Fitting guide · dctuk.com · 0345 222 1544 · Flooring that ain’t boring
DIY fitting guide
How to fit glue-down LVT
Glue-down LVT — sometimes called dryback — sticks straight to the floor. It's the flattest, quietest, most hard-wearing way to lay vinyl, and it's what we fit in most shops and offices. It takes more care than click, but it's very doable.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- A full day for a 20m² room
- People
- 1–2 people
- Skill level
- Some DIY experience helps
What you’ll need
- Notched trowel — the size your adhesive says, usually A1 or A2
- The right LVT adhesive (pressure-sensitive is the usual choice)
- Sharp utility knife and spare blades
- Metal straight edge and tape measure
- Chalk line
- Floor roller — a 45–68kg one, hired for the day
- Knee pads
Before you start
The floor has to be properly ready
Clean, dry, flat and solid. Any dips or trowel ridges will telegraph through the vinyl and you'll see them forever. A thin layer of smoothing compound is nearly always worth it.
Damp is the enemy
Vinyl seals the floor, so any moisture underneath has nowhere to go. A new or ground-level concrete floor needs testing before you glue anything down. If in doubt, get it checked — it's a cheap test and an expensive mistake.
Warm the room and the tiles
Leave the boxes in the room at least 24 hours at 18–27°C, and keep it at that temperature while you work and for a day after.
Underfloor heating off
Switch it off 48 hours before, keep it off for 48 hours after, then bring it back up a few degrees a day.
How to fit glue-down LVT, step by step
Set out from the centre
Snap a chalk line through the middle of the room each way so you've got a cross. Check it's square using the 3-4-5 trick: measure 3 units along one line, 4 along the other, and the diagonal should be exactly 5.
Dry-lay before you glue
Loose-lay a run of tiles out to each wall. If the edge cuts come out under about 10cm, shift the centre line half a tile.
Check the pattern looks right
Lay a few square metres loose and stand back. Wood-effect planks especially — mix planks from several boxes so you don't get two identical ones side by side.
Spread the adhesive
Only do an area you can cover before the adhesive skins over. Hold the trowel at an angle and keep an even ridge. Replace the trowel when the notches wear down — worn notches mean not enough glue.
Wait for it to go tacky
Most LVT adhesives are pressure-sensitive: they need to dry until they're clear and tacky, not wet. Touch it — if it comes off on your finger, it's not ready.
Lay from the centre out
Start at the chalk cross and work outwards in a staircase pattern. Lay each tile down rather than sliding it, and butt it up tight to its neighbour — no gaps.
Stagger plank ends
Keep end joints in neighbouring rows at least 15cm apart. Avoid cuts smaller than 15cm anywhere.
Cut the edges
Score the surface firmly with a sharp knife and snap the tile. For awkward shapes, make a cardboard template first.
Roll the floor
As soon as you've finished, roll the whole floor both ways with a heavy roller. Then roll it again an hour or two later. This is what makes the adhesive actually grab.
Leave it alone
No foot traffic for 24 hours. No furniture for 24–72 hours. And don't wash it for at least 48 hours — water can get under the edges before the adhesive has fully set.
Watch it being done
How to install glue-down luxury vinyl tiles — Forbo's official walkthrough of the dryback method.
Mistakes to avoid
- Laying into wet adhesive instead of waiting for it to go tacky.
- Not rolling the floor, or rolling it once and forgetting the second pass.
- Skipping the smoothing compound — every ripple underneath will show through.
- Gluing down over a damp floor. The adhesive fails and the tiles lift months later.
- Sliding tiles into place, which pushes adhesive up into the joints.
- Washing the floor the next day and lifting the edges.
Frequently asked questions
What adhesive do I use for LVT?
A pressure-sensitive LVT adhesive for most jobs — it goes tacky and stays tacky. Use a high-temperature adhesive instead in conservatories, big south-facing windows or over underfloor heating.
Do I need to leave an expansion gap with glue-down LVT?
No. Because it's fully bonded to the floor, glue-down LVT is laid tight to the walls with no gap. That's one of its advantages over click.
Can you lay glue-down LVT over floorboards?
Not directly. Overlay with plywood first so you've got a smooth, stable surface.
How long before I can walk on glue-down LVT?
About 24 hours for light foot traffic, and 24–72 hours before you move furniture back. Don't wet-clean it for at least 48 hours.
Do I need to prime the floor first?
If the floor is dusty, porous or very absorbent, yes. Priming stops it sucking the moisture out of your adhesive before it can work.
Rather someone else did it?
If it's a big room, an awkward shape, or you just fancy a Saturday off, our own fitting teams cover the whole of the UK. Free site survey, tidy job, no dramas.
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