If you don’t want to give money to a professional for the staging of your vinyl plank flooring, then it is better for you to install your flooring on your own. Staging a vinyl plank floor is not so difficult. By following certain steps, you can easily know how to stagger vinyl plank flooring.
There is a specific pattern for the staging of the vinyl flooring, so you must know this to prevent your flooring from ruining. By following some necessary tips, you can install your vinyl flooring to protect your floor from damage. So if you want to install your flooring like a professional, you just need to continue reading this blog.
The Pattern That You Need To Follow While Staging Vinyl Plank Flooring
These are some of the most important points that you need to know before staging your vinyl plank flooring. The three most common methods for laying down vinyl planks on the floor are as follows. The first is to place the planks in such a way that all the joints become parallel to each other.
The second is the pattern in which planks create a pattern of H on your floor. As the first joint of the first row meets with the joint of the third row, creating an H on the floor. The third pattern is to arrange vinyl planks randomly so none of the joints are in parallel with each other.
The first pattern is highly unsafe for the floors because all the joints are in the same place, and there are many chances that your planks will break from these points. The second H pattern is very common, but you know that it is not completely safe. There are chances of the breaking of planks in this pattern too.
So you just need to follow the random pattern for the installation of your vinyl plank flooring. This is completely safe and makes your flooring more durable and unbreakable.
Tools For The Installation Of Vinyl Planks
- Measuring Tape
- Spacer
- Safety Gloves
- Knife
- Replacement Blades
- Insulation
- Tapping Block
- Mallet
- Pencil
- Vinyl Planks
Step By Step Guide For Staging Vinyl Plank Flooring
Follow the following steps for the staging of your vinyl plank flooring.
Place First Row
You must remember that you have to place a full-length plank in the first row. You don’t need to cut it into small pieces to make random patterns.
After, Row One
After the first row, now you have to install the planks at the size of 6 inches. If your area is big, then you can also cut the plank into 10 inches, but the ideal size is 8 inches, so try to follow the ideal size.
Second Row
Now, in the second row, start placing the planks from the middle of the row. The end of the first row is to be 6 to 9 inches beyond the middle plank of the second row. You need to follow this step carefully because it will create random patterns in the upcoming rows.
Begin Your 3rd Row
To begin the third row, cut the entire length of the vinyl plank to stagger it properly in the third row. As you start the 2nd row from the middle of the first row, now you should start the third row from the end of the first row to create random patterns on your floor.
Start the Fourth Row
The fourth row has to start from the end of the second row. In this way, the joints of your flooring never meet with each other in any of the rows, making your flooring more durable and comfortable to use as you want.
Continue This Random Pattern
If your floor is very big and it has over 4 rows, then you should continue to create random patterns from the middle, end, 2nd half, and 3rd half of the consecutive rows.
Safety Measures While Staging Vinyl Plank Flooring
Although installing vinyl planks is very easy, if you don’t follow safety measures, then it can be a hassle for you to handle this flooring. Leave a space around the borders of the room of about ⅙ to ⅛ inches.
When you buy the planks, keep them in the room where you have to install them for over 30 hours so they can adjust to the temperature of the room.
When you are measuring and cutting your planks, keep them on paper, use a pencil, and scale properly so you can get the desired size of your vinyl plank. Because of the use of adhesive glue all around, the wrapping paper prevents your planks from piling up on each other.
When you are cutting the planks, don’t waste the smaller pieces. Keep them on wrapping paper, and when you reach the end of the room and have to cover a small corner, you can use these small pieces of plank.
After the installation of vinyl planks, when it adjusts to your flooring pure, it emits a foul odor. Don’t worry about this and just open the windows of your place and let the smell out of your room.
What Happens When You Don’t Stagger a Vinyl Plank Floor?
The staging of the vinyl plank floor is as necessary as the paint for your walls. If you don’t stagger the planks on the floor, then it will create a very boring pattern on the floor. It not only looks odd and ugly, but it is also not safe for your floor.
Because water can easily seep into your floor and cause damage. If you want to protect your floor and your expensive vinyl plank flooring, then it is necessary for you to stagger your planks.
Can You Measure How Many Planks You Need For Your Floor?
When you are thinking of staggering vinyl plank flooring in your residential area, then it is the most necessary step to calculate the number of planks that you need for your floor. If you get fewer planks, then you have to buy them again, and it creates a hustle for you. Buying more is also a waste of your time.
As a result, always buy after precisely measuring the size of your room. For the measurements, use a measuring tape and calculate the length and width of the room. Then multiply them and you will get the area of your room.
Now, when you get the total area of your room, add 10 to 12% extra plank measurement to it to get a sufficient amount. When you cut planks for the corners of your room, some of your vinyl planks go to waste, so you should always prepare for the upcoming situation by buying some extra.
After taking the measurements, write them down on a piece of paper and bring your measurements to the store where you want to buy vinyl planks. The shopkeeper will tell you how many sheets you have to buy for the staging of vinyl plank flooring on your floors.
Cost of stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring
The cost of staging vinyl plank flooring varies depending on the type of plank you are using. There are very high-quality planks and low-quality planks as well. You must use premium-quality planks because it is a matter of your floors.
The rate of Vinyl Plank also varies from design to design and pattern to pattern. So it is difficult to estimate the exact flooring cost. But according to the rough estimate, its cost is from $2 to $5 per sq. Ft.
If you are not installing your vinyl planks on your own, then you will have to pay for the installer of your planks. Usually, vinyl plank flooring installers charge 1.5 to 3 dollars per square foot. If you are hiring at an hourly rate, then it ranges from $28 to $45 per hour approximately.
Conclusion
Now you know all about how to stagger vinyl plank flooring on your floors. So you can save your money from installers and get your job done on your own. I hope you are now well aware of the installation of vinyl planks. So start your process now and get the most beautiful floors after staging the vinyl planks.
