5 minute video guide to laying Karndean vinyl flooring

A very quick guide to the essentials you'll need to know before laying Karndean.
If you can't afford professionally laid Karndean vinyl tile flooring and would like to install it yourself, this guide's for you.
I've now done 3 floors and the only disadvantage is the number of friends and family asking me to do theirs.
Tools and materials list:
crazytom.com/a/...

[@jennyhaldane2869]

I'm a 71 year old female and so glad I found this video, very clear easy to follow and I'm going to lay my night tile glue down myself after watching this. Thank you

[@oldstoic3154]

How did it go?

[@andrewarthurmatthews9990]

Very calm , clear and well articulated demo

[@johnjohnston5715]

+andrew arthur matthews Horrible method, this video is everything you should not do to install this floor

[@buildretro9499]

I’m going to follow the general outline of this video as there is very little instructional videos on KZbin. Lots of bad feedback and people saying get pros in! I thought it was a good video and will help me lay my floor tonight. Getting pros in is for people who can afford to, I can’t so I do the work myself.

[@JButtmuncher101]

Great guide, thanks very much, clear and concise, just what I’ve been trying to find. I’m feeling ready to try this out on the morning.

[@mariad4183]

Excellent instruction! Thank you for sharing honey

[@ryanfindlay599]

You should stagger your ply so that the joins don't meet

[@AreaCode865]

Great succinct guide, thanks. The prices we've been quoted for Karndean are virtually identical and high, I suspect the manufacturer has it fixed

[@AreaCode865]

We were quoted £660 for 6.85 square meters of Knightile on a pre ply lined bathroom floor.

[@dgohelify]

Very help full Tom, Thanks.

[@raratrax6042]

Thanks, just what I was looking for. Was told it would cost $900 to stick this plastic down in my duplex.

[@colinmcdermott1]

Thank you, was told $800 to lay 30m^2. Really thinking that I don't need to spend $800 and the installers may not get in time for baby. Glad your guide is out there.

[@Mikes-Lakelandwalksnwildcamps]

Why are you putting ply wood down? Is that not concrete? I’m going to lay on concrete, which I can lay straight on to can’t i?

[@macducati2304]

Don't buy Karndean adhesive. You can buy the same adhesive much cheaper from screwfix, it's made by Mapei and is called Ultrabond Eco VS90 Plus.( I think Mapei probably make it for Karndean) As for the floor skim I can't see the point. I've had Karndean on a new bare plywood floor for 15 yrs and it's still perfect., just make sure the boards are tight against each other.As for cutting it I prefer a sharp pair of kitchen scissors, but that's just personal choice, but i do find it easier than a stanley knife.

[@Iscas1000]

There is a mistake on this video. Pressure sensitive adhesive needs to be left to go to tack before laying the tiles. Also if doing it yourself it voids Karndeans guarantee on the product...!!!

[@spectrumcoatingsltd5]

Wow! What can I say? Shocking is an understatement. Ply not staggered, adhesive had no open time, the notched trowel and application wrong so grab between lvt and glue is really poor. Probably b grade clearance floor purchased. This is a video of how not to buy and install

[@buildretro9499]

william Randle, can I get a link to your karndean fitting video please?

[@jamessibley6040]

It is a great video

[@Nickpaintbrush]

Surely unibonding the ply would be better?

[@dawntoolbelter7610]

Use external 6mm ply NOT Wickes cheap and cheerful internal ply which will compress/collapse under heavy use.. On 18mm chipboard flooring, use 20mm long 4mm Gold single thread screws and space them apart every 120mm - yes, every 120mm! As stated elsewhere, always stagger the joints of the the ply i.e. get the timber merchant to cut some of your sheets in half. This chap simply has;t got a clue - bodger with a big B!

[@kevinjones8711]

Dawn Toolbelter Karndean will only guarantee the floor if it’s laid on Flooring grade ply. Any other ply and they will just laugh at you.

[@vinylmaverick8044]

Correction. I used the word staggered for the Karndean. As with Amtico and any other LVT brand the planks are laid random.

[@jamessibley6040]

What confused me is. Had the for already been rolled were the guy was walking as that will push down much harder than the roller

[@vinylmaverick8044]

Dear oh dear what is he doing with the ply? The ply should be alternate ie brickwork layout not grid. Never use screws on 5.6mm ply or 6mm as it is very difficult to administer the right pressure to avoid screwing right through the board. You should not attempt to use any form of feather finish when you have raised screw heads. You have to bang the screwheads in or screw them down firmer which is the point I made earlier. The finishing coat or feather finish should have no ridges in yet several are clearly visible. There is no need to use any form of roller to gain good adhesion as most men weigh over the most recommended roller for Karndean which varies but not beyond 75KG abd when walking around the area or when fitting body weight pressure will be enough.

[@independentinstallations8419]

The amount of people that left a comment saying something to the effect of "great video now i feel i can install my own floor and save the money" has left me dumbfounded. All this time I have been blaming the big box stores and HGTV for ruining an entire trade while its been youtube all along. No disrespect to the poor fellow that obviously has a problem interpreting directions and following them. What ever happened to get at least three estimates from reputable companies and comparing them? Most times you can tell if one company is way off or if they make no mention of floor prep they can be disregarded.WE have fought to get the labor prices for flooring installation to where it is and continue to have to justify the prices when the sales staff said anyone can do it, Oh nevermind i quit this career is hopeless, Keep the hacks and forget about maintaining any manufacture warranty ever.Just install a new floor in 2 years when it fails. its simple

[@here-is-my-profile]

ODD Socks @ 5:19, SHOCKING!!!

