What Is Sheet Vinyl Flooring?

Sheet vinyl is thinner than luxury vinyl flooring but extremely durable.

There are a few tricks to properlyinstalling sheet vinylbut DIYers can lay the floor.

Person peeling off corner of vinyl flooring in room corner.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Read on to learn how to install vinyl sheet flooring.

Buy 5 to 10 percent extra sheet flooring to account for unexpected needs and waste from cuts.

Remove items in the room, such as the furniture, appliances, cabinet, or toilet.

Assorted yellow and black tools arranged neatly on wood floor.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

If laying sheet vinyl over concrete, ensure it’s clean, dry, and level.

If the bed has concrete bulges or lumps, grind or chisel them so they’re level.

Loose-lay installation works best in areas that are 100 square feet or smaller.

Person fitting black crowbar behind white baseboard on wooden floor.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Bathrooms and small kitchens are good rooms to install loose-lay sheet vinyl flooring.

Sheet vinyl’s weight and the friction against the subfloor help to hold it down.

Perimeter baseboards and quarter-round molding secure the edges.

Person spreading white adhesive on plywood subfloor with notched trowel.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Double-sided adhesive tape is added to key traffic areas to prevent movement.

Remove Obstructions

load the toilet on top of the new bathroom flooring.

The weight of the toilet will secure the sheet vinyl.

Person cutting into door trim with oscillating multi-tool.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Removing the bathtub or shower is unnecessary if they are already in place.

Make Relief Cuts

Make stress or relief cuts in the corners of the flooring.

This prevents bunching and stiff sides that make cutting difficult.

Person smoothing white vinyl sheet flooring onto glue with hands.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Ensure the flooring does not fold or bunch up between the adhesive strips.

Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations for the exact adhesive to use for your product.

Adhesives used for vinyl flooring include cyanoacrylate (super glue), polyurethane, epoxy, or silicone.

Person cutting white vinyl flooring corner with yellow utility knife.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Apply the adhesive to the entire surface area if you get a full-bond floor.

Add adhesive around the room’s edges if you have a perimeter-bond floor.

Leave a 1/8-inch gap along the walls.

A person cutting vinyl.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Sheet vinyl flooring can be installed anywhere there’s a flat, even surface.

it’s possible for you to lay most sheet vinyl flooring over radiant heating.

However, always check with the floor covering manufacturer to confirm the maximum floor temperature the material can withstand.

Person applying white tape to seam of plywood subfloor.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

There are different sheet vinyl backings and different types of adhesives that manufacturers will recommend for their products.

Vinyl Flooring.World Floor Covering Association.

A person placing the vinyl flooring onto tape stips.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

A person adding baseboard on top of vinyl sheet flooring.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Person driving nails into plywood floor with yellow hammer and scattered nails.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Person applying white adhesive to plywood subfloor using notched trowel..

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Hands pressing down vinyl flooring onto adhesive covered plywood subfloor.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Hand using red caulk gun to apply white caulk to baseboard on marble floor.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris