter's tape on the foot of my jig saw so I don't scratch the surface of whatever I'm cutting with my jig saw.
A thin sharpie is awesome as well
yea i was wondering how he was able to see his markings with that dark vinyl
Thanks I'm going to attempt the same thing in my house, however we're taking the baseboards off to sand and repaint them (house was built in 2003). I totally agree that the extra effort on the baseboards makes for a cleaner look!
Awesome video. Got a small bathroom to do this week. Hope it goes as smooth as your project did. Thanks for the tips and mistakes to look out for! Take care and have a good one.
I’ve done almost my entire 4 bedroom house. I always remove the trim and put down new trim. I like the look of 1/4 round on the trim so I also add that. Thanks for the tips.
The whole point of removing the baseboard is so you don’t have to install 1/4 round. Seeing 1/4 round installed is typically a red flag that the install wasn’t done professionally. But to reach their own.
Did you mean "shoe molding" instead of quarter round? Shoe molding extends out 5/8" from baseboard, where standard quarter round is 3/4" x 3/4". Shoe molding looks good to me, but the 3/4" quarter round looks like your covering up a bad install in my opinion. I had lumber liquidators install real hardwood on the majority of my first floor, they had a few areas that the shoe molding would not cover, I made them fix those areas before I signed off on job, to avoid the quarter round in some areas.
@@bt7482 Or the homeowner didn't want the painters to come out and recaulk and paint the baseboard. The baseboard goes up before the floor is most cases. Floor guys are the last on the job because we need the whole floor to be clear
Well that is pointless! Installing new baseboard only to add 1/4 round cause you "like" the look of 1/4 round? Facepalm!
Thank you! Doing this for the first time and appreciate the nuances of actual installation, complete with mistakes. This will definitely help me not make the same mistakes and waste time and money! Very helpful!
I installed laminate flooring in my house last month and we did the whole thing in less than three days. Smaller place sure, but once we got the systems down and ironed out the flow it couldn’t have been easier.
We sourced the laminate flooring for free from a person nearby who wanted it gone from their shed which saved us hundreds of dollars. Couldn’t be happier
If you're working in a newer home that hasn't had any sort of settling and the floor is dead-on level through the entire room, removing the baseboard would be okay. However, if you're working on an older home that has some sloping here and there, leaving the baseboard on and hiding the expansion gap with quarter round is the best way to go (IMO). Why? Because when a floor has some sloping, let's say where it dips down in the middle from one side just a little bit and then comes back up on the other side. If you install a baseboard over the flooring, you'll see a a wider gap in the middle between the board and the floor where it'll be tight on the ends. This gap occurs because you can't bend the baseboard with the sagging slope of the floor. Leaving the baseboard there will eliminate any hills or valleys in the floor. You could try to use self-leveling underlayment, but sometimes it's too large of an area and would require more than it's worth, especially if in a house where it still moves a little bit year over year.... as it would still produce that gap latter on down the road. Just my opinion.
dont get confused with this comment hes refering to a raised foundation not a concrete slab
With regards to what my comment pertains to, it doesn't really matter to differentiate between raised foundations vs. concrete slabs... the point I was making was regards to sub-flooring that isn't level, regardless if it's raised foundation or concrete slab. While concrete slabs would give more stability and less likely-hood of floor sag, it's not 100% fool proof. You can still have slab cracks that can cause some sagging over time. Even raised foundations will typically be level for quite a while before you see sagging, if any, over a longer period of time. This is why I prefixed my entire comment about working in new homes being okay for removing the baseboards.
@@Hiddukel1 ive never known or seen concrete slabs sag over time thats why it cracks it doesnt sag. were i have seen raised foundations being its wood and with time may sag
never have i came across a dead on level floor and lowering baseboard yea you can but there will be a lip or a line were the top of the baseboard was at from the caulking that isnt easy to remove which is noticable also filling were the subfloor is low. wood subfloor moves whats gonna keep that floor leveling compound from cracking and releasing from the wood subfloor and making noises everytime its walked on. how thick can you lay that floor leveling compound did you use any primer on the subfloor was all the dust off of it to create a good bond.couldnt you sand down any high spots and avoid the concrete based filler on a wood subfloor that moves to avoid any problems you were pointing out mistakes and i was wondering about some i didnt see on your 10
@@Hiddukel1 when removing screws that missed the joist shouldnt you have screwed them into the joist instead of throwing it out and not have it screwed and if he missed there how many other screws were missed did you check the rest of the room your install is only as good as your prep.
