This year i want to get into vinyls and lvt flooring, ive done a couple of bathrooms in lvt a few years ago that as far as i know were good, never had a callback. Ive done the odd vinyl over the years but usually loose lay or fixed with spray. A question i have that ive had mixed answers on, some fitters have said leave a gap around the vinyl for a bit of expansion, others ive seen cut it tight to the wall? I started off this week with feltback vinyl to some bathrooms, feathered the joints and used f46 glue with an a2 trowel, this is what was supplied to me and told to use so dont shoot me down if its wrong. Look good to you? Any advice? Thanks
Just too add, this is site work so a good place to have a crack at it, pretty lenient with finish considering some of the crime scenes ive seen on them over the years
Looks pretty standard for new build. They normally get about 10mm of white mastic round them anyway. If its going to be lvt and your working at that site anyway, I try and get in before the pan is fitted. Sometimes there just loose, and you can lift them out anyway. Makes life much easier.
Thsnkfully, almost all our sites are completely finishing the area to the point its not even site when they call us in, so no chance of that
Look good to me. I bet the stripping out of the old silicone took you longer than fitting the vinyl !! Like neil said it would be good if there was no pan etc in there but sometimes it just don't work out like that but I take it on myself to remove the pan myself in the new builds if its doable, takes minutes and saves you heaps of time especially when you are fitting Herringbone LVT but again, depends how well it was put in. Always ply the chipboard if you get an Lvt fit mate.
I think glueing sheet vinyl down is overkill. You can tape them or spray them down. Take up can be a right pain especially if its wet laid.
You're on the right track! With felt-backed vinyl, leaving a small expansion gap (around 2-3mm) is generally a good idea, especially in larger areas or rooms with temperature fluctuations. Some fitters do cut it tight, but this can risk buckling if the vinyl expands. Your method with F46 glue and an A2 trowel is standard practice for felt-backed vinyl, so no worries there. As long as the subfloor is well-prepped and feathered smoothly, you should be fine. For LVT, always follow manufacturer guidelines on expansion gaps, some click systems need them, while glue-down LVT is usually fitted tighter. Sounds like you're off to a solid start! Keep at it.
