As well as installing vinyl flooring horizontally, it is also possible to do it vertically, on walls. This way of placing our vinyl sheets opens a number of possibilities when it comes to decorating our spaces at home. The variety of colors and textures offers a wide range of different tones, highlighting those that most resemble wood. Dark, intermediate and light shades, porous and smooth textures, make vinyl sheets an economically viable and aesthetically acceptable option when decorating our walls at home.
In this article you will find a well detailed procedure of how to install vinyl planks on the wall. We will discuss the characteristics of the material, the tools to be used, the preparation of the area and important tips necessary for this process, the step-by-step method of how to place the sheets, the different adhesives used in this process and installation recommendations in different areas.
Material characteristics
Vinyl sheets have several characteristics that make them attractive to home decorating solutions. They are composed of a combination of mineral particles, fiberglass, vinyl and the photographic layer that imitates wood. These characteristics increase the resistance of the sheets and make them ideal for high traffic situations, they are waterproof, which allows us to place them in humid areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. Compared to other films such as PVC, vinyl sheets are a little heavier, which is why a good quality vinyl adhesive and a reliable fastening method such as the one described below are necessary.
Preparation of the area
The first thing to keep in mind when answering the question of how to install vinyl planks on the wall is the preparation of the area. Initially we must measure how many square meters we must cover with the vinyl sheets and then we proceed to buy the necessary materials for this installation (sheets, profiles, adhesives, etc.), always taking into account an additional 10% of materials as tolerance for waste. Then it is necessary to know what type of material the area we want to cover is made of (porous like masonry or smooth like ceramic). In the case of porous surfaces such as masonry or plaster, it is necessary to apply two coats of a primer material. The priming process reinforces the surface, giving it greater holding power to the adhesive we are going to use. Once the vinyl sheets have been purchased, they should be left to rest for 24 to 48 hours in the area where they will be placed. The purpose of this is to acclimate the vinyl pieces to the temperature and relative humidity of the room and to reduce the expansion coefficient of the sheets.
Procedure for how to install vinyl planks on the wall
- After having correctly prepared our surface, we proceed to verify that the top edge of the wall is level to begin with the placement of the first row of vinyl sheets. If so, we measure and cut the finishing profile that will be used as a guide and to cover the missing edge of the first row located at the top of the wall. If the top edge of the wall is not level, place the first sheet using a spirit level or laser (this is necessary to ensure the correct leveling of both the first sheet and the remaining ones) and taking this first sheet as a reference, place the others. We should not worry about the differences that can be noticed in the observed unevenness, these will be hidden by the finishing profile.
- At this point, after having placed the finishing profile at the top of the wall, we proceed to install the first piece. This is placed completely inside the profile and on the left edge, leaving a tolerance of 3 to 5 millimeters away from the wall (this is to absorb the expansion that the sheets will have caused by changes in temperature and humidity of the environment). To fix the pieces to the wall, double-sided adhesive is applied at various points on the back of the sheet (this is to ensure an immediate grip and to keep the piece in position) and then the adhesive applied with a gun, placing a bead all over the available area on the back of the sheet. While the double-sided adhesive holds the part in place, the paste adhesive dries and permanently fixes the part.
- In the same way that the first piece was placed, the second one is also placed. In this case it is placed inside the upper profile and on the left side it is joined to the right side of the previous piece without leaving tolerances. It is important to take into account that each joint between one sheet and the other must be level (that is, horizontally each sheet must be aligned with the previous one).
- The process is repeated with all the sheets of the first row until reaching the upper right corner of the row, where the last sheet of the row is placed. To install the last sheet of the first row, compare it with the previous one and measure the distance of this piece to the wall, taking into account the tolerance that should exist between the last sheet and the wall. We proceed with the cutting of the sheet using a knife and helping us with a square (we make several marks along the cutting line and then we cut the sheet with our hands or leaning on a smooth surface). Then the adhesive is applied and it is placed in place, thus completing the first row of the installation.
- From this point onwards, the piece left over after cutting the last sheet of the previous row will always be used to start the next row (this guarantees an interleaved distribution of the sheets and a significant reduction of waste). If the piece left over from cutting the last sheet of the previous row is less than 25 centimeters, it is discarded and a piece that meets this condition is extracted from a complete sheet.
- In this way we continue installing laminates, completing rows and the process becomes repetitive until the wall is complete and so we reach the last row. At this point we must measure the space that we have to cover with each sheet, draw the lines where later the cuts of each sheet will be made (these are longitudinal cuts contemplating the separation that must be between the floor and the last row).
- As a last step we place the lower termination profile and the lateral profiles (both the upper, lower and lateral termination profiles are fixed with the same adhesive as the laminates). This way we have the installation done.
Other areas where they can be installed
In addition to being used on walls and floors, vinyl sheets can be installed on bathtub walls, bathrooms and kitchens. In general, they can be in direct contact with water since, being vinyl, they are also waterproof. For a correct installation of these sheets in areas where there is a high incidence of humidity and water in a direct way, we follow exactly the previous procedure, with the only difference that when placing the sheets it is mandatory to waterproof the joints with a silicone bead around the perimeter of each sheet. In this way we guarantee that no water or humidity will seep into the interior between the sheets and the wall.
Conclusion
Within the whole process of how to install vinyl planks on the wall we can conclude that installing this type of sheets for the decoration of our home is a highly economical and effective system since, within its variety, it has a diversity of tones, colors and textures which allow us to choose to provide a solution to infinite needs. It is easy to install and no special tools are required for such purposes. Due to its practicality, it can be used to cover any type of wall or surface where this type of material is required. They are also easy to clean where it is not necessary to use special machinery or abrasive products, just a damp cloth, soap and water. In addition, this system is very versatile since it can also be used in extreme humidity conditions since they are waterproof.
