How SPC is installed

1. Condition the room and the planks

   Run the HVAC so the space is at normal living temperature before, during and after the install, and follow the product's acclimation instructions. The example guide asks for 65°F to 85°F for 48 hours before, during and 48 hours after. Store cartons flat.

2. Prepare the subfloor

   Clean, dry, sound and flat. Over concrete that means a moisture test, flatness within tolerance (3/16 inch in 10 feet or 1/8 inch in 6 feet in the example guide), filled cracks and grout lines. Full details: SPC over a concrete slab.

3. Get the underlayment right

   If the plank has an attached pad, that pad is the underlayment. Adding a second cushion pad under it can let the joints flex, and some manufacturers say it voids the warranty. Over concrete, many guides require a plastic vapor retarder (the example guide calls for 6 mil polyethylene). Use only what the guide allows.

4. Remove trim and undercut door jambs

   Pull baseboards and quarter round. Undercut door casings so the floor slides under them with its expansion gap, instead of being cut tight around the trim.

5. Plan the layout

   Measure the room so the first and last rows are not slivers; the example guide says to avoid border rows narrower than half a plank. Pull planks from several cartons at once so the print pattern does not repeat in one area.

6. Set the expansion gap

   Use spacers at every wall and fixed object for the gap the guide specifies (1/4 inch in the example). The floor must be free to move. See why the gap matters in Las Vegas.

7. Lock row by row

   Angle the long edge of each new plank into the previous row, then fold it down flat until it locks. Tap the short-end joints closed as the guide directs, with a tapping block or rubber mallet rather than a hammer on the plank edge. That is the motion the Lab scene above shows.

8. Stagger the end joints

   Keep end joints in neighboring rows well apart in a random pattern. The example guide calls for at least 6 inches of stagger and no cut pieces shorter than 8 inches. Aligned or "H" joints look wrong and weaken the floor.

9. Transitions, trim and finishing

   Use T-moldings or other transitions at doorways and where SPC meets another floor, fastened so they cover the edge without pinching the planks. Nail baseboards to the wall, not through the floor. Do not set base cabinets or islands on top of the floating floor. In wet areas, some guides call for filling the perimeter gap with a flexible silicone sealant.

Updated October 12, 2026