Vinyl flooring: Get help with picking,
installing and maintaining
vinyl flooring.
Choosing: Amtico flooring; Karndean flooring
Preparing: Preparing the floor

Preparing the floor

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Vinyl :
Preparing the floor

If there is one thing that I cannot emphasize enough it would have to be floor preparation. Time and time again we have heard of people who have invested hundreds (sometimes thousands) of pounds in their new Amtico or Karndean floor. Then because they have exhausted their funds, they decide to skip the preparation of their floor. What a mistake!

Prepare or pay

When you are installing a vinyl floor, whether it is Amtico or some other brand, please make sure that you have prepared it properly. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, first of all clean the floor thoroughly. Lift any large pieces of dirt or plaster that may be on the floor. Remove the skirting boards. Then hoover the entire floor to lift all the fine dust that tends to accumulate over time.

Now that you have the floor cleaned you need to search for any cracks in the concrete foundation. If you have a new house we would advise that you wait for a few weeks for your floor to settle, keeping the air heated and aired. Most floors will have some degree of settlement cracking, which is not anything to panic about. However, we would recommend that you fill any cracks with a flexible filler so that if they continue to move there will be no damage to the vinyl floor covering.

Using self leveling compounds

With the cracks filled you can now use your self leveling compound to finish off the job. A self leveling compound might sound complicated, but in reality it is nothing to worry about. All you need to do is mix up the leveler according to the manufacturers instructions. Many of the self leveling compounds on the market are pre-mixed so you don't even have to stress about getting the consistency correct. Then it's a matter of pouring the leveler onto your floor and start to spread it out. It's best to start at a far corner of the room and work your way out towards the exit.

You'll need to leave the compound for at least a day (24hrs) before you can walk over it. Once it is set you can then, and only then, start to lay the vinyl. This process can also be used when laying tiles and other fixed floor coverings.