How to lay
vinyl flooring
How to lay your
Quick-Step vinyl flooring
All Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl floors are very easy to install. All it takes is a few tools and a little bit of patience and dedication.
Laying Alpha Vinyl
- Soft & silent
- Scratch & stain resistant
- Easy to install
- Designed for "floating" installation
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Laying Alpha Vinyl
STEP 1: Prepare your subfloor
First, you’ll need to inspect the subfloor. While Alpha Vinyl can handle most irregularities, we highly recommend making sure the surface is level, stable and clean, and to remove all existing floor covering before getting started.
How big can the joints in your existing tile floor be? How can you level out irregularities? What about underfloor heating?
Take your time to read the installation instructions so you are fully prepared to get started!
STEP 2: Choose your underlay
The right underlay will result in a better-looking, more stable and comfortable floor. We offer several underlays that are suitable for Alpha Vinyl.
I have underfloor heating. Which underlay do I need?
You may skip this step when you are installing Alpha Vinyl with underlay attached
Discover Alpha Vinyl with underlay attached
STEP 3: Collect your tools
Save yourself a few trips and make sure you have the following tools handy:
- a hammer
- a saw that’s suitable for vinyl
- a mouth mask
- a tape measure
- safety glasses
- a bevel to measure the corners
- tape to fix your underlay
- cleaning material
- a thin piece of rope
- gloves
- a pencil
- levelling compound
- calculator
- a Quick-Step installation set containing a pull-bar, spacers, and a tapping block
STEP 4: Install your underlay
It’s about to go down! Roll out your underlay (step 2) and push it as closely as possible against the wall. Lay one row at a time and make sure you go in the same direction as you plan to lay your floor (see step 5). Use adhesive tape to attach the rows together and prevent damage.
If you choose an Alpha Vinyl floor with an underlay attached, you don't need to roll out an underlay first.
STEP 5: Start laying your Alpha Vinyl floor
- First, check how many full rows of planks you will need by dividing the width of the room by the width of a plank.
- Make a mark on the wall where you’ll be laying your last full plank. The last plank should be at least 5 cm wide to ensure easy installation.
- Unpack your planks and mix them up to avoid laying identical patterns and colour variations too close together.
- For best results, start laying your first row of Alpha Vinyl planks in line with the longest wall, but not flush against it (as walls are hardly ever perfectly straight).
- Make sure to alternate your alignment so that end joints of successive rows are never in line. We recommend at least 30 cm between them.
- Click the first plank of the second row into the first plank of the first row (see video) and keep going like that.
- Alpha Vinyl is not intended for "glued-down" installation.
Watch the video to install your herringbone Ciro Alpha Vinyl floor
Creating a herringbone pattern? Ordinarily, you’d need two different types of planks, A and B, which would mean slower and trickier installation. Not with Alpha Vinyl. Our herringbone floor has one ingenious type of plank that clicks on both sides, thanks to the Unizip system. Watch the video to install your Ciro floor.
STEP 6: Cut your Alpha Vinyl floor
Inevitably, you’ll need to cut your Alpha Vinyl planks to complete your floor. Wear gloves and use a pencil to draw your cutting lines. Always saw your planks with the top surface decoration facing upwards.
STEP 7: Finish your Alpha Vinyl floor in style
Almost there! Now, it’s time to complete the picture with matching skirting boards, finishing profiles, stair covers and other finer touches. After all, it’s all in the details!
Learn more about finishing your Alpha Vinyl floor
Still got questions?
Need help finishing your project to your satisfaction?
Take a look at our help centre, which contains answers to the most frequently asked questions!