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A guide to laying out vinyl plank floors
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If you’re thinking about installing vinyl plank flooring, you may have heard how important it is to stagger the planks for the best look. These warnings can stop a new DIYer in their tracks, but the process is actually pretty simple. Staggering your planks not only makes your flooring look better, but also makes the finished floor stronger. We’ve put together a step-by-step process guide to help you stagger and install your vinyl plank flooring like a pro!
Essential Steps for Staggering Vinyl Plank Flooring
- Start the first row with a full-length plank.
- Continue installing full-length planks in the first row, only cutting the last plank if necessary.
- Start the second row with a partial plank that is at least 6” long, and then continue down the row.
- Use random plank lengths to start each row to avoid H-patterns, stair-steps, and parallel joints for the rest of the floor.
Steps
Section 1 of 7:
Planning Your Layout
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Measure your room’s longest wall and divide by the width of 1 plank. Before installing vinyl plank flooring , it’s important to figure out the size of the area you want to re-floor. Start by taking accurate room measurements . Then calculate the number of rows of full planks you need by dividing your room’s width by the plank width. [1] X Research source
- Calculate the width of the room in inches. For example, a 15.75’ room is 189”.
- Divide the width of your room in inches by the width of 1 plank. For example, you would need 31.5 rows of 6” wide vinyl planks to cover a 15.75’ wide room.
- Always buy 10% more flooring than you think you need to account for mistakes. [2] X Research source
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Calculate how wide the first and last rows need to be. If the width of your room doesn’t divide evenly into the width of your plank, round down to the nearest whole number. Multiply that number by the width of 1 plank. [3] X Research source
- For example, 31.5 rows would round down to 31. Multiplied by 6 for a 6” wide plank would come to 186”.
- Subtract the combined plank widths from the width of the room to get the width of your last row. In this example 189” - 186” = 3” so the planks for your last row are 3” wide.
- If your last row is less than ½ the width of a plank, adjust the width of the first row by adding the width of your last row to the width of a full plank and then dividing it in half.
- For example, If you have 6” planks and the last row is 3”, add them together to get 9”. Then divide that in ½. Cut the first and last rows to 4½” wide for better symmetry. [4] X Research source
- Use a circular saw to cut vinyl planks along the length. [5] X Research source Scoring with a knife and then snapping the plank works well to make a plank shorter, but this technique causes a ragged edge when making a plank narrower.
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Use planks from different boxes to mix wood-grain patterns and colors. Open several boxes and pull planks from different boxes as you go. Using planks from different boxes helps ensure the woodgrain patterns and colors are evenly distributed across the finished floor. This makes your floor look more natural and your installation more professional. [6] X Research source
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Review the manufacturer’s installation guide for specific instructions. Each manufacturer has recommendations for the most successful installation of their product. This often includes tips for snapping the planks together and how to use spacers to create an expansion gap between the planks and the wall.
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Section 2 of 7:
Preparing for Installation
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Remove any baseboards in your room. Remove the baseboards by sliding a putty knife between the board and the wall and gently prying to loosen them. Then, find the nails securing the baseboards to the wall. Use a pry bar to remove them carefully. [7] X Research source
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Check that your floor is level and make any necessary repairs. For the best results, vinyl plank flooring should be installed on a level surface. Spot-check different areas around the room to see if it’s level . Most floors have some natural variation. As long as the variations are less than 3/16” every 10’, you’re okay to go ahead with the installation.
- If your floor has uneven sections greater than 3/16”, mark them with a pencil. Then level those sections using the appropriate technique for the subflooring.
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Vacuum and wash the subfloor. Sweep up any debris with a whisk broom, and then use a good vacuum cleaner to remove all of the dust. [8] X Research source Wash or mop with a cleaner made for the specific type of subflooring.
- Allow the flooring to completely dry before continuing the installation.
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Section 3 of 7:
Installing the First Row
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Lay out the first row of planks without snapping them together. Start the first row with a full-length plank. Dry-fit the planks along the width of the room or the longest wall in the left-hand corner. If the last plank is less than 8” long, cut the first plank so both ends are longer than 8”. [9] X Research source
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Cut the tongue off the first plank and install it along the wall. The tongue is a deep ridge along one edge of the plank that fits into a corresponding slot on a second plank. [10] X Research source Because this side of the first row of planks faces the wall, remove the tongue with a utility knife to help minimize any visible gaps once the installation is complete.
