Tools & Equipment for Vinyl Flooring Installation

Any good installation project begins with proper preparation. Gathering the right equipment and tools for vinyl flooring installation projects are important before work begins. Skipping this step could put unneeded stress on your project, causing it to be delayed.

Basic Installation Needs

Keep your job easy and flowing smoothly! Here are the important items you should collect and have ready to use before you get started laying the first plank, tile, or sheet.

  • Carpenter’s level
  • Flooring compound (Adhesive for glue down application or stairs)
    • Trowel
    • Putty Knife
    • Paint Stirrer
  • Utility Knife
  • Medium-grit sandpaper
  • Vacuum to clean away debris
  • Tape measure
  • Face mask
  • Seam treatments
  • Double faced flooring tape
  • 100 lb. floor roller (loose lay & glue down)

Depending on the type of subfloor you’re using, you might need extra materials.

Concrete Subfloor

  • Duct tape
  • A scrap piece of vinyl
  • Belt sander
  • Moisture Meter

The duct tape and scrap vinyl are used to test a concrete subfloor for moisture.

The belt sander will only be used if you have lumps in your concrete subfloor that must be sanded down. These are not always visible to the naked eye. Look for the subtle lumps with your carpenter’s level.

Wood Subfloors

  • ¼ inch plywood (if you’re installing a second layer of wood subflooring)
  • Circular saw
  • 1-inch deck screws
  • Drill with screwdriver bits

These tools and equipment will be used to install the second layer of subfloor required when installing vinyl over wood.

Existing Subfloors

Vinyl floors may be installed over most smooth, single layer hard surfaces, including vinyl, tile, ceramic, marble and terrazzo. These floors must be in good condition and free of imperfections. Tiles and grout lines can be filled with a cementitious based embossing leveler until surface is flat and smooth.

Before you install a new vinyl floor on top of an old one, you need to make sure it is as clean, level and free of debris as possible. Use your floor cleaner or a few drops of dish detergent to clear away any lingering dust. Don’t forget to let the floor dry completely before beginning your installation.

Have questions? Need a little bit of extra help? We’re here for you. Start a chat with one of our flooring experts in the box on this page and get a fast answer to your Vinyl flooring installation questions.

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