[@iovethe80s]

what colour is the floor thanks

[@shaun2049]

Is it the same for concrete floor

[@crazytom]

No it's not. You need to lay a bonding screed. In fact when I moved into my present house there was Amtico in the concrete floor conservatory that came with an installation "certificate" issued by the guys who laid it. They had passed a course at the Amtico Academy. The floor is now coming loose because the clowns tried to use adhesive directly on concrete. So ignore the Muppets in the comments who say that only professionals can lay this stuff. It's just a bit of Lino with a nice finish and a stupid price.

[@shaun2049]

Thanks Tom I’m gonna do it my self lid on 2.5 m2

[@61spindrift]

@@crazytom Tom, you have no right instructing people how to install that floor. You have done almost everything WRONG. STOP! People are believing you because you put up a video. You are hurting people and they will have to have a professional come in and do it over! STOP. If you want to do an install like that in your own house (incorrectly) then nobody is going to stop you. But you do NOT know what you are doing! You are WRONG on almost every aspect of this install!

[@yosephchess]

According to KARNDEANs instructions you are installing that extremely wrong.

[@dw8750]

Which bits?

[@atommachine]

Mmmmm nice ply

[@macducati2304]

Oh, and don't buy plywood form Wickes they'll take your eyes out, go to a timber merchant.

[@61spindrift]

Tom Donnelly, Karndean would like to know your phone number for some reason. Don't know why but, was at the factory the other day and there were a team of attorney's asking for it. But really, how is it that you believe you know anything about installing this or any other product? Isn't youtube wonderful? Any Joe Blow, which obviously you are by this instructional video, can put up a diy video and claim to know what they are doing? Anyone reading this, please disregard everything this man says about installing this product. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Noimad79]

To say Karndean can only be laid by pros is utter shite. You pro installers have been brainwashed by the company who want to monopolise their product. I've no doubt there are specific requirement when laying which weren't followed in this vid but to say laying LVT is beyond the wit of a DIY enthusiast.........i don't buy it. What, do you have some kind of magic approach or dark magic. It's the same story with every other trade too, electricians, builders, plumbers. Thing is there are very few people willing to tackle such jobs so it's not like you'll be out of work. Those that do wish to put in the effort to do it themselves should be encouraged, and guided, not told to resort to trade. I've renovated an entire house, all building work, plumbing, most electrics, decorating and about to lay my own LVT. If i'd have followed the 'Get a pro in', advise I'd have needed a second mortgage.

[@adogmcdizzle]

💯

[@sigitaskl3862]

NO its not a proper way!!!

[@vinylmaverick8044]

Very Very poor guide! He has screwed down the ply leaving 18-24 inches in between each fixing point. THIS IS WRONG. Ply is either screwed down or spot-nailed depending on the quality of the sub-floor every 4,6, or 8 inches. Only the ply joints require feather finish not the entire floor. Both his ply and Karndean have been laid uniform- THIS IS WRONG. Both ply and Karndean are laid staggered. He recommends a 68kg roller. THIS IS WRONG. A 68kg is primarily used for sheet flooring such as safety flooring and or lino. Both Karndean and Amtico recommend a 45kg roller NOT 68kg.

[@glenflynn556]

people do not lay your floor like this the ply work is awful floor will last maximum 3 years

[@pjd100]

+Glen Flynn What would you use instead of ply ? Thanks.

[@glenflynn556]

+Paul D he's got about 6 screws in each sheet which is wrong, needs to be screwed around the outer perimeter with each screw around 1-2 inches away from each other, also need to be staggered so no 4 corners of the ply meet.

[@pjd100]

+Glen Flynn Ah ok, 1-2 inches apart, that's a lot of screws ! :) Thanks.

[@glenflynn556]

+Paul D yeah it's alot of screws mate but more than worth it to ensure that subfloor is never coming up☺ better to be safe that sorry and for am extra 10 15 mins it's defo worth it. also I would recommend finishing the floor with ardex feather finish over the joins of the ply to create a perfectly smooth surface to lay on. good luck

[@pjd100]

+Glen Flynn Thanks for the advice will do that.

[@G2020-]

Looks shit you should've just left the (wrongly installed) plywood down it looks very similar. Your flooring wont last more than a few years so you should take this video down to stop people copying it and costing them.

[@tonycsapo8781]

Wrong ply, wrong spacing of fixings. Wrong way to use pressure sensitive adhesive....that's why professionals get paid what they do. Don't follow this diyers advice

[@nelace1]

Absolutely shocking advise😂😂 If you can’t afford to have it professionally fitted buy something else, this is not a diy product.

[@kathrynliu74]

I think this guy puts his condoms on backwards 👻

[@braddoust5554]

this is how not to install vinyl flooring 😂😂do not follow his instructions

[@diyhomelife9301]

what an absolute state, how many people will ruin there floor watching this rubbish

[@xxbaldycoupxx]

Karndean isn't a DIY prospect. Do it yourself and you'll be calling a professional fitter to come fix it, who will give you a nice price to fix your Mickey mouse abortion.

[@boogeb6084]

Soooooooo wrong