good Job ! I ran into similar issues years when they first came out. LOL fixed on the spot ! Good job
Cool video. I just recently put down flooring over concrete and had the hardest time. Fournuately, it's good, but I had spent a long time getting the seams together before putting in new baseboards. Like the carpet removal technique; used it myself
Well done on many parts, opting out of quarter round/shoe moulding leaves an unsightly gap at the top of the baseboards in this case. Leaving you with a choice between a repaint or a taller base. Other than that, undercut the j bead at the closet in the same way you did the door. Bonus points if you also cut the corner bead at the back. (Probably can't do either with the hand saw option) very decent instruction all in all!
I thought the same thing about the baseboard having a gap with the wall paint. And noticed they didn't reinstall the baseboards for the video. That would've been another mistake, I guess.
Wow!! Thank you for such a well produced video! I loved seeing you un-do the floor to fix an issue, I feel empowered to do the job and it’ll be ok if I make a mistake! I also loved the digital drawing of moving the floor- WOW did that help my brain. Fab video!
I'm pretty sure the people they renovated in my condo before we moved in made all 10 of those mistakes 🧐😳
This was super helpful. I like your straight to the point, no nonsense approach to filming the video. Seeing Copper a few times was a cute bonus too. Thank you so much!
We ended up having to fill in a low spot like that and used self leveling concrete. After about a year, you can hear it crunching when you walk on it. It's great.
The reason it’s crunchy is that the floor is flexing, if it were solid that would not happen.
you always need to screw in the subfloor before you apply the self leveling compound. Even if it looks like it is screwed in, throw more screws in there. If, however your OSB subfloor is delaminating, then you will need to replace it all together.
Lifeproof is by far one of the easiest and fastest LVP floors to install. Quality product with no temperature acclimation issues.
I recently used these tips to make an install of lifeproof flooring in my sisters bathroom so much easier and without any issues. Thanks for doing the video !
I love vinyl flooring and have done a few installs. This video still had great tips that I wish I had known before.
For floor vents, I used a circular saw to plunge cut the first line and switched to a jig saw for the rest
So happy to have crossed your videos. I'm a DIY'er and needed a bit of help. Your video is straight to the point and fun to watch. Love the doggie inspection :)
When I did this, I pulled out three new boxes and dealt them onto a harbor freight 4wheel furniture dolly; that way I could roll my new pieces wherever I wanted. Great video thank you!
If your miter saw can’t cut the whole width, raise the planks by putting a piece or two of mdf or plywood on the miter saw bed. A 2x4 also works. There’s the added bonus of extending your saw table.
Truly like the trial-and-error portion unedited. Definitely something we could learn from👍💯
Sometimes when you remove base that was sitting up more than 1/2" or so from the floor, an unsightly gap will appear once its reinstalled on a floor that is less than 1/2" thick. All of these gaps will likely require touch up paint around the entire room. Additionally, pulling off the base can cause breakage to the base and/or damage to the drywall. DIYers would probably be better off just using 1/4 round. Tip: if you're going to use 1/4 that matches the floor, paint your existing base first )if it needs it) and do it before installing the floor for a nice clean look.
I like the "lack of fancy tools shouldn't hold you back from this" line. I need to repair damaged boards and feeling a I can do this on my own feel. No Slumlord required!
Great video! This type of flooring was easy for me to install, I think most people could do it... only problem was my legs weren’t used to the kneeling and bending and I hurt for about a week afterwards, but it was worth it
how long did it take you to install it?
I like to run everything on a 45 to avoid some of the plank width/length issues as well as squareness issues of the framing. Plus I think it looks better with the same product.
You earned my subscription. This is the second video of your that I watched - the first one was How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring as a Beginner. I really liked the amount of practical information in both, so ya got me!
Just the video I was looking for, thank you!!
I can't wait to try a project like this someday
Just jump into it my friend. Materials really arent much for this job. Never give up and never surrender!
Yes you can lol 😂
It is not as hard as you think. I procrastinated for a year thinking that I wouldn't be able to do it. I wish I had done it sooner. It took a lot of time, but it was well worth it.