- Once you’ve removed the tongue, place a ¼” spacer between the end and length of the plank and the walls to maintain your expansion gap. [11] X Research source
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Cut the tongue off the second plank and attach it to the first plank. After cutting the tongue off the second plank, attach it to the end of the first plank following the directions in the manufacturer’s installation manual. Use a mallet and a tapping block to tap it into place gently. [12] X Research source
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Continue to cut off the tongues and install the planks. When you have installed the final partial plank, the first row is done. Remember to only cut the tongues off the sides of the planks in the first row. Install the rest of the planks without removing the tongues.
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Section 4 of 7:
Staggering the Second Row
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Begin the second row with a partial plank. Cut the first plank of the second row so it’s a different length from the first plank of the first row. [13] X Research source Because the first plank of the first row is a full plank, cutting the first plank of the second row from ½ to ¾ of its length works.
- Hold on to cut pieces longer than 6” to 10” and use them to begin or end later rows. Use 6” as a guideline for narrower planks and 8” to 10” for wider planks. [14] X Research source
- Avoid placing end joints within 6-10” of the joints in adjacent rows. End joints that are closer than 6-10” weaken the floor’s layout. This can cause planks to pop out when you walk across the floor.
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Install the first plank by fitting the tongue in the grooves on the first row. Hold the plank at an angle along the edge of the first plank of the first row. Fit the tongue of the second-row plank into the groove of the first-row plank. Push down to snap it in place. [15] X Research source
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Install the rest of the second row by joining the long side first. Always connect the long side first and then use a mallet and tapping block to tap it from the short end. [16] X Research source When both the short and long sides of a plank are locked together, they won’t come out of alignment as you install later rows.
- You can use a pull bar to tap the planks close to the wall where there’s not enough room to insert a tapping block. [17] X Research source
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Section 5 of 7:
Staggering the Rest of the Rows
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Begin each row with a different-sized plank than the rows around it. Use random plank lengths to start each row. You can either use full-length planks or any of your cut pieces that are longer than 6”.
- Try planning out the first plank of a few rows at a time to help you visualize the next section of the floor.
- After the first row, you can also use the cut piece from the previous row to start the next row as long as it’s longer than 6”. [18] X Research source Randomly use different lengths of planks to avoid creating a stair-step pattern.
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Continue building the rows by cutting and installing planks. As you work across the floor, stop and scan the entire floor to make sure woodgrain patterns and colors are evenly distributed.
- Remember to keep joints at least 6-10” away from those in the rows on either side.
- When joints line up every other row, it’s called an H pattern. Check for this pattern and choose or cut random plank lengths to break it up. [19] X Research source
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Cut planks lengthwise if necessary to install the final row. Choose a random plank length to begin the final row. Cut it to the appropriate width to fit the leftover space. [20] X Research source Don’t forget to leave a ¼” expansion gap.
- Continue cutting the width of each plank and installing it until you reach the end of the row.
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Things You’ll Need
- Whisk broom
- Vacuum
- Push broom
- Vinyl planks
- Utility knife
- Pull bar
- Level
- Straightedge
- Putty knife
- Pry bar
- Finishing nails
- Hammer
- Mallet
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References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4crkKnmLU
- ↑ https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/ideas-how-to/floors/how-to-install-vinyl-plank-flooring.html
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Qc4crkKnmLU?t=130
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Qc4crkKnmLU?t=166
- ↑ https://youtu.be/V7aeMUsULVU?t=264
- ↑ https://youtu.be/KaBuacJk7kI?t=255
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-remove-baseboard/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1rOtvvxRzY&feature=youtu.be&t=97
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/flooring/install-vinyl-plank-flooring
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tongue%20and%20groove
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WqyKhSYkpRQ?t=306
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/installing-vinyl-plank-flooring/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/JvE0boR-ogA?t=138
- ↑ https://youtu.be/gYHMsk3cty0?t=195
- ↑ https://youtu.be/gYHMsk3cty0?t=216
- ↑ https://youtu.be/gYHMsk3cty0?t=238
- ↑ https://youtu.be/gYHMsk3cty0?t=238
- ↑ https://youtu.be/JMf2WXO15rg?t=882
- ↑ https://youtu.be/50P3Az7lZXY?t=198
- ↑ https://youtu.be/KaBuacJk7kI?t=1081
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-install-baseboard/
- ↑ https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-install-vinyl-plank-flooring/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90188fe437f
- ↑ https://todayshomeowner.com/flooring/guides/wpc-vs-spc-vinyl-flooring-comparison/
- ↑ https://todayshomeowner.com/flooring/guides/wpc-vs-spc-vinyl-flooring-comparison/
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