How to fit vinyl roll flooring in a van: from template to threshold

A van floor can be laid in half a day if the base is ready. The main difference from a room: there is not a single right angle. Wheel arches, the side-door step, stiffening ribs, rounded pillars. So the job starts not with the knife but with a template.

What you will need

Tools:

• a knife with trapezoid and hooked blades, plus spare blades;
• cardboard or heavy paper for the template, masking tape;
• a 1 m metal rule, a square, a marker;
• a notched trowel or a roller, depending on the adhesive;
• a hand pressure roller or a smooth board wrapped in cloth;
• a vacuum cleaner.

Materials:

• vinyl roll flooring 2 m wide, the length of the load area plus 20 cm spare;
• an adhesive rated for the heat inside a vehicle (how to choose one: see the article on adhesive for vans);
• aluminium profile for the door thresholds;
• polyurethane or MS sealant for the perimeter.

Step 1. The base

Vinyl must not be glued straight onto the corrugated metal of the body: the ribs will show through and there will be voids under the covering. The base is made of 9–12 mm plywood. How to build it together with the insulation is covered in the article on floor build-up.

Requirements for the plywood before laying:

• the sheets are fixed and do not flex underfoot;
• the joints between sheets are level, with no steps;
• screw heads are countersunk and filled;
• joints and dents are filled with wood filler and sanded;
• the surface is dry, free of oil and dust.

A two-millimetre covering hides nothing. Whatever you can feel with your palm on the plywood will be visible on the floor.

Step 2. The template

You need a template in two cases: if fixed elements are already installed, or if you do not want to cut the material in place.

1. Lay cardboard or paper on the floor and tape the sheets into one piece.
2. Trace the whole outline: arches, step, pillars. Stop 5–10 mm short of the walls, then transfer the exact outline using an offcut of batten of constant width.
3. Mark front, back and face side on the template.

If you cut the plywood base yourself, you already have a template: the plywood sheets themselves before they are installed. Trace them onto the vinyl.

Step 3. Acclimatisation

Unroll the material face up on a flat surface and leave it for a day at 18–25 °C. PVC keeps the curve of the roll, and in the cold it becomes stiff and harder to cut. In winter, unroll it in a warm room, not in the garage.

Step 4. Cutting

Place the template on the vinyl face up, tape it down and trace it. Cut with 2–3 cm spare all round: the final trim is easier to do in place.

Watch the relief pattern: the rows of studs or checker plate should run parallel to the axis of the van, otherwise the floor will look skewed.

Step 5. Dry fit

Bring the sheet into the van and lay it out without adhesive. Check that it lies flat at the arches and the step. Make short relief cuts at the corners of the arches so the material sits without creasing. Trim the excess, leaving 1–2 mm to the walls: that gap will disappear under the sealant and the lining.

Step 6. Bonding

Work in halves:

1. Fold one half of the sheet back over the other.
2. Apply adhesive to the exposed plywood following the manufacturer's instructions. Contact adhesive is applied to both surfaces and left until touch-dry.
3. Roll the sheet back from the middle towards the edge, pushing the air out.
4. Roll it down from the centre towards the walls.
5. Repeat with the second half.

Contact adhesive grabs instantly and does not let you shift the material. If you have no experience, choose an adhesive with open time that lets you adjust the position.

Step 7. Thresholds, arches, perimeter

• Side and rear door thresholds. The edge of the covering is finished with a screwed-down aluminium profile. This is where shoes and cargo put the most load; without a profile the edge will lift.
• Wheel arches. The covering is trimmed tight to the arch. The arch itself is usually lined separately.
• Perimeter. The joint between floor and wall is run with sealant. Water from the floor must not get under the plywood.

Step 8. Curing

Install the furniture once the adhesive has reached strength: the time is given in the instructions, usually 24–48 hours. For the first day, keep the doors or windows ajar so the adhesive fumes can escape. Wait three days before wet cleaning.

Five mistakes

1. An adhesive not rated for heat. After one summer the covering will blister.
2. Laying on metal with no plywood. The body ribs show through within a month.
3. Cutting cold material. Once it warms up, the sheet will sit differently.
4. No profile on the threshold. The edge tears off with the first load.
5. Furniture installed before the floor. The floor has to be pieced together with seams.

We do not carry out installation. We sell the material by the roll or cut by the linear metre; you can see the colours and relief in our Valencia showroom.

FAQ

Can I lay vinyl without adhesive, just held down by the furniture? On a small area people do, but in the heat a loose sheet ripples in the walkway. Full bonding is more reliable.

Can I glue onto the factory plywood floor of a cargo van? Yes, if the plywood is dry and flat. A phenolic mesh surface needs sanding and degreasing, otherwise the adhesive will not key.

Do the seams need welding? In a van up to 2 m wide there are no seams. If the sheet does have to be joined, for example in a trailer 2.3 m wide, the joint is closed with welding cord or cold welding (see the article on seam welding).

How long does fitting take? On a prepared base: 3–5 hours including the template. With the plywood and insulation as well, allow a weekend.

Before you buy, work out how many metres your van model needs. If you are laying the floor in a room rather than a vehicle, the general guide to installing vinyl flooring will help.