I didn't remove the baseboards.
Believe me when I tell you hire an installer
To get it properly under all door jams requires skill and technique with the hard boards you have to pull the whole door jam apart sometimes or. Be okay with a gap that looks very very bad.
Thank you so much! You have a way of keeping things simple & clear. Especially like the suggestions about alternative tools, so no need to give up if you don't have the pro tools. 👍
I've done like a hundred of these and my advice is: don't use the tapping block that comes in that kit. It likes to slip and damage your tabs. Instead, use a scrap piece that locks in with your board. In fact for most of your full pieces you can just slide them in and click them together without tapping them at all, if you've got the technique down.
Also, if you take the trim off and put it back on like that, its gonna be lower, you're gonna be able to see the line at the top of the trim where there is unpainted drywall. To fix this, you're probably gonna need to scrape, then mud the line, and maybe even repaint the whole room. Or, alternatively, just get new, taller trim. Or you can even just leave trim on in the first place, and slide the vinyl planks right underneath (if there is no gap, you can use an undercut saw). You will still have to remove the piece of trim from the back wall, but as long as you nail it right back where it was before you should be good to go.
if you leave the trim on and the gap is too large, would the only solution be using quarter rounds to cover the gap?
@@Barry_Block ugh. I mean, I guess you can do that. Personally I think trimming trim looks tacky. But if you're a diy'er, and you don't want to do drywall and paint work, quarter round might be your best option I suppose.
@@patrickcharzin3062 yeah I don't think it looks great either, was just curious if there are any other solutions for that gap when leaving the trim on. Going to do some DIY flooring soon and this may be an issue. appreciate the response. Might just remove the trim and bite the bullet on the extra work
@@Barry_Block Honestly any time you replace a floor should also be the time that you do some sanding and repainting of trim and walls. By accepting that painting is part of the job it's much easier to find a floor that you actually want to color match with new painted walls. I always caulk bathroom flooring trim edges near the toilet and shower as well so the trim definitely comes off and the walls get repainted or new trim installed which covers the previous trim line.
Only use a tapping block and NEVER use another piece to beat exactly where another piece needs to lock on, You do not touch the locking mechanism with the tap block u latch onto the top layer and No Every piece needs to be tapped together no matter if u think it went smoothly, bet your work has pencil lines through it and ends arent even touching. Have installed this, carpet and tile for 10 years now.
i did half my house before watching how to videos :) had to redo my living room twice.
Next im doing the conservatory thankfully its a perfect square
Gotta love that your 'scrap' piece is the default Home Depot perfect-square sample piece.
PMSL
Very helpful! I actually liked that you showed how to correct mistakes…cuz I’m sure I will be making a few with my first LVP install!
The most valuable comment I found was simply pay attention to what the floor manufacturer says for install. Including dont use an underlayment if its not required etc.
I have always hated quarter round, so I vote for taking the extra to remove & re-install, or upgrade the baseboards. If you are going to re-install, take a moment to label each on the rear side to avoid confusion when re-installing them. I am also a proponent of priming & painting the baseboards prior to installing them. You will still need to fill the holes where the finish nails have been sunken, but it is worth the extra time to have the extra clean lines where the baseboards meet the wall. Oftentimes I find I don’t need to caulk the space ...allowing an even cleaner line to be had. There are situations were this isn’t possible...mainly where the wall color is lighter than the baseboards. I quite often prefer a lighter wall color with a deeper trim. It emphasizes the trim work but can also really frame out the wall color & make it pop.
Brian @ clever solutions finishing
DFW Metroplex
Yes agreed. Just number the back of them with 1 -2- 3-4 etc. Works like a charm. And every room do the same thing and same rotation.
Never use quarter round. Better to burn the house down and build new.
i did that too. numbered the base boards on the back as I took them off so I know exactly where to put them in order back.
Thank you good info
In my house, caulking is a must seeing as nothing seems to be straight, including the walls LOL caulking makes everything look amazing. I agree with priming, caulking and painting. A much nicer, cleaner finish.
LOOKS GREAT and PERFECT! I think with right tools and listening to your tutorials beginners can pull this off instead of paying expensive contractors. Thanks man!
