• 🚨 **Don’t Miss Out!** 🚨

    Our 2nd Group Buy with PRP Seats is officially live and ends January 31st!

    Now’s your chance to snag **BIG discounts** on everything PRP has to offer:
    ✅ Off-Road, UTV, and Race Seats
    ✅ Seat Belts, Steering Wheels
    ✅ And ALL Accessories!

    Don’t wait 👉 Shop the Group Buy Now!
  • KoH is almost here, get your free On-X trial now!

Vinyl plank flooring newb questions

Projectjunkie

Whatever
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
306
Messages
3,015
Loc
Tucson Az
I've done tile, planned my work, taken my time to lay out and done well, now I'm taking on a vinyl plank flooring job. It's the upstairs of a home,, at this time I'm doing the hallway and one bedroom, 3 bedrooms at a later date. One of those might get rolled into this phase.
I've pulled the carpet, tack strips and base board.
I understand I need to go around knocking nails flat.
I'll put some chalk lines down the hallway, and try to split the hallway down the middle, so the cut pieces along both walls are equal thickness.

Bedroom 1 will be floored at this time, I'd like to avoid the transition and make it flow

Bedroom 2 may be rolled into this job depending on timeline

Bedroom 5 is already floored, and I need to install a transition, or at least plan to install one at a later date

Bedrooms 2,3,4 are currently carpeted, and will be done in matching vinyl asap, no need to make a nice transition at this time, but have a plan for the next phase.

The bathroom is tiled, and it is fairly thick, I need to prepare for a transition here.

I need to cap the edge of the stairs, the stairs will remain carpeted

The house is empty for a week, furniture shoved into different rooms, so no rush on the finish work if I can throw the bulk of it down now.

If I'm looking at this right, I basically square up the hallway with a chalk line, then dry fit my pieces to determine the width of the first row (or snap a line to start the first full line on)

then work from the wall with the stairs, bath, and bedroom 2, correct?


I'll need to have a transition at bedroom 4, as I'm unable to finish that cove in the hallway, and not floor bedroom 4 at this time, correct?

once in bedroom 1, I'll need to establish square and work from the hallway, correct?
20201009_234953.jpg
I bought one of those kits with the little mallet, pulling bar, smacking block and shims.

I'll bring real mallets and blocks, what else am I missing?

tips?

tricks?
 
You can't work it backwards so no starting in the middle. I would start in the bedroom and wherever it ends up in the hallway is where it is. I would go the opposite way in the adjoining rooms with a threshold.
 
Buy the stupid overpriced plastic trowel looking knocker board thing and the wood handled hammer with the red and blue rubber things it will make it go 1000x smoother.
 
2big bronco said:
Buy the stupid overpriced plastic trowel looking knocker board thing and the wood handled hammer with the red and blue rubber things it will make it go 1000x smoother.
Click to expand...

Yup. I didn’t do that, and used some scrap flooring to make a knocker. It worked well enough, but would have been easier with the correct tool.
 
Do they all need to flow in to each other or can you do a threshold piece at each bedroom can do it's own thing? I feel like the chances of all those rooms being square to the hall and themselves is pretty slim. Not to mention it's going to be pretty difficult to smoothly tie in to the hall when you go to do the other rooms later.
 
Like someone said you can’t start in the middle. I also would not square up anything. Gap the sides of the walls as needed and start laying. If the hallway walls are way out of square and you square the floor it will look wonky.

If you’re installing thresholds at each bedroom door you can do it room by room. If not it all has to flow.

I would start in the corner of bedroom 1 (the outside wall corner) and just start laying.
 
Last edited:
dave_dj1 said:
You can't work it backwards so no starting in the middle. I would start in the bedroom and wherever it ends up in the hallway is where it is. I would go the opposite way in the adjoining rooms with a threshold.
Click to expand...

2big bronco said:
Buy the stupid overpriced plastic trowel looking knocker board thing and the wood handled hammer with the red and blue rubber things it will make it go 1000x smoother.
Click to expand...

Aggie06 said:
Yup. I didn’t do that, and used some scrap flooring to make a knocker. It worked well enough, but would have been easier with the correct tool.
Click to expand...

bgaidan said:
Do they all need to flow in to each other or can you do a threshold piece at each bedroom can do it's own thing? I feel like the chances of all those rooms being square to the hall and themselves is pretty slim. Not to mention it's going to be pretty difficult to smoothly tie in to the hall when you go to do the other rooms later.
Click to expand...

