What is glue down vinyl?
At its heart, glue down vinyl is a category of luxury vinyl flooring with its own unique range of features and benefits. Often seen as the more traditional form of the floor, modern glue down vinyl still has all the upsides that make luxury vinyl easy to maintain, pet-friendly, and great for rooms like kitchens and bathrooms – which is probably why you’re considering it for your home!
There is plenty to know about glue down vinyl, such as how to acclimatise your flooring and what AC ratings are, but first take some time getting to know the features and benefits of this timeless floor, and what it can do for your home.
What makes glue down vinyl different?
As a luxury vinyl floor, glue down vinyl flooring is bursting with benefits - 100% waterproof, pet-friendly, and easy to clean. It comes in a range of wood and stone styles in both plank and tile formats. What separates itself from other luxury vinyl is its method of installation.
Glue down vinyl flooring, unlike luxury click vinyl flooring, is installed by way of adhesive, bonding to and creating a seal with the subfloor to secure itself into place. Using this adhesive creates dimensional stability that ensures the floor retains all its natural characteristics.
Is luxury vinyl plank flooring glued down?
The appeal of luxury vinyl flooring comes from the vast design options available thanks to its authentic printed textures. This affords it the versatility to have many looks and sizes across its various installation types.
Because of this, luxury vinyl plank flooring can come as both a glue down floor and a click system floor. The same is true of luxury vinyl tile flooring. The dimensions of the planks are just as varied as they would be for real wood and laminate flooring, giving you plenty of styles to work with.
Should all vinyl flooring be glued down?
Vinyl flooring tends to fall into one of three categories for installation – glue down, click system - which also includes rigid core vinyl - and loose lay, which is for sheet vinyl rather than luxury vinyl.
As the name suggests, glue down vinyl requires adhesive for installation. Click system vinyl flooring does not and floats over the underlay once joined together. Sheet vinyl can be installed using a loose lay method up to a certain m2, after which it will need to be glued down.
Is glue down vinyl better than click?
There are a range of benefits to both glue down and click vinyl. Glue down vinyl’s biggest advantage is the enhanced durability it gets because of installation – the adhesive used to bond the backing of the vinyl creates a seal with the subfloor that offers greater durability than the floating installation of click vinyl. For this reason, glue down vinyl is often better for commercial spaces and in high traffic areas, especially in busy homes.
Click vinyl is a DIY-friendly option which still has plenty of durability to offer, especially rigid core vinyl. It is also easier to replace damaged boards, as they are not bonded to the floor.
Both installation types have advantages, but they also share a lot of the characteristics that make luxury vinyl such a popular choice. The decision ultimately comes down to your needs for fitting and longevity.
Do I need underlay for glue down vinyl?
You do not need underlay when installing glue down vinyl flooring, as you will want to bond it directly to the subfloor to create a strong bond. You do need to make sure your subfloor is suitable for this process first – correct any imperfections so the surface is smooth and flat, free of debris and dust.
Even then there may be environmental factors such as moisture and temperature that you must address before you can begin installation.
What accessories do I need for glue down vinyl?
As with any other type of flooring, you will need all the right accessories to fit your floor and achieve the perfect finish. We have already spoken about underlay, so what else will your glue down vinyl flooring need?
First and foremost, you will want scotia beading to cover the expansion gap at the perimeter of your room. Scotia comes in a range of finishes and colours so you can pick something that will compliment your floor. You will of course want adhesive to glue the floor down as well. Lastly you will need door profiles for where your vinyl flooring meets any doorways.
How do you install glue down vinyl?
Because of the adhesive needed to properly secure glue down vinyl, it is not suitable for a DIY installation. While an experienced DIYer might have the confidence and the knowledge to fit the floor themselves, it is best left to professional installers. We have more detailed advice in our installation guide.
Now that you have become familiar with glue down vinyl, you might be ready to start shopping for the perfect floor. Our Shop by Room and Shop by Colour options will help make this easy for you.
If you’re still looking for ides to help you get started, there are plenty to be found on our Inspiration Centre.
