Can luxury vinyl be installed on uneven floors?

When either homeowners or commercial enterprises are looking for flooring for their homes or premises, luxury vinyl tiling (LVT) is often at the top of the list. One reason for its immense popularity is that it is both extremely durable and also very easy to keep clean.

That makes it ideal both for a home or a business – even one with a lot of footfall. Aside from such practical considerations, luxury vinyl is also a frequent choice because of the way it looks.

It can be designed to accurately recreate the look of a stone or a wood floor, at a fraction of the cost of either of those. It is easy to see why people like it, but is it an option if your floor surfaces are uneven?

Can it be installed on an uneven floor?

When it comes to the basic question of whether luxury vinyl is suitable for uneven floors, it is really a matter of exactly how uneven they are. If any unevenness is relatively minor, then the installation should not present much of a problem.

In actual fact, the thickness and sturdiness of the tiles or sheets used for this type of floor can have the effect of concealing the problem. They will actually make the floor look and feel more level than it actually is.

On the other hand, if the floor surface is extremely uneven, luxury vinyl will not be the ideal flooring choice. It is possible to repair bumps, holes and other imperfections that create uneven floors, but if you do not have time to carry out that sort of pre-installation maintenance work, it may be better to opt for an alternative such as laminate flooring instead.

Should it be installed on uneven floors?

While it is technically possible to put luxury vinyl down on an uneven floor, is it not necessarily something that you should do. Luxury vinyl is a type of flooring that is available as both single sheets and tiles, and either can be installed pretty quickly and effectively as long as the unevenness is not too severe.

It will be very important to ensure that your subfloor is made smooth before the vinyl is laid though. There are simple steps that you can take to deal with roughness or other subfloor issues before installation.

Alternatively, if you hire an experienced flooring company to both provide the floors and install them for you, they will take care of any issues of that kind as part of the job. If you are not sure whether your floor surfaces are suitable for luxury vinyl, they can also advise you about that and suggest alternatives if necessary.

Hardwood, carpeting and linoleum are three options that can work well in concealing highly uneven floor surfaces.

How to install luxury vinyl on an uneven floor

Luxury vinyl is not one of the harder flooring materials to install, but there are a few steps that you will have to go through if your floor is not even.

1. Take care of any imperfections

If the subfloor that you are putting the vinyl on top of is made out of concrete, then any flaws in the surface need to be removed before the vinyl is laid. The best way to do that is through a combination of sanding and levelling

The former is quite hard work as it will involve sanding out any points in the subfloor that are higher than the rest by hand. Levelling is done using a cement compound that fills in imperfections like holes, and the compounds that are used for it can be bought in both real-world and online shops.

Pour it onto your subfloor and then smooth it out as necessary with a trowel. Once that has been done, you will need to leave the subfloor for roughly 24 hours before you actually put down the luxury vinyl.

This is so that the compound can be given time to dry. If it is still wet when you try to put the vinyl over it, there can be problems getting the material to stick in place properly on the subfloor.

2. Check for smoothness

You can check both the overall evenness and smoothness of the subfloor at this point by using a straight or level pipe. This will tell you if it is ready for the luxury vinyl to go down.

3. Clear away debris

Debris from the sanding and levelling process must be removed from the floor before you put down the vinyl. It can stop the vinyl from sticking to the subfloor and can also prevent tiles from joining together properly.

It is possible to put luxury vinyl on a slightly uneven floor. This can be done by professionals if you are unsure of how to go about it.

Pub patron has unusual carpet hobby

Kit Caless is a fan of the pub chain Wetherspoon, and this has led him to an unusual hobby. Kit writes a blog about Wetherspoon carpets which contains images of different carpets from Wetherspoon pubs.

No two carpets in Wetherspoons’ pubs are the same, each is unique. Wetherspoon’s head of property development Jon Randall explained:

“All of our new pub carpets are individually designed, some with details to reflect aspects of the building's history or local area.”

Kit says that his interest in pub carpets began when he read the novel The Way Inn by Will Wiles, which features a character who visits the same hotel chain whenever he travels. When Kit found out that every Wetherspoon carpet is different, he decided to become a dedicated fan of the carpets. He says:

“I got really interested, because, for a corporate chain to not repeat itself is a really rare thing. So, I started looking into it – and it just sort of snowballed."

