Vinyl and LVP Flooring Installation in Georgia

Vinyl flooring covers several products that look alike in a showroom but go down in very different ways. Sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) are usually glued to the floor or laid loose, while luxury vinyl plank (LVP) with a rigid core clicks together into a floating floor. Both are water-resistant and comfortable underfoot, which is why they are popular in kitchens, baths, laundry rooms and basements. This page explains both groups for homeowners in metro Atlanta, and the city pages for each are listed below.

Sheet vinyl and LVT: glue-down and loose-lay floors

Sheet vinyl comes in wide rolls, so a small bathroom or laundry room can often be covered with no seams at all, which helps keep water out. Luxury vinyl tile comes in squares or rectangles, often with a stone or ceramic look, and is usually glued down with an adhesive matched to the product. Some heavier products are made to be laid loose, held in place by their weight and friction, with adhesive only at edges or seams as the maker directs.

Because these products are thin and flexible, every bump, nail head or seam in the floor below can show through over time. The underlayment or subfloor is patched and sanded smooth before installation, and old flooring may need to come up or be covered with a fresh underlayment.

LVP: rigid-core click-lock plank

Rigid-core plank, sold as SPC (stone plastic composite) or WPC (wood plastic composite), has a stiff core and a locking edge, so the planks join to each other rather than to the subfloor. That floating installation can go over concrete, plywood and some existing hard floors, which makes it a common choice for basements and slabs.

Floating floors have their own rules. The subfloor has to be flat within the tolerance the manufacturer lists, because dips and humps strain the locking joints and can make the floor feel hollow or separate at the seams. A gap is left at walls and fixed objects so the floor can expand and contract, and it is covered by baseboard or quarter round. Many manufacturers advise against fastening heavy cabinets or islands on top of a floating floor, so the floor is often run around them.

Transitions, moisture and the order of work

Where vinyl meets carpet, tile or wood, transition strips handle changes in height. Long runs and large rooms may need breaks in a floating floor, as the installation instructions specify. Over concrete, a moisture test and the vapor barrier or underlayment the maker requires come first. The typical sequence is removal of the old floor, subfloor repair and leveling, underlayment where required, installation, then trim, transitions and resetting of toilets or appliances. Acclimation, if the product calls for it, happens before installation begins.

Items a vinyl flooring estimate should list

A clear estimate names the product type, the square footage and extra for cuts, removal of the old flooring, subfloor patching or leveling, underlayment, the installation method, stairs, transitions, baseboard or quarter round and moving furniture or appliances. Surprises under the old floor are explained, with their cost, before any extra work is done.

Permits and related floors

Should the project include structural repair, plumbing or electrical changes, your city or county building department can tell you whether a permit is needed. For wet areas where you prefer a harder surface, see our tile installation page; vinyl plank is also a frequent part of basement finishing projects.

Vinyl flooring installation by city

These pages cover sheet vinyl, LVT and loose-lay floors, one city at a time.

LVP flooring installation by city

These pages cover rigid-core click-lock plank floors in each city.

Frequently asked questions about vinyl and LVP floors

What is the difference between sheet vinyl, LVT and LVP?

Sheet vinyl is a continuous roll that covers a room with few or no seams. LVT is vinyl cut into tiles, usually glued down, often with a stone look. LVP is plank-shaped; the rigid-core kind clicks together and floats over the subfloor instead of being glued. All three resist water, but they differ in installation, subfloor needs and how seams are handled.

Does the subfloor need to be perfectly flat for LVP?

Not perfect, but within the flatness tolerance the manufacturer lists for that product. Dips and high spots make the locking joints flex each time someone steps there, which can lead to gaps, clicking sounds or broken locks. High spots are ground down and low areas filled with patch or self-leveling compound before the planks go in.

Can vinyl plank go over a concrete slab or in a basement?

Yes, that is one of its common uses. Rigid-core plank floats over concrete as long as the slab is reasonably flat and moisture is within the product’s limits. A moisture test comes first, and the manufacturer may require a vapor barrier or a specific underlayment. Glue-down vinyl can also go over concrete with an adhesive rated for the slab’s moisture level.

Plan your new floor

Call 404-409-4448 to tell us which rooms you want to cover and what is on the floor now. We can come out to look at the subfloor, go over sheet vinyl, LVT and plank options and put together a written estimate.