If you are looking to update your kitchen on a budget, there are so many ways to do it! Vinyl Flooring is an excellent way to upgrade your high traffic area in the house. One really doesn’t have to spend fortunes for a makeover.
Our existing Kitchen are from the late 1980’s and we did not update it much after we bought the house, except the flooring. There was a goof up from the Vinyl company and a completely different color for Vinyl Flooring got delivered. We did not take notice until the handyman laid it 2 years back.
With time we got settled and we really loved the bright Kitchen. But there was something about the floor that was not working.
Our handyman had laid the Vinyl Flooring in a rush. He had not glued it to the base instead just applied the silicone sealant around the edges. This was just not enough!! Over the last 2 years, every-time someone hoovered the kitchen in full power, the floor had started lifting up. It started looking pretty awful over time.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT FLOOR FOR THE KITCHEN
There are many choices of flooring to choose for your kitchen right from wooden floor stone floor vinyl flooring or even toilets. But one thing that you want to consider is that kitchen is the place where all the spills and mess happens every day,Year after year.
Accident and water leakage are very common in the kitchen and just in case you have a wooden floor when this accident happened there is a high possibility you might have to replace the computer for flooring. So regardless of how amazing the floor is, the capability to withstand water and allow them to run free for a long time is important in case of accidents.
Two Strong contestants in my opinion that work well for kitchen floor are vinyl floor and tiles.
Tiling works great on the kitchen floor provided underfloor heating is installed.
On the other hand, Vinyl flooring have made a great comeback with beautiful natural textures & patterns , still not very expensive , hard wearing and easy to install.
Having had Vinyl flooring in my kitchen in previous rental properties, it was my obvious choice for an instant budget makeover in the kitchen.
WHY CHOOSE VINYL FLOORING
Vinyl flooring are available in Sheets, Tiles and Planks. I have opted for Sheets as they are super quick to install.
It is available in different thickness, textures and styles to choose from
It is easy to clean and low maintenance
Water Resistant
Simple and easy to install
A lot softer to feel underfoot than tiling
HANDYMAN SERVICE FROM FANTASTIC SERVICES
Just before we agreed on the job, I had a quick consultation with the team and it was decided I will be picking the flooring material and the glue whilst the team will have the rest of the needed tools. At the time of booking, I had also mentioned about the other tasks like applying silicone sealant on the kitchen worktop corners, fixing a broken door and a consultation on what could be done to the damp marks on the kitchen ceiling.
Its always great to mention in advance about the tasks, as the pro’s can come prepared and plan their time.
The pros at Fantastic Services are extremely good at the job and they exactly know what needs to be done. Having had the team from Fantastic Services at home for few other jobs, It was a no-brainer but to get the new vinyl floor laid by the experts.
Shem, the pro arrived around 9.15 am and quickly examined the floor. He was happy and convinced that change of vinyl floor can be done in the stipulated hours. It took Shem nearly 5 hours to complete the whole job and to very high standards.
In the first few minutes of his arrival, he quickly assessed the damp mark on the ceiling and just painted it white. As I had applied damp sealant to the ceiling twice, it had prevented the spread of damp stains on ceilings. The ceiling looks just as normal with a single coat and we were really pleased.
Shem also quickly actioned on the door hinges and the clock room lock and everything was back to normal.
SOME OF THE PREVIOUS JOBS BY FANTASTIC SERVICES
One Off Cleaning Service from Fantastic Services
Front Garden Makeover with Fantastic Services
HOW TO LAY VINYL FLOORING ?
I have had profound interest in DIY. After observing the Handyman closely laying the vinyl floor, here are the steps.
Carefully remove the existing Vinyl floor and set it aside. We will need to use it as a template.
Assess the floor board underneath. Check, if it needs any fixing or replacement? Our floor boards were laid on the concrete floor. Some of them needed nailing down, just to ensure there is no unevenness.
Hoover the floor well to make sure it is free from debris.
Unroll the New Chosen Vinyl Flooring in an empty space like garden. Place the existing template onto the new vinyl flooring and mark the edges. Always mark with a few centimetres of allowance. It is good to have more allowance, rather than falling short. Cut the new floor around the marking with a scissor.
The new vinyl floor must be carefully carried and placed in the right direction, as required for the kitchen floor.
Starting from one edge, spray the glue onto the floor and the vinyl flooring and begin pressing the edges. Ensuring there is no air-bubble. Repeat the process through the floor until the vinyl floor is well stuck, removing any extra air-bubble.
Gently start cutting any extra flooring around the edges with a Stanley knife or a sharp blade. Seal the edges with Silicone Sealant and allow them to settle down.
Do not hoover / mop for the next 12 hours at-least until the new vinyl flooring settles down.
Couple of pointers to remember before installing Vinyl Flooring
Preparation is the key for DIY!! This is something Shem, the pro from Fantastic Services kept mentioning. There is no point in hurrying up even though it is time consuming. Doing it Right diligently is important.
He made the whole process vinyl floor laying look so simple, that I went up to my family bath and sorted out any vinyl floor that was being uplifted from the edges.
Well, there is a marvellous difference between the new and the old flooring and the technique with which it was done.  We have hoovered in low setting twice after the new floor was laid and we are just not worried about corners getting lifted and floor looking unsettled.
Fantastic Services offer a fantastic range of services from cleaning, gardening, handyman, house clearance, home organising etc. Don’t forget to check out their website if you would like to book one.
The Lovely Team at Fantastic Services are offering readers of Sandhya’s Kitchen 10 GBP off their first Fantastic service. Here’s the promo code – Sandhya10.
T&Cs are as follows: £10 GBP off first booking. Does not apply for regular domestic cleaning, Trusted Partners, and Christmas services. Cannot be combined with other deals and promotions. Min charges apply. Subject to availability and area coverage.
Disclosure: I have provided all the materials needed for laying the floor.  All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am not compensated in any other way. The complimentary services mentioned above would have cost me £301.
Vikkie says
Great to see you delving in to DIY territory 😉 Looks beatfiful!
Sandhya Hariharan says
Thanks Vikkie… I have always loved DIY.. but still don’t have that extra guts to get things done…
Day Blinds says
This type of content always inspiring and I prefer to read quality content, so happy to find a good place for many DIY post, the writing is just great, thanks for the post.