Wetherspoon has over nine hundred pubs which require lots of carpets. Kit does not aim to visit every single one like the character in the novel, so he has asked visitors to his blog to submit photos of their local Wetherspoon pub carpet

Individually designed carpets for Chester or North Wales rooms can be commissioned, but they are expensive and beyond the budget of most households. As local carpet retailers have a wide range of carpet designs and colours available, you are bound to find one to match your individual taste.

Woman ruins carpet in dye disaster

A viral online video shows what happened when a woman attempted to change the colour of her hallway carpet with dye. Her escapades left the carpet ruined, and her walls were stained.

Melissa Ashleigh wanted to refresh the look of her hallway by changing the colour of her carpet to a trendy dark grey. She did not want to spend money on buying a new carpet, so tried using fabric dye. She made a mess of the carpet with patches of uneven colour. The dye was not applied carefully enough and splashed onto her walls, causing unsightly stains. She must now buy a new carpet and paint the walls.

Melissa shared her room renovation disaster in a video on TikTok. She commented:

“So, this is the carpet, and these are the walls that I've ruined because I didn't use anything [to protect] up the sides. So yeah, it's going to need ripping out."

Some were amused by the video, commenting that dyeing the carpet was a good example of an action that is “instantly regretted.”

If you are after different colour carpets in your Chester or North Wales home, this video shows that you should not attempt to dye them. Ultimately, there is no substitute for installing a new carpet. A decent quality carpet is not cheap but will last a long time and is a terrific way to update the look of a room. A deep pile carpet has good insulating properties which help keep a room warm, saving heating costs.

Innovative design trend inspired by the 1970s

There is a trend for interior style inspired by 1970s design that commonly features wall-to-wall deep pile brown carpets.

Many interior designers are creating room decors that resemble luxury avant-garde Italian homes from the 1970s. Tiffany Howell, a Los Angeles based designer, explains the appeal of the seventies look:

“The ’70s brought on the love of lounging. The colours and fabrics created a sense of lushness and plushness.”

Many believe they are living in troubled times post-Covid, with high inflation levels and huge energy bills. People want their homes to be a sanctuary, a place to relax and socialise in. The 1970s look creates the illusion of living in an era with a more carefree attitude to life.

The 1970s was a time when pop culture influenced design which could be garish, bright and outrageous. Tiffany Howell says:

“We live in deeply disturbing times. It’s very understandable that we would look to design styles with outrageous forms.”

The home of designer Marion Maeander features the 1970s look, with stainless steel seatbelt chairs and a sunken living room that has a low sofa and a deep pile carpet, which she often sits on to relax with a drink. She loves the 1970s style for its glamour and chic look.

The 1970s style may not be a top trend in England and Wales, but 1970s type plush texture dark colour carpets in Chester and North Wales homes are a great way to add a touch of plush luxury to a room.

Five reasons to use carpets on stairs

People spend a lot of time on stairs travelling from one level to another. Many home staircases in Chester and North Wales homes are wood, but there are at least five reasons why carpets should be added to stairs.

1. Protection

Stairs are a high footfall area and wood will eventually show signs of wear. Carpet will protect stairs from marks. If you want to preserve the look of the wood grain, use a runner that protects the middle of the stairs but keeps the sides exposed.

2. Safety

Many people injure themselves by falling on stairs. Carpeted stairs are safer than wood. They provide a soft surface that prevents slipping and cushions falls to reduce the risk of serious injuries. Worn stair carpets are not safe and will need replacing.

3. Noise reduction

Firm surface stairs amplify and reflect sound. Stair carpets absorb and dampen sound. If people walking on stairs wakes you up at night, install a soft stair carpet.

4. Style

Stair runners are available in a wide variety of colours and patterns to help you personalise your stairs. A bold pattern carpet adds a vivid visual statement to a staircase.

5. Comfort

Carpet runners feel soft, cosy and more comfortable than bare wood. For maximum comfort, use a thick, soft underlay.

Stair carpets in North Wales homes are quick to fit and are available in different qualities to suit all budgets. Choose a high-quality stair carpet that lasts a long time.