If you don't acclimate vinyl plank flooring, the natural contraction and expansion of the flooring results in gaps between the planks and can essentially cause the locking system of the flooring to fail. This is why it's necessary to acclimate flooring.
Acclimating ensures that the products and the environment share the same humidity levels. But it also equalizes temperature, which is as vital with vinyl plank flooring. How long does acclimation take? Acclimation periods vary, but 72 hours is an average length of time.
Keep the room at a normal temperature for at least 48 hours before installation is set to begin and let the vinyl acclimate in this temperature. Do use a vapor barrier if installing over concrete. Use a vapor barrier over concrete when installing a click and lock vinyl.
If the proper expansion gap is not left during installation, and the planks on the sides push up against the wall, the pressure will cause planks elsewhere in the room to buckle. Buckling floors are repairable, however, they are a major inconvenience and can be tricky.
Yes, it needs this process, whether vinyl plank flooring or square, tile-sized pieces. How do I acclimate? Leave opened boxes, or lay the planks or LVT flooring pieces side by side. They stay in the room in which it's to be installed for 48 hours.
If hardwood planks are not allowed to acclimate to their environment before installation, issues like cupping, warping, and gapping can arise. But don't worry! Once your hardwood has fully acclimated to its new environment, and with the proper installation and care over time, you can avoid issues like these.
Luxury vinyl flooring does expand
Both luxury vinyl tile and vinyl plank flooring expand and contract when exposed to changes in weather, including temperatures. The expansion and contraction are only fractions of an inch, but this can make a difference.
Moisture. If water seeps up under the flooring from an extremely moist concrete subfloor, the adhesive can be weakened, causing buckling in the floors. During installation, run a vapor barrier under the vinyl plank flooring to help prevent buckling from moisture.
If the expansion gap is too small or nonexistent, the flooring will not have room to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. This can cause the flooring to buckle, warp, or even lift up from the subfloor.
Multiple factors can cause planks to separate. Humidity levels or physical shifting due to high foot traffic can cause unsightly gaps between the ends of planks. This is more typically an issue with click-lock floors than with adhesive installations. Fortunately, this also is one of the easiest problems to fix.
There may be slight differences in humidity and air quality from room to room, so you want to ensure they're in the right environment. The acclimation process is much easier if you take the materials out of the box they came in. They can be stacked or laid out individually; that has minimal impact on acclimation.
Vinyl needs time to settle. We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before walking on your new floors.
As the laminate acclimates to the humidity and temperature in the room, the fiberboard core becomes accustomed to the environment. Ignoring acclimation can lead to the floor bending, warping, or twisting after installation.
While LVP is extremely durable, it isn't totally indestructible. Luxury vinyl flooring can dent and even scratch or scuff, especially from heavy appliances, furniture, or other weighty objects. Just because it's resistant to something doesn't mean it's impervious to it.
Important information about vinyl flooring
For that reason, it's essential to allow these floors to acclimate, for at least 48 hours, especially in spaces that could experience a great deal of humidity, dampness, or temperature changes.
For gaps around the edge of the room you can either use skirting boards or beading. If you have taken off the existing skirting to install your new floor, then replace this with new. If you have left the original skirting in place when fitting your floor, cover the expansion gap with beading.
You can leave them in place, but you will need to leave a ¼” gap between the baseboard and flooring, to account for expansion over time. You may want to purchase some quarter-round pieces in a matching color to cover up this gap.
Using a knife, you may then make a slight incision in the affected area. Grab some wood glue, squeeze it into your incision, and then attempt to stick the laminate back down flat. You'll need to keep constant pressure on the area for the glue to hold, so find a heavy object that you can leave on it to weigh it down.
Natural causes like sunlight and heat are one major reason for bubbling vinyl flooring. As the material warms (and cools), it can expand and contract, widen and shrink, and that constant changing of size can lead to buckling.
LVP flooring is waterproof, less expensive, and faster and easier to install than wood or tile. Even the high-end residential market discovered LVP floors last year. It works in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundry rooms as well as living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and anywhere in the house except for stairs.
Maintenance and Longevity
In general, you can rely on vinyl flooring to last anywhere between 10 and 25 years. A lot of it comes down to how well you look after the flooring, but there are some other factors.