Vinyl or linoleum – substrate visible through flooring

Causes

Flooring has been laid directly over floorboards or uneven substrate

Listed under: Interior, finishes, vinyl, floor coverings, vinyl flooring, floors

Cause

Flooring has been laid directly over floorboards or uneven substrate

Repair

  • if the flooring was laid in recent years, call back the installer to make the repairs
  • the only effective long-term solution is to lift the flooring and lay sheets of 5–6 mm thick, high density fibre board, plywood or similar board over the substrate. Products specifically made for this role are often called underlay or underlayment in the flooring trade. Onto this, relay the existing flooring if possible, or lay new flooring
  • for many people the easiest option will be to engage a flooring company or registered tradesperson to undertake the work
  • DIY solutions are possible but best undertaken by people with the experience, knowledge, skills and tools to do an effective job
  • follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the sheet product you are using. These typically require the moisture content of subfloors to be in the range of approximately 9–14% before installation begins. The sheet product should be laid in the location for 24 hours to allow it to adapt to the environment before fixing down
  • lay in the pattern recommended by the manufacturer (often a brick pattern, at 90 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the subfloor) with the expansion gap around the perimeter and any slight spacing between sheets as the manufacturer directs. The overlay product joints should not align with joints in existing tongue and groove or sheet flooring. Where there is a common joint line in the floor and overlay material, movement of the floor joints may transfer through to the vinyl/linoleum and may cause cracking/creasing in the visible surface
  • adhesive and fixings should be as the sheet manufacturer directs, with fixings slightly below the underlay surface. Stapling is a common fixing method for underlays
  • manufacturers of underlay/underlayment recommend good subfloor ventilation with suspended floors to prevent potential movement, decay and distortion
  • if the old flooring is linoleum and is many decades old, there is a chance that it may contain asbestos, a dangerous material. You can read more about working with asbestos and the precautions that need to be taken here

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