Introduction: Pre-conditioning Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) have emerged as a popular flooring option for both residential and commercial spaces. LVTs are hardwearing, easy to maintain and look classy, as they can replicate wood and stone effectively. Whether you intend to DIY install your luxury vinyl flooring or pay a professional to do it for you, the question of pre-conditioning arises. Pre-conditioning means allowing your tiles to acclimatise to the space before laying them. Some people claim you must do this, whilst others claim that it is not that important. Let’s find out in this article!
Arguments For Pre-conditioning Luxury Vinyl Tiles
• Time to Expand and Contract: Luxury vinyl tiles are often manufactured in environmentally controlled facilities meaning the temperature and humidity remains constant. However, when transported, stored in warehouses and even moved around your house, the tiles will be subject to different temperature and humidity levels. LVT can expand and contract a bit with heat and moisture variations, so allowing some time (usually 24-48 hours) for the tiles to acclimatise to the room that you are going to lay them in is a good idea.
• Prevents Warping and Gapping: If you do not pre-condition your vinyl tiles by leaving them in the room you are going to lay them in for 24-48 hours, then you run the risk of your tiles warping and gapping. A common type of warping is curling; this is when the tiles try to expand but there is no room for them to expand into, so they expand upwards resulting in a curled tile. Gapping is the opposite; this is when the tile contract and can pull apart from one another leaving gaps between the tiles. Both can be avoided by preconditioning the tiles before laying them.
• Stronger Clicks and Locks: One popular type of LVT is click-and-lock. This luxury vinyl tile uses a clever interlocking mechanism to join tiles together without adhesive to create a floating floor. However, if the tiles are not properly conditioned then the connections made by the click-and-lock system may be compromised resulting in a less stable floor in the long run. On the other hand, properly acclimatised tiles have the best chance of creating a firm lock for a long-lasting secure floor.
Arguments Against Pre-conditioning Luxury Vinyl Tiles
• Manufacturer’s Guidelines: Some vinyl manufacturers state that their flooring products are pre-stabilised meaning that they do not require time to acclimatise. It is always worth double-checking the manufacturer’s guidelines before deciding whether you need to pre-condition your chosen luxury vinyl tiles.
• Time Limitations: Waiting 24-28 hours could really slow down a project, particularly if you are working to a tight deadline. It may be tempting to skip the pre-conditioning phase and just lay down your luxury vinyl tiles, but we do not recommend it and you do so at your own risk of warping and gapping.
• Environmentally Stable Home: If your home is climate controlled, then you may not need to pre-condition your tiles when moving them between rooms. The only exceptions might be in rooms that are significantly hotter or colder than the rest of your property, such as a basement or a conservatory. Another exception are rooms that are considerably more humid than the rest of your home, such as kitchens and bathrooms. But let’s say you are moving your tiles from your hallway into your living room to install and both rooms share a similar temperature and humidity, then you may not need to pre-condition your tiles before laying them.
Pre-conditioning Tips
• Order in Advance: Order your luxury vinyl flooring ahead of the time when you need to lay them down. This should give the tiles plenty of time of acclimatise.
• Proper Storage: Store your new, unopened LVT in the room that you intend to lay it in for 24-28 hours before laying them. Alternatively, you can store them in a room with similar temperature and humidity levels.
• Check the Subfloor: Before laying your luxury vinyl check that the subfloor is flat, smooth and dry.
• Use Underlay: Consider laying underlay between your subfloor and your vinyl tiles to ensure a soft feeling underfoot and a long life for your new flooring.
Conclusion
At Flooring Hut, we recommend pre-conditioning your luxury vinyl tiles before laying them down. Usually leaving your new and unopened tiles for 24-48 hours in the room you are going to lay them in is enough. However, always check the manufacturer’s instructions for your particularly flooring product.
