How long vinyl plank installation takes, day by day

The short version

Before install day: measurement and materials

Most homeowners ask one question first: how many days will my house be torn up? For a typical job, the answer is one day of work in the house, with a gap before it while the materials are ordered and delivered. Here is how that plays out.

It starts with the free measurement. We measure each room, check the slab for flatness, look at doorways and stairs, and help you pick a plank and wear layer. You get a written estimate before anything is ordered.

Once you say yes, the materials are ordered. Next-day installation is available, but how soon depends on the product you choose and whether it's on hand. Don't plan a move or a party around a date until the planks are confirmed.

Acclimation: sometimes 48 hours, sometimes none

Acclimation means letting the boxes sit in the house so the planks match its temperature. The rules vary by product, which is why you'll hear different answers. Mohawk's glue-down vinyl calls for at least 48 hours in the room, held between 65 and 85 degrees. COREtec Pro says its SPC planks don't need acclimation, as long as the room is climate-controlled between 55 and 85 degrees. The Montserrat SPC guide says residential installs need no acclimation if the boxes reach room temperature first.

Either way, the AC should be on and the house at normal living temperature. The Montserrat guide asks for working heat and air starting at least 48 hours before the install. A closed-up house in August is not ready for a floor.

Install day, hour by hour

• Morning: furniture comes out of the work area. Clear small items, breakables and closet floors the night before.
• Tear-out: carpet and pad come up quickly. Old glued vinyl is slower because the adhesive has to be scraped.
• Prep: the slab gets swept, low spots get patched, and film goes down if the floor floats.
• Planks: the crew lays out the first row off a straight line, then clicks row after row, cutting around doorways, vents and cabinets.
• Finish: transitions at doorways, then baseboard or quarter round to cover the expansion gap at the walls.
• Cleanup: debris hauled out, floor vacuumed, furniture set back on pads.

What adds time

A few things push a one-day job to two. TRU Installation's estimates are a fair guide to how much. None of them are surprises if the measurement is done right, which is why we look at the slab, the stairs and the existing floor before we give you a schedule.

• Ceramic tile. Demolition, dust control and disposal can add a full day.
• Leveling. Planks need a slab flat to about 3/16 inch over 10 feet, and leveling compound needs 4 to 24 hours to cure before planks go down.
• Choppy layouts. Several small rooms with closets and a hallway can take 30 to 50% longer than one open room of the same size.
• Stairs. Each stair takes 15 to 30 minutes with the riser and nosing, and a standard flight adds half a day to a full day.
• Glued floors. Adhesive has to dry to the touch before planks go in, and Mohawk says not to wash a glued floor for at least 5 days.

After the crew leaves

A floating floor has no adhesive, so you can walk on it and put furniture back the same day. Use felt pads under chair and table legs, and move heavy pieces over a sheet of hardboard or plywood instead of dragging them. Both the Mohawk and Montserrat guides say the same.

For glued floors, Mohawk allows foot traffic right away but asks for plywood when appliances go back and no wet mopping for at least 5 days. Keep the AC running at normal settings. Our luxury vinyl plank installation page lays out the full process, including how the rooms are prepped.

How to make the day go faster

• Empty closets you want floored, and clear the floors of small items.
• Take down anything fragile on walls next to the work area. Tapping planks together shakes things.
• Plan where pets and people will be. The crew needs clear paths to the door.
• Leave the AC on for the days before and after.
• Tell us about stairs, tile or wet spots at the measurement, so the schedule has room for them.
• Decide on trim ahead of time. Whether baseboards come off or quarter round goes on changes the last hour of the day.

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