Another project to share. I did this some time back and had the pictures stored in my PC to share the DIY project for us to save more money amidst the rising cost of living.

Today I am doing some housekeeping on my PC and saw the pictures thus posting them before deleting them.

So basically this is a simple project, I have been living in my master bedroom and getting bored with the same old same old. I had RM1k to spare. My room is about 21ft x 11ft ~ 230sq ft. I thought about flooring and started a hunt.

I chose vinyl flooring, there is also laminate, wood, etc. There is also 2mm, 3mm, clip ons. You can google all the differences and do a survey on your needs. Basically I opted for a 3mm vinyl flooring because;
- its cheaper
- easy to clean
- easy to install *over the tiles*
- I will not have termite problems

Where did I source my vinyl floor?. It is quite easily available in Malaysia. Been in the market for sometime. If you have the time, you can request quote, compare etc. I just went around Puchong only and bumped across Dynaloc.

www.dynaloc.com.my

It was a hard find but its like those factory shoplots storing and distributing them, not a showroom kind of place. Mostly while I was there, lots of retailers came and went. I told them I wanted to DIY and there were very kind and patient explaining all my questions, even for a 230sq ft request.

They also have a installation guide & video guide for DIYers;

installation guide - http://www.dynaloc.com.my/index.php?ws=pages&pages_id=7309
video guide - http://www.dynaloc.com.my/index.php?ws=video

I spent RM900 for
- 10 boxes of Vinyl Planks *Seriously heavy stuff*
- 2 bottles of waterbased adhesive (1bottle is about 200sq ft)
- Sealants
- Metal Trim (to give a nice finish at borders where vinyl meets tiles)
From the Hardware Shop
- Blade
- Pail
- Scraper
- White Cement
- L-Ruler and metal ruler
Picture: Items bought

Picture: Work area before start



Prep work - (overnight + 1 day)
=========

1. Need to keep the Vinyl flooring boxes in the room over night for the planks to get used to the temperature, the planks are like flexible rubber, it can contract and expand.

2. Since this installation is over tiles, we need to level the seams in between the tiles with white cement. If you do not do this, over time, the planks will slightly sink into the grooves in between the tiles, even with a 3mm. If it sinks, then u can actually see some boxy tile patterns over the vinyl floor.
- Applying white cement over tiles grooves is really hard work and time consuming. I eventually tied the scraper to a long pole and did a mass white cement application all over the room instead of per groove. I let it dry and scraped the excess off the tiles. I had to clean the room well after the white cement and ensure no cement coat layer was there over the tiles.

Picture: Applying white Cement over grooves


Install day - 1 day
===========

1. Make sure tiles are cement free and grooves are almost all filled with cement.

2. Plan your flooring work plan on how to lay the planks
- you can try to test apply dry run and cut them to fit first, **if you not sure there is enough of planks**
- you can apply from middle out if you have some pattern in mind **refer to the dynaloc installation guide**
- you can apply the long part of the plank to the long part of the wall and work your way to the other side
- you can work from the inside part to the exit door
**Just have a work plan, and if are not sure, you can talk to the dynaloc guys on your methods**

3. Pour the water based adhesive over the tiles and make a thin film. ** see dynaloc video for how to **
- The glue will be initially white in color and once it dries, it will be slightly transparent

Picture: Applying water based adhesive (some parts have turned transparent, some are still white)


4. Apply vinyl planks over the glue. Make sure they are tight and close together when you do it. **Refer to video**
- While applying the planks, we can still slightly move and guide the planks to bend a little.
- Once it sticks, do not pull them out and reapply. So advice is to put the planks gently into place first and them press them on the glue hard.
- Its easy to cut and snap the plank, give a slight cut with a blade, and snap the plank. You will need a L-Ruler/metal ruler to draw and cut.
I did not apply borders because I already have a white tiled border. Overall satisfied with the RM1k finish.

Picture : Finished product

to be honest with you.. i wanted to do so.. but when you actually do the work, we will be sweating and cursing and the last thing in the mind will be to catch more pictures..

i will keep in mind next time to make a point to snap more in between.. thanks for the advice..

thanks.. im not doing this by profession..
yea, i had to calculate this as well, normally doors will have 4-7mm of space off the ground. what i did was to ask for a small 2mm/3mm sample from the shop during surveying then run it under the door. +- 1-2 mm extra will be safe considering the adhesive and uneven tiles.

Personally I am not sure for laminated wood coz it will be harder.. But I think the base concept is the same..

I would survey around and ask about.. You can youtube laminated wood flooring installations..

Fyi.. My diy is also considered laminated vinyl flooring.. Laminate to my understanding is the apply a top layer over something under pressure heat etc.. Our home cabinets are also laminated over plywood, compressed mdb etc..

Try aim for a very small spot and diy if unsure..

Btw.. Thanks guys for the compliments.. So far the floor is doing well..

Did it happen to you?.. Normally how long till we can start noticing?

Can it be because for frequent traffic ?.. I did notice this in some shops which applied vinyl flooring but very evident in those area where ppl walk alot.. Also I think this is where the quality of vinyl comes to play..

Good tip.. I'll keep an eye as my color is considered bright.. I wanted dark colored but the boss of the house wanted to match the bed and cabinet.. Haha.. Thanks.

I am not sure if 2mm meant for walls but they can use it on floors. I have seen it being applied for walls and its quite nice as well. Btw I got the 3mm one.