Anyone tried "loose lay" vinyl plank flooring?

  • Context: Construction 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Stephen Tashi
  • Start date Start date
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
6 replies · 5K views
Stephen Tashi
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Education Advisor
Messages
7,864
Reaction score
1,605
TL;DR
Tell about you experience with "loose lay" vinyl plank flooring. (The planks don't interlock and they aren't glued down.)
I like to hear from anyone who has tried "loose lay" vinyl plank flooring. (e.g. ).

I don't understand how it can possibly work. Local hardware stores don't stock it, so I haven't seen any samples.
 

Discussion

Physics news on Phys.org
Looks like the planks themselves are waterproof by design, but water can seep up from below or soak down from above in some cases. It sounds like it all dries out naturally and the planks are not harmed...

https://www.floorstoyourhome.com/faq.html
1566926931386.png
 
Have not used them but I can imagine that if they are layed on a surface that is not very smooth like nailed plywood or roughly finished concrete that the final result won't look like the promotional video above.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
Spinnor said:
Have not used them but I can imagine that if they are layed on a surface that is not very smooth like nailed plywood or roughly finished concrete that the final result won't look like the promotional video above.
Yeah, good point. I haven't laid floor in the past, but what kind of prep is typical for laying flooring? I'm guessing you need a pretty smooth underlayment for any flooring installation?
 
berkeman said:
Yeah, good point. I haven't laid floor in the past, but what kind of prep is typical for laying flooring?

From what I remember the tolerances for the "flatness" of the floor is pretty extreme, this I am sure is in part to cover their butts legally if something goes wrong with the floor. I think a typical number is 1/4 inch in 10 feet so to follow the instructions properly every floor will need considerable prep.

"¼" in 10ft., Slope not more than 1" per 6 ft. (6mm in 3m, Slope not more than 25mm per 1.8m) No abrupt height differences. High spots should be sanded or ground down and low areas should be filled "

From, https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/01/018cc06a-4edd-45f5-a66c-4b5c82445898.pdf

From, https://www.homedepot.com/p/LifePro...-Flooring-20-06-sq-ft-case-I966106L/300699284

The first number I think means that if you place a 10 foot straight-edge on the floor you could not have more then a 1/4 inch gap along the bottom of the straight-edge. Typical concrete or plywood substrates I think are normally much more uneven.
 
I see a lot of what looks like this in nursing homes.