Finishing the Vinyl Plank Flooring

After laying out flooring accross the room, we determined that we would need to shift the entire floor 2 1/2" closer to the wall, to avoid thin, sure to pop up over time strips along the hallway.

The flooring we are using is interlocking, so it comes appart easily. Here's the plan: we'll take the first row off, rip it down 2 1/2", re-install it, and then try to push the entire floor toward the wall to fill the new gap.

We decided pushing would be easier than pulling, so opted not to just add another row of new flooring in.

The flooring came up very easily - suprising for how tight of a joint it makes when snapped in place.

And then we ripped the flooring on the tablesaw. We could have just scored and snapped the flooring, but because this is the main starter strip, we wanted the most precise, squarest edge possible to work from.

But we got 'her done!

And started snapping more flooring in place, right down the hall ...

And then we got to the first bedroom and had to move in the bedroom and lay the flooring in there, crossing our fingers that the two would meet up.

We used a scrap piece of flooring to hold the two room's flooring together

While measuring and cutting the piece of flooring that joins the main room flooring with the bedroom flooring.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited we were when the two pieces of flooring matched up exactly.

All the way to the far wall.

For as rough as the first day was, today everything just seemed to work out. When we got to that far wall, all we needed to rip off the end was 1/2" !!!

Then we moved back into the main room to finish the dining room area flooring. By now, we've become pros at this stuff.

I cut, he snaps.

And we floored.

Despite the great frusturations of that first day,

There's not the tiniest doubt that we have picked the right flooring.

The flooring is beautiful, with lots of character and uniqueness from plank to plank, with a slight texture for traction and authenticity,

And it hugs the floor, with no hollow feeling underneath as you walk on it.

It's also super durable (I even dropped a hammer on it - SHH! Don't tell on me! -... not even the tinest scratch) and the joints are super tight and solid.

The part I'm most proud of is the seamless installation. I know it was a ton of extra work to floor the entire Momplex - through doorways, down halls, into closets - without a single transition strip. But it was worth it for my Mom to be able to sweep or mop the entire upper floor without crossing a transition strip for the rest of her life.

Thank you for all your advice and encouragement, it's much appreciated!

Have you done flooring? Vinyl plank flooring? Did you find installing it to be as difficult as we did? Do you love the finished product too? We'd love to hear your side?