FleshEater said:
Like someone said you can’t start in the middle. I also would not square up anything. Gap the sides of the walls as needed and start laying. If the hallway walls are way out of square and you square the floor it will look wonky.

If you’re installing thresholds at each bedroom door you can do it room by room. If not it all has to flow.

I would start in the corner of bedroom 1 (the outside wall corner) and just start laying.
Click to expand...




so working backwards? Y'all are referring to having one plank down, male edgr the wall, then clicking 2nd row into it, by working backwards you mean I can't drop into bedroom 2, correct?
now I need to pull a couple pieces from the box and screw around with it, but are we talking 10% harder to deal with backwards, or damn near impossible and breaking stuff?

I saw that big trowel knocker ib a u tube video last night, looked way handy

By squaring up the hallway, I mean I'll measure measure measure and find a straight line thru the middle, then start at the wall, but square with my line

as for thresholds and transitions, the house is a work in progress, I can floor into a doorway, roll the carpet back and choose where to stop on 2,3,4

I understand #4 needs a transition because I can't plank it from the side at a later date



so until i get over there and experiment with a couple pieces, how impossible is working backwards?
 
Projectjunkie said:
so working backwards? Y'all are referring to having one plank down, male edgr the wall, then clicking 2nd row into it, by working backwards you mean I can't drop into bedroom 2, correct?
now I need to pull a couple pieces from the box and screw around with it, but are we talking 10% harder to deal with backwards, or damn near impossible and breaking stuff?

I saw that big trowel knocker ib a u tube video last night, looked way handy

By squaring up the hallway, I mean I'll measure measure measure and find a straight line thru the middle, then start at the wall, but square with my line

as for thresholds and transitions, the house is a work in progress, I can floor into a doorway, roll the carpet back and choose where to stop on 2,3,4

I understand #4 needs a transition because I can't plank it from the side at a later date



so until i get over there and experiment with a couple pieces, how impossible is working backwards?
Click to expand...

My FIL is a professional contractor and does exceptional work. He has given me a lot of tips on installing these floating floors.

All you need to do is go into Bedroom 1, at a corner away from the door into the hallway, and just start laying it. When you get to the doorway, it will just flow into the hallway. You just keep going like a puzzle. Trim as needed off the edges in the hall to maintain the 3/16” or whatever it calls for from the existing wall for expansion.

Also, do not take off the door trim if you don’t have to. Use a multi-tool on a scrap piece of flooring to trim the bottoms.

Don’t over complicate this. Just make sure your joints are more than 6” apart or whatever it calls for and just start slapping it down. Lay down a base if it is needed. Usually they call for padded bases.
 
Squamch said:
Vinyl plank sucks. It has a ridiculous about of thermal expansion and contraction.

And everyone else has given good advice already. Get the installation kit. Get good kneepads.
Click to expand...

Higher quality, thick vinyl planks are really nice. Usually they’re commercial grade and $$$.

I’ve come to really enjoy carpet. They’ve cone a long way with quality. I hate wood floors anymore.
 
Projectjunkie said:
so working backwards? Y'all are referring to having one plank down, male edgr the wall, then clicking 2nd row into it, by working backwards you mean I can't drop into bedroom 2, correct?
now I need to pull a couple pieces from the box and screw around with it, but are we talking 10% harder to deal with backwards, or damn near impossible and breaking stuff?

I saw that big trowel knocker ib a u tube video last night, looked way handy

By squaring up the hallway, I mean I'll measure measure measure and find a straight line thru the middle, then start at the wall, but square with my line

as for thresholds and transitions, the house is a work in progress, I can floor into a doorway, roll the carpet back and choose where to stop on 2,3,4

I understand #4 needs a transition because I can't plank it from the side at a later date



so until i get over there and experiment with a couple pieces, how impossible is working backwards?
Click to expand...

This is an engineered hardwood floor I laid in my wife’s office. I started in the furthest corner and just went to town. If they have real trim on the walls it’s more forgiving than that garbage thin MDF crap some homes have.

8C730148-75D4-4EFF-A79D-BAA82D8A4218.jpeg
 
Do you need to cut them to stagger the joints?
 
DMG said:
Do you need to cut them to stagger the joints?
Click to expand...

Yes, well I usually just cut the first one a random length and go from there. That sets up your next row to be staggered. At some point the seams start to get close and you just decide to cut a little off your next starter. It's fairly easy to keep the waste below 10% or so.

