DIY Network

Installing Vinyl Flooring Members of Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding Facility trade in their saddles for power tools! From "DIY to the Rescue" episode DTTR-703

Karl Champley and a CATR volunteer wrap the exterior with T-111 to match the barn's siding.

For the guests of the Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding Facility (CATR), there's a new sheriff in town - and he's wielding a plan to make their visits to the restroom facilities easier!

DIY to the Rescue along with a few of the CATR volunteers team up to take an old, inaccessible restroom and make it into an American with Disabilities Act approved facility. After a bit of the prep work was completed, Amy Devors and CATR volunteer Rev. Mark Essig get started laying the foundation by installing some vinyl flooring inside the new addition.

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Materials and Tools:

self leveler
putty knife
tape measure
vinyl flooring
utility knife
straight edge
vinyl adhesive
notched trowel

Steps:

1. Start by spreading a self-leveler compound over the plywood sub floor to cover the seams and uneven areas (Figure A & B). Any bumps, dips, or uneveness will eventually emboss into the vinyl and show through on your new flooring. And, the self-leveler works to fill and smooth those imperfections in the sub floor so that the new vinyl doesn't aquire that texture over time.

Figure A

Figure B

2. While the compound dries, cut the vinyl to size on a flat surface (Figure C). If you are working with a pattern that has lines or grids, it's much easier to cut straight with a utility knife (Figure D). But, if you are working without a lined pattern, enlist the help of a straight edge and a marking pencil, or wax pencil.

And here's another helpful hint. Since vinyl expands and contracts depending on the temparature, it's a good idea to allow the new vinyl to acclimate to its new surroundings by leaving it in the room where it will be installed for at least 24 hours.

Figure C

Figure D

3. Working in sections so the adhesive doesn't dry too quickly, trowel the recommended vinyl adhesive directly to the sub floor (Figure E). Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when applying adhesive. Then, roll and press the flooring sheet down as you go, working yourself out the entrance (Figures F & G). Be sure to clean any excess adhesive from the vinyl covering using a solvent recommended by the flooring manufacturer.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G