Fitting guide · dctuk.com · 0345 222 1544 · Flooring that ain’t boring
Polyflor vinyl flooring
How to fit Polyflor flooring
Polyflor are made in Manchester and they make everything from click planks to hospital safety flooring. Some of it is very DIY-friendly, some of it genuinely isn't. Here's how to tell which is which.
- Difficulty
- Camaro Loc: easy. Glue-down: moderate. Polysafe: professional
- Time
- A day for a 20m² room
- People
- 1–2 people
- Skill level
- Depends on the range
What you’ll need to fit Polyflor vinyl flooring
- Sharp utility knife and spare blades
- Metal straight edge
- Tape measure and chalk line
- Spacers and a pull bar (Camaro Loc)
- Plunge saw or handsaw for rigid core planks
- Notched trowel and approved adhesive (glue-down)
- 68kg floor roller, hired (glue-down)
Before you start
Work out what you've bought
Camaro Loc and Camaro Rigid Core Loc click together and float — very DIY-friendly. Expona SimpLay is loose-lay with tape. Camaro, Expona and Colonia dryback are glue-down. Polysafe is safety flooring and needs welding — leave that to a fitter.
Settle the planks
Camaro Loc needs 48 hours in the room at 18–27°C, with boxes stacked no more than three high. Glue-down ranges need 24 hours minimum.
Smooth the floor
Polyflor always want a cementitious smoothing compound at least 3mm thick before their flooring goes down. It's not optional in their guide.
Damp matters
Polyflor only accept a hygrometer test for moisture, read over 72 hours. If you've got a new or ground-level concrete floor, get it checked.
How to fit Polyflor vinyl flooring, step by step
CLICK: leave 4mm all round
Camaro Loc needs a minimum 4mm expansion gap; the rigid core herringbone version wants 5mm. In rooms bigger than 5m x 5m, add 1mm per metre of room length.
CLICK: use the right underlay
Camaro Loc must be laid over Polyflor's own Vinyl Loc underlay. Using a different underlay voids the warranty — this one catches people out.
CLICK: plan your cuts
No cut piece shorter than 150mm, and keep plank ends at least 150mm apart from row to row.
CLICK: click and work across
Angle each plank into the one before, lower it flat, and work across the room. Use a pull bar for the last row.
GLUE-DOWN: find the centre
Chalk a cross through the middle of the room and check it's square with the 3-4-5 method. Dry-lay first to check the edges.
GLUE-DOWN: use an approved adhesive
Polyflor publish a list of approved adhesives, and the warranty depends on using one of them. Keep the trowel notch size right, and replace the trowel when the notches wear down.
GLUE-DOWN: lay and roll
Lay from the centre outwards, then roll the whole floor both ways with a 68kg roller. Roll it again one to four hours later.
GLUE-DOWN: give it time
Light foot traffic only for the first 24 hours. Keep furniture off until then, and protect it with hardboard for 48 hours if there's heavy traffic.
Watch it being done
Camaro Rigid Core herringbone installation — Polyflor's own video on their click herringbone system.
The Polyflor bits that catch people out
Herringbone comes as A and B planks
Camaro Rigid Core herringbone uses two handed planks. A-planks have the profile on the left, B-planks on the right. Sort them into two piles before you start.
Only a hygrometer will do
Polyflor won't accept any other moisture test method, and they want the reading taken over 72 hours.
Polysafe QuickLay is the exception
It's an adhesive-free safety floor fixed with Polyflor's own tape, and it can be walked on immediately. The seams still need welding though.
Check before you cut
Polyflor only accept claims on Camaro Loc before installation and cutting. Look every plank over first.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using a different underlay under Camaro Loc — it voids the warranty.
- Skipping the 3mm smoothing compound.
- Forgetting the extra expansion gap in rooms over 5m x 5m.
- Only rolling glue-down floors once instead of twice.
- Trying to fit Polysafe safety flooring without welding the seams.
Polyflor fitting questions, answered
Which Polyflor floors can I fit myself?
Camaro Loc and Camaro Rigid Core Loc are genuinely DIY-friendly. Expona SimpLay loose-lay is straightforward too. Glue-down Camaro and Expona are doable with care. Polysafe safety flooring is a professional job.
What gap do I leave for Polyflor Camaro Loc?
At least 4mm all the way round, 5mm for the rigid core herringbone. In rooms over 5m x 5m, add 1mm for every metre of room length.
Do I need underlay for Camaro Loc?
Yes, and it has to be Polyflor's own Vinyl Loc underlay. Other underlays invalidate the warranty.
Can Polyflor go over underfloor heating?
Yes, but never above 27°C. Switch it off 48 hours before, keep it off 48 hours after, then bring it back up slowly.
Do I need to weld Polyflor sheet vinyl?
For safety flooring and wet areas, yes. Welding needs a hot air gun and practice, so it's usually one to hand over to a fitter.
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.
See how our fitting worksNationwide fitting, fully managed
Our own teams, a free site survey, and one point of contact from quote to clean-up.
Get a fitting quoteManufacturer’s own instructions: Polyflor technical information. Always check the guidance supplied in the box — ranges and backings vary.