Installing Vinyl Flooring In Cold Weather

I would expect 7 10 years out of a floating vinyl floor.

Installing vinyl flooring in cold weather.

Though brands vary in general it s durable easy to maintain simple to install and won t be affected by frosty temperatures in the same way as for example vinyl or linoleum which may crack when cold especially if the floor is not allowed to warm up before being subjected to heavy foot traffic. If the floor is installed flush with the wall there is no room for growth in the hot months and the loose lay floor can easily buckle. Don t install your vinyl floor with glue. Don t install an inexpensive vinyl floor.

The main issue with installing hardwood flooring in a cold climate home is that when temperatures drop the wood contracts which can leave large gaps around the edges of walls. Vinyl is an easy installation. This will also keep your feet warm during those cold winter months. Putting the wood too close to the wall when installing to account for the contraction will cause the wood to buckle in the warm weather as it expands.

Using a thermal underlay is a good choice. It s durable eco friendly aspects affordable and looks luxurious. Vinyl being water resistant makes it convenient to maintain. Our three season cabin is on the north shore of lake michigan in the upper peninsula of michigan.

Adhesives become brittle and then crumble below 40f some can get to 28f but then you are done. The glue can separate from a poorly prepared subfloor and can react poorly to extreme cold. We are now finishing an 18x18 foot addition that has a crawl space underneath. The cold winters will probably be too much for an adhesive to deal with.

We would like to install some type of hardwood or engineered hardwood on the floors but we re concerned about having no heat in the cabin through the winter months and what that might do to the flooring. Vinyl flooring naturally expands and contracts in the heat and cold. The hard and durable surface of vinyl gives you the look of hardwood flooring. You will mostly likely have to go through the trouble of removing and replacing it in a few years time.

The big temperature swings will shorten the life of the vinyl of any non stone tile floor. It has superior resistance to. This will help keep the floor warm and that may prevent it from expanding or contracting too much. Most experts in the vinyl flooring industry suggest vinyl for its features.

Stop the floor between a quarter inch and a half inch shy of the wall to allow for this natural expansion.