How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring on Concrete in your home

Vinyl plank flooring is very durable and affordable. It also fits over most surfaces, including concrete. Although the flooring comes in a variety of forms, planks are installable with a minimal amount of tools and measuring. The hardest part of the job is often cleaning and leveling the concrete base. After the concrete base is ready, lock the vinyl planks together to install your new floor

1. Cleaning and Repairing the Concrete:

Use a sharp utility knife to cut through any paint holding the baseboards to the walls. Then, slide a putty knife behind the boards, prying them lightly to loosen them. Locate the nails holding the baseboards in place, then use a pry bar to pull them out of the wall.

2. Chisel any cracks in the floor to clean them:

Hold the chisel at an angle with the tip in the crack. Pound the back end of the chisel with a hammer to loosen any debris inside the crack. Hairline cracks need to be opened up a little to let in new filler material. Be very gentle when using the chisel to avoid making the crack worse.Another way to open up small cracks is with an angle grinder.

3. Clean the floor with a brush and vacuum:

Pick up all debris off the floor before attempting to wash it. Then, sweep up dust and other debris with a whisk broom. Finish removing leftover debris with a good vacuum cleaner.Make sure you get any pieces of concrete chiseled out from the cracks.

4. Wash away stains with soap and water:

In a bucket, combine about ¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of a neutral-pH laundry detergent with 16 cups (3,800 mL) of warm water. Spread the soapy water over the concrete floor and scrub it with a stiff-bristled brush. Mop the floor with clean water and let it air dry when you're done.The soapy water will remove most stains, but may not be effective on tough grease or oil stains. For these, use a commercial degreaser. Spread it, let it dry, then sweep it up.If a degreaser doesn’t work, try cleaning the concrete with trisodium phosphate. Trisodium phosphate is harsh, so wear long-sleeved clothing, protective gloves, glasses, and a respirator mask.

5. Repair cracks in the floor with concrete filler:

Get a bottle of concrete filler and cut the tip off of it. Hold the bottle close to the cracks and squeeze the filler into them. Move the nozzle along the cracks as you fill them to the top. Then, smooth the filler material out with a trowel.Another option is to use a tub of concrete patching material. Many of these products come pre-mixed. You spread the material over the floor with a trowel until cracks are repaired.

6. Cut the tongue off the first row of planks with a utility knife:

 

Each vinyl plank has a grooved side and a tongue side. The tongue is opposite of the grooved side, running along 1 of the plank’s longer edges. With the vinyl plank face up, hold a straightedge next to the tongue. Score the plank with the utility knife, then bend the plank to break off the tongue.Vinyl planks don’t have an adhesive backing. Locking them together is enough to secure them in place.Unless you need to cut vinyl to size to match the last row, you only need to cut the edges off the first row of planks.

7. Lay the first row of planks parallel with the longer side of the room:

Place the planks along the chalk guideline close to the wall. Make sure the ends you scored with a utility knife face the wall. To connect the planks, hold the second plank up at a slight angle against the edge of the first plank. Lower it until it clicks into place.Always lay the planks parallel with the longer side of the room. Start on the left side of the room, if possible, and run the planks towards the right wall.

8. Lay the first row of planks parallel with the longer side of the room:

Place the planks along the chalk guideline close to the wall. Make sure the ends you scored with a utility knife face the wall. To connect the planks, hold the second plank up at a slight angle against the edge of the first plank. Lower it until it clicks into place.Always lay the planks parallel with the longer side of the room. Start on the left side of the room, if possible, and run the planks towards the right wall.

9. Connect the remaining planks by joining the shorter ends first:

When laying subsequent planks, connect them with the previous plank in the row first. Hold the plank up at an angle, attaching it to the previous plank. Then, fit the plank’s tongue into the groove on the plank above it. When you feel the plank lock in place, lower it to the ground.Make sure the planks lock together like puzzle pieces, or else they will come out of alignment as you move on.

10. Stagger the joints in each row by 6 in (15 cm):

The joints are where the planks in each row connect. It’s easy to line up the joints in each row, but this weakens the floor. Position the floorboards in the second row so the joints do not align with those in the first row. Do this for every new row.The joints are the most vulnerable part of the floor, so staggering the joints strengthens the connections between the panels. It also makes the flooring look better.