Installing an LVT floor
You can install a click LVT floor yourself, even without experience. Most of the work is in the preparation — and that is exactly where it usually goes wrong. Seven steps, in order.
Let the floor acclimatise
Lay the unopened packs flat for 48 hours in the room where the floor is going, at 15–22 °C. LVT expands and contracts with temperature; skip this step and you get open joints or buckling later.
Check the subfloor
The floor must be dry, clean and level: a maximum 2 mm deviation over 1 metre for click, 1 mm for dry-back. Lay a straightedge on the floor and measure. If it is more uneven, level it first and let it cure fully.
Set the direction
Lay planks along the length of the room, or in the direction of the light from the largest window. With herringbone the first row sets the whole pattern — find the centre line of the room and work outwards from there.
Keep a 5 mm expansion gap
All round, against every wall, door frame, pipe and threshold. A floating floor has to be able to move. Use spacers and only remove them once the floor is completely laid.
Mix the packs
Work from three or four packs at once. There is always slight colour variation between production batches; mixing spreads it across the whole floor instead of leaving it in one block.
Stagger the end joints
Keep at least 30 cm between end joints in adjacent rows. It is not only better looking, it makes the floor stronger. Cut the last plank of a row and start the next row with the offcut.
Finish the edges
Fix the skirting to the wall — never screwed down into the floor, or the floor can no longer move. Use transition profiles at doorways and a silicone joint in wet rooms.
The five mistakes we see most
- Not acclimatising. By far the most common mistake, and you only see the consequences after a few weeks: open joints in winter, buckling in summer.
- No expansion gap at door frames. People keep a neat 5 mm at the walls and then cut the floor tight against the door frame. The floor is still trapped.
- A separate underlay beneath a click floor. Our click floors already have one. An extra layer makes the floor too springy, so the locking edges eventually break.
- Working from one pack at a time. Colour variation between batches then lands as a visible block in the floor instead of being spread out.
- Screwing skirting into the floor. The skirting belongs on the wall. Fixed to the floor, the floor can no longer move and you get joints elsewhere.
How much should I order?
Measure the room (length × width) and add cutting waste: 5% for a plank floor and 10% for herringbone. For a complicated layout with bays or alcoves, allow a little more.
Every product page has a calculator that does this for you and shows the number of packs and the total price. Order slightly too much rather than too little: a re-order almost always comes from a different batch, with a minimal colour difference.
Underfloor heating
All our floors work with underfloor heating up to a surface temperature of 27 °C. Turn the heating off 48 hours before installation, lay the floor at room temperature, then raise the temperature in steps of 5 °C per day. For the best efficiency choose dry-back.
Care after installation
Vacuum or sweep, and mop lightly damp with a pH-neutral cleaner. No abrasives, no bleach, no steam cleaner. Put felt pads under every furniture leg and a doormat at the front door — grit is the main cause of scratches, not the dog.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to lay an LVT floor?
An average 30 m² living room takes about a day as a plank floor. For herringbone allow one and a half to two days, because the pattern needs more measuring and cutting.
Do I have to remove the old floor?
Not always. Over a sound tiled or poured floor you can usually lay directly. Carpet, cushioned vinyl and loose-laid floors do have to come up, because they give too much for the locking joint.
Do I need a damp-proof membrane?
On a concrete or sand-cement screed, yes — lay a 0.2 mm PE membrane with 20 cm overlap. On a wooden subfloor or existing tiles it is not needed.