"Expensive contractors" is the best joke I've heard all day! I install flooring for a living people that say we're Expensive must know everything in the world and don't pay anybody to do anything for them. Speaking for my company we charge a fair rate for the task at hand.
@@johnstonjoseph81 I always charged a fair price especially to correct home owners mistakes.
you made some very good points. Regarding the base molding removing for the vinyl flooring to go underneath thereby creating a cleaner look without the use of the shoe molding.....that's fine, but by doing that you make it more difficult to later replace a piece that might get damaged. One of the benefits to the floating floor is to be able to replace pieces if need be with ease. By going under the base molding, one would have to remove the molding to create room for separation?
Great to see a walk through of potential mistakes and how to correct them. Thank you. Very useful.
The lack of fancy tools is an excuse to get a new fancy tool!!
GD I want that trim remover thingy
@@nickmoffett4000 it’s called a trim puller btw but it f you are just wanting to get rid of the trim then just use a wonder bar
Sensible spending rules apply. Get the budget tools on first pass. then if you use it a lot, splurge on the good stuff.
If not, then eh, you spent the minimum amount to get the job done
I like and encourage your way of thinking.👍
This comment describes me to a T!
You're not checking "level" as much as "flatness"...and I ALWAYS remove base. I'm a finish carpenter/cabinetmaker and abhor the quarter round look. You guys do good work.
what's wrong wit the shoe look?
Quarter round looks worse than amateur. It’s not the 1970s. So many other options.
Great video! I'm having to do some flooring in my house, and this will be helpful. We actually have aspestic tile that's we want to put floating floor over. I have a slight high spot in the middle of the room.
Thank you for making this extremely informative and helpful video! This gives me a very insightful look at my future in this profession and what it takes to get there.
Carefully label ALL baseboard pieces WHILE removing them.Write on the back of each.
Painters tape and a sharpie just put it on every one
Very beginner advice taken
Sorry - beginner here. What am I writing on the labels? Which row they're from? Thanks
@@jackhaugh4198
Which walls. A on the baseboards then write A on the wall which it came from. Write B on the next baseboard and B on the wall what you came from and go throughout the alphabet.
@@rxonmymind8362 Thanks!
You have to be the most thorough handy man on CZcams. I have a lot of home projects to do and will use you to learn all the skills 👍👍
best tip ever: screw down some boards as a cleat along the line you want for the second row to start. Start the second row against those and never worry about the thing shifting as you tap the boards together. Once you've got the rest done, unscrew the cleat and add the first row using the pull bar.
You can also just screw through the vinyl on the first row next to the wall or baseboard, install the remainder and then remove the screws and cover the holes with the baseboard or shoe molding.
Thanks for the explanation to some of the issues. My landlord said she put down the vinyl plank flooring in the kitchen 2 years ago, and it is failing. She used underlayment, but the vinyl looks like that was appropriate. I think the issue is they failed to level the floor underneath, as they went over oak flooring.
Some things I learned after installing ~700ft of Flooret:
1. Fix any squeaky spots in the floor by drilling additional screws in the sud floor until they go away. Snap chalk lines to help hit the joists!
2. Rent or buy a laminate floor cutter. Having the tool right next to you is priceless. Some flooring can be scored and snapped but not all. Get the tool to save time.
3. Nobody cares about the floor as much as you do. Take all the time you need to GET IT RIGHT. But don't turn down help.
4. In my case my jigsaw blades only lasted cutting a few planks. They are cheap so pick up extras. Beware that your other blades will potentially dull too. Flooret has a ceramic bead coating which is awesome for wear, terrible for blades.
5. Run a few screws into the edge of your first row to keep it from moving. You'll never see the holes as they'll be covered by trim. Yes remove baseboards!
6. Run the grain of your planks in the long direction of your house if installing in main living areas. It just makes sense to the eye. Bedrooms I think can go either way but my preference is still with the grain going with the house.
Matt Lane I used a table saw, oscillating multi tool, and cordless circular saw for the cuts that couldn’t be snapped on the floor cutter. I’m wondering how a jig saw would compare for speed
good tips!
@@ELIRAXPRT a jigsaw is pretty fast but I guess a multi tool could be too. Not have all the mess in my garage from cutting planks was reason enough to get a laminate cutter but for rip cuts you obviously need a circular or table saw.
I just did the same type of install using Mohawk from Lowe’s. It required .25 inch expansion gap. I left the baseboards on and covered the .25 inch with quarter round. I learned from my mistakes and will learn from them when I start another room. Nice video
This is by far the best video I’ve seen on floor replacement. Thank you so much for this step by step, simple, and clear instructions!
While you are doing a subfloor fastener check this is a good time to do a subfloor creak check, if the home is 15-20+ years old, take a good walk around and inspect for creak noises and fix by adding screws to spots in the subfloor (in line with the joists of course)
This video kinda helped thanks because I started doing this when I was 13 now I’m 14 and it this video made it a lot more easier to install the floor.
I have a new found pet peeve of people NOT removing trim before doing floors lol. My dad always took it off before doing floors so I just assumed everyone did!
I'll admit I've left it in before 😜
I couldn't agree more, that's just lazy leaving it. It takes minimal time when removing/replacing and you're almost always going to have a gap if you don't.
Sometimes if you have to leave the baseboard, you may install quarter round, I've been an Master installer for over 40 years and some clients do want the quarter round.
@@armyveteran18th.airborne30 why would you ever have to leave it? An hmm never heard of a master installer before
Army Veteran 18 the.Airborne 😂
One piece of advice: Don’t bother with anything under 7mm and check to see that the locking system is robust. I’m finishing up an install with a Home Depot sale vinyl plank over linoleum tile. Unfortunately the tiles being only 5mm, with underlayment, have a small sliver that locks in. It has bee causing a nightmare and in some cases, we have to use liquid nails to make a decent mating with the adjacent plank(s). While the less expensive planks were $400 less for this install, they will probably take an additional 16 hours to install. Additionally, the thinner wear layer also means that they won’t hold up as well. If you break that down and say that the better planks will give you only 10 extra years, you can see how foolish this was, in the long run. Also, despite my complaints to Home Depot and my desire to return the product on day one, unfortunately we had opened most of the boxes and cut quite a few planks. Shame on both the manufacturers and home depot for selling tissue paper flooring. And shame on me for not knowing better. Also, don’t ever ask anybody at Home Depot for their opinion, because they don’t know anything about the products they sell. I wish I had gone with the product they’re usung in this video.
This is not true. How thick the product is does not necessarily mean it's good or bad. You can have a 5 mm plank that has a 20 mil protective layer and an SPC core that's much higher quality than a 7 mm plank with a 6 mil protective layer and a plastic core.
@@christcrucified6385 Please read my full response and you will see that your “correction” is completely irrelevant and unnecessary. Please go troll somebody else.
@@JSGilbert I read it and then reread it. What did I miss? You are telling people that anything under 7mm is bad. That is completely false. Actually, most of what you are saying in your response is misleading or false. That is being nice. The thickness of your plank does NOT determine wear layer. It also does NOT determine the quality and thickness of your locking mechanism. I do flooring for a living.
One thing you had correct is that box store LVP is usually low quality with a thin wear and will scratch easily. You can get much higher quality at flooring stores that have 20mil wear layers or higher and SPC cores for the same price or less.
I have laid 5mm flooring with SPC cores, robust locking mechanisms, and 20 mil wear layers that are worlds better than anything home depot offers that is 7mm or larger.
Thanks for all the tips, learned a lot that I can use. Well explained and demonstrated 👍🏼
You did it very nice. Now i can see that ppl that made my floor messed up.since it's bending in one spot...
A t molding is to transition between two hard surfaces. The carpet side will flex when stepped on and break. Unless you are planning to paint or replace baseboard with a taller one don’t remove,shoe molding looks just fine. And like someone else said don’t ever use thin set as a leveler. Always use the primer your leveler recommends.
Excellent tutorial! Thank you for outlining the 'mistakes'. I sometimes get ahead of myself and make some of these.
Duuuuuuuuuude! You made this look way easier than it's been on my RV renovation. LMAO! Thank you so much for making this video with all the great tips. Really helpful
Hey Brad, great video! The previous owners of my new house made every single one of those mistakes and o cringe every time I look at it. My hope is to be able to replace it soon.
doh!
MANY new folks getting into home improvement. Recommend you wear safety glasses in your video when using power tools. Thanks. Nice video.
Good video. I recommend putting some staples on the edge of the carpet so a vacuum wont pull it from under the "T Moulding