Once you’ve chosen your new vinyl flooring, it’s time to get it fitted! Here at Tapi, we’d always recommend that you use a professional fitter to lay your vinyl flooring, and we've got a dedicated team of fitting partners on hand if you need us to arrange fitting. Vinyl installation costs £5.70 per m2 (£56 minimum fitting cost), and our fitters can also uplift and remove your old floor at the same time, so you don’t have to lift a finger! However, if you're a DIY expert who wants to fit vinyl yourself, we’ve put together a handy guide with all the things you need to remember when laying sheet vinyl flooring. Alternatively, you might want to have a read of our guide to the best underlay for vinyl flooring, ahead of installation!
Generally, vinyl flooring isn’t that easy to fit, and there are many things that could go wrong if you try to lay vinyl yourself. Whilst it’s one of the most affordable flooring options, it could end up costing you much more to rectify if you make one of these mistakes:
Changed your mind about fitting vinyl flooring yourself? Don’t worry - we have a team of professional fitters at our fingertips who are experts in laying vinyl flooring. When you order your flooring from Tapi, we can arrange fitting too. Just call or visit your nearest store and we’ll get it sorted! If you really want to have a go at laying flooring yourself, we’d suggest trying laminate flooring or click LVT. Both use the click method which just slots into place like a jigsaw puzzle!
Before you begin laying your vinyl, make sure you’ve got all the tools below:
You might also encounter some more difficult areas when fitting vinyl – here’s how to tackle them:
Using your Stanley knife, cut down to where the vinyl meets the floor and repeat this around the door frame at evenly spaced intervals. Cut away the excess but leave around 50mm-100mm turned up at the bottom so you can trim more accurately. Using the bolster chisel, press the vinyl into the angle between the door frame and the floor to make a crease, then cut along it. Cut in a straight line across the doorway so the vinyl flooring ends roughly halfway under it, then install a door bar to hold the vinyl in place.
Lay your vinyl as far as the front of the pedestal, then fold it back on itself. Cut in a straight line from the edge to the centre of the pedestal. Make lots of small cuts in the vinyl around the pedestal base until the sheet lies flat. Take your time! Don’t cut too far in or tear the vinyl. Next, take your bolster chisel and push the vinyl around the base to make a crease, then cut around the crease and trim down each flap of vinyl until it fits perfectly. Roll the vinyl back into position around the base to check everything is ok. Lift it back up again then put adhesive around the edges and along the join. Finally, press down to secure it in place and finish with silicone sealant to make it fully water-resistant.
Using your knife, make a straight cut from the edge of the vinyl to the pipe, then make lots of tiny cuts around the base of the pipe until the vinyl lies flat. Trim off the excess for a neat, professional finish.
If you’re laying vinyl flooring in a large room, you might find you need to join two sheets of vinyl together. Here are a few things to remember:
And that’s it! Time to admire your newly laid vinyl flooring. As always, we recommend using professional fitters to lay our flooring, and this is something we can arrange for you with our trusted team of fitters. Alternatively, if you're still in two minds as to which flooring to choose, have a look at our range of care guides, including vinyl vs lino.