How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring (Floating Click-Lock)

Rigid-core vinyl is only as good as the surface under it. The industry standard for floating floors is a subfloor flat to within 3/16 inch over a 10-foot span. Lay a long straightedge across the room in several directions and mark any dips or humps.

Grind down high spots and fill low spots with a cementitious floor patch or self-leveling compound. Over concrete, also test for moisture and, if required by your plank, add a vapor barrier or an underlayment with a built-in moisture barrier. Vacuum thoroughly so no grit is trapped under the planks.

Vinyl expands and contracts with temperature. Bring the unopened boxes into the room where they will be installed and let them sit flat for the time the manufacturer specifies, commonly 24 to 48 hours, at normal living temperature (around 65 to 85 degrees F).

Skipping acclimation is a top cause of gapping and buckling later. Keep the home's HVAC running at a normal setting during and after install so the floor lives at the temperature it was set at.

Measure the room and dry-lay a few rows to plan plank direction, usually running the length of the room or toward the main light source. Aim for a final row at least 2 inches wide; if it would be a thin sliver, trim the first row to balance it.

Leave an expansion gap of about 1/4 to 3/8 inch (follow your product's spec) around the entire perimeter and at every fixed object such as pipes and door frames. This gap is what lets a floating floor move without buckling, and it will be hidden later by baseboard or quarter-round.

Start along the straightest wall. Place spacers to hold the expansion gap and click the first row end to end, cutting the last plank to fit. Use the offcut to start the next row so end seams are staggered.

Stagger end joints by at least 6 to 8 inches (check the spec) and avoid a repeating stair-step pattern, which is both weaker and less attractive. Keeping seams random is one of the marks of a professional-looking floor.

For straight crosscuts, most vinyl scores and snaps: run a utility knife along a straightedge two or three times, then bend the plank to break it. For rip cuts, notches around pipes, and door casings, use a fine-tooth jigsaw or a sharp utility knife.

Undercut door casings with a flush saw so planks slide underneath for a clean look. Dry-fit each cut plank before you click it in, since trimming a hair more is easier than forcing a tight piece.

At doorways and where the vinyl meets carpet, tile, or another room, install the correct transition strip (T-molding for equal-height floors, reducers for height changes). These also maintain the expansion gap between rooms.

Reinstall baseboard or add quarter-round to cover the perimeter gap, and nail the trim to the wall, never through the floor, so the planks can still float. Run silicone caulk at tubs and toilets in wet rooms, then do a final walk to seat any loose joints.