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Unlike laying vinyl tiles, installing vinyl sheet flooring requires some manipulation of large rolls of material. If you can find a big, open place to work, the job will be easier. Many people use the garage floor.

Before you begin the installation process, create a scale drawing of the room on a piece of graph paper showing the exact outline of the flooring. A day or two before you begin laying the floor, cut the roll to approximate size, and put the cut section in the room so it can acclimate to the room’s temperature and humidity. Also, remove any shoe molding from around the baseboards. If you are careful removing it, you may be able to reuse it. Otherwise, plan on buying and installing new molding when the floor is done.

Some sheet-vinyl products require no adhesive, some call for adhesive just around the perimeter, while still others demand spreading adhesive over the whole floor. The last method is the one shown here.

Step 1. Begin installing sheet vinyl by rough cutting the roll to approximate size. Use a sharp utility knife and a metal straightedge to make the cut. If you can find a place to work where you can roll all of the sheet flat, all of your cuts will be easier.

Step 2. To cut around outside corners, slit the sheet margin down to the floor using a sharp utility knife. Be careful not to cut too far, or the cut mark will be visible on the finished floor.

Step 3. To fit inside corners, cut diagonally through the sheet margin until you can get the vinyl to lie flat. Press the sheet gently down onto the floor on both sides of the cut.

Step 4. To trim the vinyl along a wall, use a framing square to guide your cut. Leave a 1/8-in.-wide gap between the flooring and the wall.

Step 5. To apply vinyl sheet adhesive, roll half of the flooring back to the center of the room. Then spread the adhesive on the bare section of floor; and roll the flooring back to its original place. Repeat the same procedure for the other half of the floor.

Step 6. To make a seam cut, apply adhesive up to 2 in. from the edge of the bottom sheet. Then overlap the second sheet on top of the first by 2 in. Cut through both pieces, and remove the waste. Install the second sheet in adhesive, making sure to keep the seam between sheets tight.

Step 7. Use a rented floor roller to force out any air bubbles that might have formed while the flooring was being installed. Work out from the center of the room toward the edges.

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