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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Install this Turley's Everwood Premier vinyl plank floor (a click-together, floating vinyl with attached cork underlay) by running it parallel to the longest wall, using a laser line instead of wedges to keep rows straight, and screwing the planks down near the edges for stability during installation. The creator says the method is faster and less frustrating than the clip-and-wedge approach common in other installation videos.
Key Points
- The product is a premium vinyl plank (not MDF, laminate, or the cheaper vinyl sold at big-box stores), costing roughly $5 to $6 per square foot, so it suits long-term use rather than a quick budget fix.
- Preparation matters most: vacuum and sweep thoroughly, since dirt cannot be removed from under a floating floor once installation starts, and fix squeaks by adding screws before finishing.
- Alignment is set with a laser level marked 3 inches from the wall at both ends of the room instead of using spacer wedges around the perimeter.
- Plank joints are staggered by starting rows with cut pieces of roughly three-quarters, one-half, and two-thirds length, and building three or four rows at a time.
- Screwing planks down about every six inches near the edge keeps the floor from sliding during the clicking process; the screws are removed later so they don't cause bumps under the cork.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Pick the direction, usually parallel to the longest wall, and confirm it with the client if applicable.
- At both ends of the room, measure about 3 inches off the wall and mark it; set the laser level on those marks (or a second person can set a reference at the far end).
- Check the wall for bow along its length; when laying the first boards, let them touch the baseboard without sliding underneath, leaving a small gap at the ends to be covered later by quarter round.
- Mark heat register vents on the floor and cut those openings after installation, using a jigsaw, to keep the locking system intact.
- Cut boards from the left side for the start of each row, so cut ends go under the trim, and build three or four rows at a time.
- Cut the planks with a laminate floor cutter; scoring with a knife was described as difficult and dangerous, and a chop saw is an alternative.
- If working alone, make a tapping block from a scrap piece of flooring and tap gently to seal joints; the creator warns against hitting hard.
- Screw each plank about every six inches near the quarter-round edge, aligned carefully, then remove the screws afterward.
- Install casing after the flooring if possible, or make sure the flooring slides under the existing casing.
- Leave a gap around the perimeter not for expansion/contraction but for maintenance purposes, which allows damaged boards to be removed later with a rib spreader-style tool.
- The cork underlay can go directly on a solid, non-fresh concrete slab with no plastic; on this wood subfloor job the creator used quarter-inch luan (a smooth surface) and skipped the 6 mil poly that's sometimes recommended, since it's for maintenance ease rather than a moisture barrier.
- Rent the cutter (about $30 to $40 for a day) at a local building store if you only need it for one or two floors.
- The creator describes the installation as taking about one day for most of a house and emphasizes that the floor must be flat, which may require leveling concrete beforehand.
Bottom Line
A laser-guided, screw-assisted click installation with a laminate cutter and tapping block is presented as a faster, less frustrating alternative to wedge-based methods for this premium vinyl plank.
