There are five essential tools anyone about to install their vinyl flooring needs, and luckily, they won’t necessarily cost you a bundle if you don’t have them. For starters, you’ll need a tape measure, which will help you determine the dimensions of your surface and visualize how many vinyl planks you’ll need to comfortably fit each row of your floor. Next, make sure you have a pencil and chalk or chalk line handy to draw out the measurements and proportions of each vinyl plank. Make sure you have a strong and sturdy utility knife, which is needed for cutting up the vinyl and corners, as well as a carpenter’s square for measuring the size of your vinyl planks and converting them to the correct measurements. Finally, after you’ve got the vinyl planks accurately divided, you’ll need adhesive to connect the vinyl flooring to the substrate, but only if you’re not using peel-and-stick or a glueless click-lock system. If you do need adhesive for your flooring, make sure you have a floor roller available to smoothly roll in the vinyl.
- Utility Knife: Essential for cutting the vinyl flooring to size and making precise cuts around corners and obstacles.
- Tape Measure: Used for measuring the dimensions of the room and the vinyl flooring pieces.
- Straight Edge: Helps in making straight cuts, ensuring clean edges during installation.
- Carpenter’s Square: Useful for marking perpendicular lines and checking corners for squareness.
- Pencil or Marker: For marking measurements, cutting lines, and layout markings on the flooring.
- Safety Gear: Safety goggles to protect your eyes from debris and gloves to protect your hands during cutting and handling.
- Tapping Block and Rubber Mallet: Needed for tapping the flooring planks or tiles together without damaging the edges.
- Floor Roller: Used to ensure proper adhesion of the vinyl to the subfloor, especially for glue-down installations.
- Adhesive Spreader: If you’re using glue-down vinyl flooring, you’ll need a trowel or spreader to apply adhesive evenly.
- Underlayment (if necessary): Depending on the type of vinyl flooring and the subfloor, you might need an underlayment for cushioning, sound insulation, or moisture barrier.
- Level: To check the flatness of the subfloor and ensure a smooth installation surface.
- Primer (if necessary): Some subfloors may require priming before installation to ensure proper adhesion of the vinyl.
- Seam Roller (if necessary): Used to press down seams between vinyl tiles or planks, ensuring they lay flat and adhere properly.
- Crowbar or Pry Bar (if necessary): For removing baseboards or old flooring materials.
- Vacuum Cleaner and Broom: To clean the subfloor before installation and to keep the work area tidy throughout the process.