Having it run through the entire house is a total pita trying to keep everything lining up into a hall. If you do it this way snap a "square" line through the middle and keep measuring back to it to hold square when working through the rooms towards that line.

Random pic off my phone. I was really happy with the LifeProof brand from home depot. The first home I did wasnt waterproof and it eventually started to buckle near the front door and under the edges of the counter where water would get to it.

Screenshot_20201010-182302_Gallery.jpg
 
Last edited:
We are in the process of installing aquaguard “waterproof” laminate. On our old slab foundation. Didn’t like the vinyl felt really cheap for the same cost. I wanted wood but we have kids and they spill. We also used Robert’s 3mm underlayment. Feels 90% like real hardwood pier and beam under your feet.
 
Last edited:
If it was me, I would start right at the staircase landing, go down the hallway wall, into the bath, bedroom 5 and 2 and spread out from there. I have no idea why he couldn't start in the middle like that.

I haven't done a ton of flooring and am not a pro but I have done about 12 houses. Starting in a bedroom isn't something I would do
 
2big bronco said:
Yes, well I usually just cut the first one a random length and go from there. That sets up your next row to be staggered. At some point the seams start to get close and you just decide to cut a little off your next starter. It's fairly easy to keep the waste below 10% or so.

Having it run through the entire house is a total pita trying to keep everything lining up into a hall. If you do it this way snap a "square" line through the middle and keep measuring back to it to hold square when working through the rooms towards that line.

Random pic off my phone. I was really happy with the LifeProof brand from home depot. The first home I did wasnt waterproof and it eventually started to buckle near the front door and under the edges of the counter where water would get to it.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I am just doing some bedrooms and a bathroom for now. My ocd will probably make me cut them right in the middle.
 
I did my entire house after the dogs ruined my carpet and were stinking up the joint. It looks good and is durable, waterproof and easy to clean. It goes down super easy. I’m on a concrete slab so I laid down plastic first for a moisture barrier. I used a miter saw and table saw for cuts which seemed way better then what I saw watching others use a knife or one of those plank cutters that look like a paper cutter. I left a 1/4” gap around the walls and put quarter round down to hide the gap.
 
Started in hallway

Sanded some high spots, filled some low spots with some floor patch to level it, it's what was on hand

tore out bathroom carpet threshold

Bedroom 5 was already floored, but it came out too far, so I cut it back to put the transition under the door, matched bedroom 4 to line up

dropped a chalk line down the middle and worked off that

used the scraps from #5 doorway as a guide to cut under door frame mouldings, you tube trick

threw down 10 pieces, measured, divided by 10, yt trick

Started laying, put a piece at the top of the stairs first, then I sunk a couple screws in this

once the first row was laid out I used little square scraps with a screw sunk to keep the line straight yt Trick

37" hallway, 5.95" boards, I didn't feel like ripping a million boards, and I'd have thin pieces at thresholds, so I have 5/8" gaps down both sides, I'll need to find a wide enough trim, but I'm not terribly concerned

Working the last little corner pieces in, "L" shaped, under door trim, at the end of a run is a mfer, I typically slide it under, then pop it up and work it in

homeowner cut their trip short, so I made the long run in the hallway and locked it down with a screw, I'll finish the dog leg later, I need to have bedroom 1 floored and trimmed tomorrow. My plan is to keep flooring and let it flow, if that doesn't start smoothly, I'll put a transition there

Lowes had transitions and a cheesy, but matching stair cap, all double length or better, $30ish each, so 4 doorways, the step and a redo step for $100

anyways, that's my update, thanks for the advice
 
From all the stuff I've seen, you don't want a set pattern of offset, you want it randomized. You also want to avoid tiny pieces at ends, it needs enough length to have strength in the joint, a short piece could buckle, so you start a row with an idea of how long the last piece will be
it also cuts down on waste in a huge way, unlike the plank tiles I've been doing in a pattern, because grout lines need to line up
 
I'm putting EVP in my Mom's right now and its taking way longer than I thought. I just watched a couple short videos and dove in, one was specific to the brand and was the most helpful.
It eats through blades so fast, I've gone through 3 jigsaw blades on just one side of the hall. I learned to lay down a few pieces on the end and stack all the plank on it at the beginning because the stuff likes to come apart at one corner while beating in a piece at the other. I didn't even know there was a kit but I'm just using a rubber mallet and the sample piece as a beater block.
 
I looked it up after posting, it looks handy I think I'll find some flat bar and make one. It'll probably be quicker than buying one. Although thats what I think about every project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh