Installing LVP The Right Way
(The Only Way)
I’ve been in the flooring industry as long as I can remember. Now, I don’t have a very good memory—most of it is car sales and late nights at the bar—but that’s for another blog post. Let’s get down to the dos and don’ts of laying LVP the right way. The Rigid North way.
Rule #1: Moisture & Acclimation
Let’s tackle this one right out of the gate. Before you go out and buy any product, test the moisture levels of the area you are installing. This is very important and something skipped by many people.
Now, to acclimate or not to acclimate? Here is the reason why I don’t care how many installers or friends tell you differently: you always let your product acclimate for 72 hours.
Fact of the matter is, this product needs to adhere to its environment. The cheaper the stuff you get, the more important it is. The more expensive the stuff you get? Still important. Bring the boxes in, open them up, and spread them out like a deck of cards.
Let them breathe their new surroundings—the humidity levels in your house, the moisture from the basement. Let every single board acclimate before you even think about installing one.
The Clean Room Standard
While you let that product acclimate, this is the perfect time to do what most amateur installers and DIYers skip: The Deep Clean.
Don’t wait and do your demo the day of the install. No, no, no. Demo the entire area and then clean everything. Get all that dust and dirt out. Then let it settle, and do it again. Let it settle, and do it again.
You need to be able to eat off that floor if you stand any chance of having a professional finish. Mop the floor (I don’t care if it’s subfloor, use a Swiffer). The place needs to be like a clean room.
Pro Tip: The Duct Tape Savior
Removing carpet? Get a roll of duct tape. Don’t just start tearing up the carpet like a nut job. Cut the carpet into manageable sections, roll it up tight, and duct tape it. Repeat for the pad.
You will thank me later when you have 25 nicely tight rolls to haul to the dumpster instead of a huge, heaping pile of gross, pee-stained carpet.
The Subfloor is Everything
If you are on concrete, you need to get this floor as level as possible. Do not rush this part. Fill the tiny cracks. If there are spots that aren't level, get some leveling compound and do it right. If you are working with cheaper LVP, uneven floors will eat you for breakfast.
If you are on plywood, make sure you get out all the staples and nails. Make sure the wood floor is smooth and perfect, ready for the moisture barrier.
The Dead Giveaway of a Bad Install
Here is where I can instantly tell if an amateur laid the floor or a professional. If you take out carpet that had a medium-size pile and you are now laying down LVP, there is going to be a height difference. Do not just lay down the LVP.
If you took out ¾ of an inch, you need to build that back up. I always know when I walk into a house and see gaps under the doors that it was a DIY job. Spend the money, get some subfloor, and do it properly.
Also, if you have linoleum down and you're putting LVP in, you need to undercut the door jambs and fit those pieces in there nice and snug. No gaps.
The Finish
Once everything is clean and the moisture barrier is down, go ahead and lay out the LVP to see what it will look like. Open a few boxes and pull from each one so the pattern repeat doesn’t look noticeable (though if you're using Engineered Floors, you won't have to worry about this as much).
Start with the longest wall, left to right, tongue side facing the wall. Click planks together, use a tap block to tighten (do not bang on them directly), and stagger offset end joints by at least 6 inches.
It’s not a hard job, but it’s a time-consuming job if you do it right. That’s why we are here. If you need your floors installed properly, please let us know—we would be glad to help you out.