Step 1: Remove all furniture, appliances, and wall or floor vents.
Before you begin, disconnect any gas lines that may need to be disconnected.
Step 2: Score the tops of the baseboards with a utility blade to separate them.
Remove the baseboards by carefully sliding the pry bar in behind them. You can number each baseboard to help you remember where it goes when you’re ready to install them.
Step 3: Evaluate the existing flooring
It may be easier to remove the vinyl floor if it is divided into smaller pieces.
Cut squares between one and two feet wide while wearing a dust mask. Set the depth of the cut on the saw so that it does not cut through the subfloor. Remove all squares with a pry bar and Hammer.
Step 4: Install the first row of flooring.
Use a full plank for the first row. To cut the second row of planks, use the flooring cutter or miter saw to remove 1/3. Remove 2/3 from the third row. Repeat this for each piece of the row.
Place spacers in between the wall and the first piece of wood.
Slide the tongue from the second row into the grooves of the first row. Tap the piece into the groove with the rubber mallet and tapping block.
Place spacers in between the wall and the planks on the floor’s edge.
Step 6: You’ll need to make custom cuts as you approach the cabinets
Transfer the measurements to the vinyl planks. These pieces can be cut to size with a jigsaw and then tapped into place using the tapping block.
If the rows end in front cabinets or distant walls, use the pull bar to hook the end plank and tap until the gaps are closed. Leave a gap of 1/4 inch between the end and the cabinet or wall.
Install thresholds and transition pieces at the doorways.
Cut them with a miter saw or a flooring cutter. Then lay them on a thin layer of construction adhesive.
Before replacing appliances or furniture, step 8 is to reinstall the wall and floor vents as well as the baseboards.
Caulk and paint the moldings to give them a finished look.
Resources
Nathan installed Pergo Defense+ 7 in. In a homeowner’s home, W Classic Weathered Pin Antimicrobial Click-Lock Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring was installed. Nathan used Marshalltown 13-inch Flooring Shears. Nathan used 1/4-inch flooring spacers around the perimeter to account for expansion and contraction.
Nathan removed the vinyl flooring using a circular saw. He then used a prybar and Hammer. All of these items can be found at Home Depot.
