Luxury Vinyl Flooring Installation

There are two methods for installing luxury vinyl flooring:

After installation you can apply

finishing touches.

Before installing your LVT it’s important to ensure it has been acclimated to the conditions of the installation room. Leave your boxed Sisu packs in the room for 48 hours, laid flat and under the typical heating conditions of the room (ideally 15-20°C). The average temperature must also be maintained for at least 24 hours after installing to reduce any movement due to heat expansion.

There are a variety of interesting flooring patterns that can be implemented when installing Luxury Vinyl Tiles. Take a look at some of the most popular <flooring patterns>.

Sisu Click should be installed with a 5 mm expansion gap at the perimeter of the room and around objects and pipes. It’s recommended to lay Sisu Click from left to right as it is much easier to install tongue into groove than vice-versa. Check each tile sufficiently before and during installation. Do not use tiles with visible defects.

Determine the direction you want the flooring to run. Typically the length of luxury vinyl flooring will run with the length of the room or floor plan.

Lay the first tile with the tongue side facing the wall. Place 5 mm spacers between the tile and the wall to create an expansion gap.

Continue to lay the first row along the length of the wall, clicking together the short edges. Use as many full tiles as possible. A hand roller can be used along the seams to aid installation.

The last tile in the row will most likely have to be cut to size. To cut: measure the remaining gap between the last full tile and the wall. Mark the same length on a tile and draw a straight line. Cut along the line with a utility knife (or LVT cutting tool), with the tile pattern side up.

Now break the tile with your hands. Make sure to leave a 5 mm expansion gap between the last board and the wall.

Begin laying the second row. Click the tongue into the groove by holding the board at around a 30° angle and pushing forward. Then lower the board until it lays flat against the ground.

Move along the row, fitting the next tile by clicking the tongue into the groove along the short edge. Angle the tile and push along the long edge into the click system. A rubber mallet and either an offcut or tapping block can be used to tap the tiles into place.

Repeat steps 5 - 6 until complete, trimming the last row of tiles to leave a 5 mm expansion gap at the edge of the room.

Remove spacer tabs.

Once your flooring is in place you can implement

finishing touches.

We recommend shuffling your Sisu tiles prior to installation to give a more natural look, avoiding laying tiles with similar patterns adjacent to one another. Check each tile sufficiently before and during installation. Do not use tiles with visible defects.

Determine the direction you want the flooring to run. Typically the length of luxury vinyl flooring will run with the length of the room or floor plan.

It is best to install dryback in manageable sections to avoid the adhesive drying before installation is complete. Measure and mark two or more points from the starting wall, up to where the first few rows will be installed.

Draw a line connecting the points across the width of the room. This can be done with either a pencil, marker or with a chalk line.

Dry-fit the first row (lay the tiles without adhesive), using as many full tiles as possible. The last tile may have to be cut shorter to fit any remaining gap.

To cut: measure the remaining gap between the last full tile and the wall. Mark the same length on a tile and draw a straight line. Cut along the line with a utility knife (or LVT cutting tool), with the tile pattern side up.

Once scored, break the tile with your hands.

Continuing to dry-fit, lay the first tile of the second row. It is recommended to stagger the tiles so as not to have noticeable uniform straight edge seams. Cut the first tile of the second row shorter to achieve this.

Continue dry-fitting the tiles up to your drawn line. Once the dry fitted section rows have been completed, slide the tiles out of the marked area.

Pour your chosen vinyl adhesive onto the subfloor, spreading as evenly as possible with an A2 trowel. Spread the adhesive up to the drawn section line and as close to the corners as possible, trying not to leave excess glue behind. Leave the adhesive to sit, following the manufacturer’s instructions for waiting times.

Starting from your drawn line, begin installing the tiles you cut to shape when dry fitting, working backward toward the wall.

Push down firmly on the tiles to ensure they bond tightly with the glue. A roller can be used to aid the adhesive transfer process.

When installing consecutive tiles, remove any additional adhesive residue immediately with a damp cloth. Do not use detergents.

Once the area is complete, section off a second area and repeat steps 3-12 until you reach the opposite wall. The last row of tiles can be cut along their longest edge using the same cutting method outlined in step 5.

When installing the final row, lay the final tile in place making sure to check for uneven walls. In the case of uneven walls, trim the tile to shape.

Lay the tile next to the pipe. Measure and mark on the tile where the pipe will sit once installed (taking into account the expansion gap at the wall). Using a drill bit at least 2 mm wider than the diameter of the pipe, drill through the marked area. Draw two angled lines from the hole to the edge of the tile and cut this section out. Lay the tile, fitting the pipe into the hole that has been drilled.

Reinsert the cut shape behind the pipe (vinyl double sided tape or wood glue can be used). The same steps can be followed for multiple pipes or other obstacles. A circular pipe cover can be used to hide the expansion gap around the pipe.

To install Sisu Click around a door frame, the frame may need to be trimmed in order to fit the tile beneath it. A handsaw can be used, with an offcut as a guide for cutting at the correct height. A tile should now be able to fit neatly beneath the frame. When installing close to doors, ensure that there is at least a 10 mm space between the tile surface and the bottom of the door.

To join LVT with other flooring types, lay the tiles up to the doorway, leaving a 5 mm expansion gap between the LVT and the other floor covering. Once installed, a profile strip can be installed to cover the gap. Never fix a profile or threshold directly to LVT tiles as they need to be able to expand under heat. Instead, fix to the exposed subfloor in the expansion gap, leaving a small amount of space between the profile and the tile for heat expansion. If Sisu LVT is being used across multiple rooms, lay the tiles up to the doorframe on both sides, leaving a 10 mm expansion gap.

Lay a thin section of Sisu on top of the last full tile, pushing it against the wall. Using this and a pencil, move along the contour of the wall, drawing the curve onto the tile nearest the wall. Once the curve has been drawn, cut along the line with a utility knife and break it off. This piece should now fit into the curve. Allow a 5 mm expansion gap.

When fitting a skirting board, don’t fix directly to the tiles. Leave a gap between the skirting and the tile to allow for natural movement during heat expansion.