Vinyl plank flooring is one of the more forgiving floors to install yourself, but “forgiving” isn’t the same as “foolproof”. The two things that decide whether your install holds up over five-plus years are the subfloor underneath and the expansion gap around the edges. Get those right and the rest is largely cutting and clicking. This guide walks through the process for click-lock, glue-down, and loose-lay vinyl plank, with the details that don’t usually make it into the box instructions.
Before you start: subfloor prep
Vinyl plank telegraphs whatever’s beneath it. A 3 mm hump in the slab will read through the planks within a year. The standard you’re aiming for is no more than 3 mm of deviation across a 3 metre straightedge — laid in any direction across the room. Sweep, vacuum, then run the straightedge.
- Concrete slabs: grind down high spots, fill low spots with self-levelling compound. Slabs must be dry — moisture meter reading under 4% before you lay. We’ve covered the full process in how to lay vinyl on a concrete floor.
- Particleboard or plywood: screw down any squeaks, sand or plane any joints that are sitting proud, fill any gaps wider than 3 mm.
- Existing tile: grout lines under 3 mm wide are usually fine; wider grout lines need filling, or lay a 1.5 mm hardboard overlay first.
Acclimate the planks for 48 hours
Open the boxes and stack the planks flat in the room you’re laying for at least 48 hours. The planks expand and contract slightly with temperature; if you install cold planks into a warm room, you’ll get pressure peaks at the seams once they warm up. Keep the room at the temperature it’ll normally sit at — don’t crank the air-con or run heating to speed it up.
Pick your install method
Click-lock
The most common DIY method. Planks lock together at the long and short edges with a tongue-and-groove profile — usually a 5G drop-lock or 2G angle-and-click system. Both work; 5G is faster on the short ends but the long edges still angle in the same way. We’ve explained the differences in 5G and 2G click systems. Click-lock floats over the subfloor, so the planks aren’t bonded down. You’ll need underlay if it’s not pre-attached — see do you need underlay for vinyl flooring.
Glue-down
Adhesive is troweled onto the subfloor and the planks are pressed in. The result is the most stable install — no movement, no hollow spots — but it’s also the least forgiving and the hardest to lift. We’d recommend glue-down for high-traffic commercial fitouts, very large open-plan rooms (over 100 m² in one sweep), or where rolling office chairs would otherwise stress click joints.
Loose lay
Heavier planks (typically 4.5-5 mm thick with a high-friction backing) that sit on the subfloor under their own weight. No click profile, no glue. Quickest to lay, easiest to lift if a plank gets damaged. Loose lay still needs an expansion gap at the perimeter — see does loose lay vinyl require an expansion gap.
The install sequence
- Plan the layout. Measure the room and divide by plank width. If the last row would land under 50 mm wide, rip the first row narrower so both edges look balanced. Stagger short-end joints by at least 300 mm row to row.
- Set the expansion gap. 6-8 mm around every fixed edge — walls, kitchen cabinets, columns, door jambs. Use spacers and don’t compromise: vinyl moves with temperature, and a missed gap is what causes peaking and lifted edges.
- Lay the first row. Tongue side facing the wall (cut it off if needed for a clean edge). Click the short ends together first, then start the second row.
- For click-lock: angle each plank into the long edge of the previous row at roughly 20-30 degrees, then drop. Tap with a tapping block — never hit the plank edge directly with a hammer.
- For glue-down: spread adhesive in 2-3 m² sections with the trowel notch the manufacturer specifies. Lay into the wet adhesive within the open time, roll with a 45 kg roller to bond.
- Cut around obstacles. A sharp utility knife scores and snaps cleanly through most vinyl planks. For curves, a jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade.
- Last row. Measure each plank individually — walls aren’t straight. Rip to width and slide in.
Finishing
Pull spacers, install scotia or quarter-round to cover the expansion gap (don’t pin it through the plank — pin it to the skirting). Add transition strips at doorways between rooms or where vinyl meets carpet, tile, or timber. Sweep, then a damp mop with pH-neutral cleaner once the floor’s settled.
When to call an installer
DIY makes sense for square or rectangular rooms with simple cuts. Call an installer when the layout has lots of doorways, angled walls, or built-in joinery to scribe around; when the subfloor needs significant levelling; when you’re laying over 80-100 m² in one continuous sweep; or when you’re doing herringbone or another pattern format. The labour cost on a tricky room is usually less than the cost of a pack of planks ruined by mis-cuts. We can quote installs across our Sydney and Brisbane service areas.
Ready to shop? Browse our full vinyl plank flooring range online, or drop into our Sydney or Brisbane showroom to see the range in person.