Luxury Vinyl Plank Installation in Ottawa & Orléans

Luxury vinyl plank has become the most popular residential flooring in Ottawa — and it's earned that position. It's genuinely waterproof, highly durable, available in styles that convincingly replicate hardwood and stone, and works in rooms where real hardwood wouldn't last. But like any flooring, LVP is only as good as the installation under it. A poorly prepped subfloor, a missed moisture issue, or incorrect expansion gaps will cause an LVP floor to fail regardless of the product's quality. We do the prep that most installers skip.

What Is Luxury Vinyl Plank?

LVP is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product built around a rigid or semi-rigid waterproof core — typically stone plastic composite (SPC) or wood plastic composite (WPC). The layers from bottom to top are:

• Underlayment — attached foam or cork pad (sometimes separate) for acoustics and minor subfloor irregularities
• Waterproof core — rigid SPC or WPC composite that gives LVP its dimensional stability
• Print layer — a high-resolution photographic layer that replicates wood grain, stone, or tile
• Wear layer — a clear protective coating measured in mils; residential products typically run 8–20 mil, commercial-grade runs higher

The waterproof core means spills, pet accidents, and bathroom humidity won't damage the plank itself. It also means LVP can be installed in basements, kitchens, and bathrooms where solid hardwood would absorb moisture and fail.

Most LVP products are also compatible with underfloor heating systems, making them a popular choice for heated basement floors and main-floor renovations.

Why Subfloor Preparation Matters More Than the Product

This is where most LVP installations fail — and where most of the DIY installs we've seen go wrong.

LVP's rigid core telegraphs subfloor imperfections directly to the surface. A high spot, a low spot, a seam in the plywood that wasn't filled — all of it shows up as an unevenness you can feel underfoot, and eventually creates stress on the locking joints that causes them to separate or crack over time. Industry standards call for subfloor flatness within 3/16" over 10 feet. Many existing subfloors in Ottawa homes don't meet that standard out of the box.

Our subfloor preparation process includes:

• Full flatness assessment — we check with a straightedge across multiple planes, not just a quick look
• Filling low spots with self-leveling compound or floor patch — this requires proper mixing and application to avoid creating new problems
• Sanding or grinding down high spots and subfloor seams
• Securing any squeaky or loose areas of the subfloor before the new floor goes down
• Moisture testing on concrete slabs — LVP tolerates moisture better than hardwood, but elevated moisture at the slab can still cause adhesive failure in glue-down applications and should always be measured

Skipping this step is the single most common reason LVP installations fail prematurely. It's also the reason we never skip it.

Floating vs. Glue-Down LVP

Floating (Click-Lock)

The vast majority of residential LVP installations in Ottawa use a floating click-lock system. The planks interlock edge-to-edge and end-to-end without adhesive — the floor "floats" as a single connected assembly over the subfloor. Floating floors are faster to install, easier to replace if a plank is damaged, and require no adhesive cure time.

For floating LVP to perform correctly, the subfloor must be flat (floating doesn't absorb subfloor variation — it spans across it), and appropriate expansion gaps must be maintained at all walls and fixed objects. LVP expands and contracts with temperature. In Ottawa's climate, where interior temperatures can swing significantly from summer to winter, this matters.

Glue-Down LVP

Glue-down LVP is bonded directly to the subfloor with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. This method is used for thinner LVP products, commercial applications, installations over radiant heat where the floating method isn't specified, and situations where a floating floor would feel hollow or move underfoot. Glue-down installation is more labour-intensive, requires proper adhesive selection and trowel notch size, and cannot be rushed — the adhesive needs time to develop tack before the planks are set.

We assess which method is appropriate for your product, your subfloor type, and your specific installation conditions — and we explain the reasoning so you understand the recommendation.

LVP and Heated Floors

Most SPC-core LVP products are compatible with radiant heating systems, but there are important conditions:

• Maximum surface temperature limits — typically 27°C (80°F) at the floor surface. Exceeding this can cause the planks to expand excessively or delaminate
• Thermostat controls are required to prevent overheating
• Not all underlayment products are approved for use over radiant heat — some trap heat and can damage the flooring above
• Glue-down LVP is sometimes preferred over radiant heat for better heat transfer and dimensional stability

We are Mapei Certified for radiant heat installation and work with Schluter DITRA-HEAT systems. If you're adding heated floors as part of a renovation that includes LVP, we coordinate the two systems from the start — choosing compatible products and installing the heat mat before the LVP goes down. This is the right sequence; doing it the other way means pulling up your new floor.

Transition Strips & Finishing Details

Transitions, thresholds, stair nosings, and quarter round are where an LVP installation looks either professional or rushed. Every doorway that transitions to a different floor height needs a threshold. Every room boundary where LVP meets tile or carpet needs the right profile. Stairs need nosings that match the floor and are secured correctly so they don't rock or separate.

We treat these details with the same attention as the main floor. A beautiful LVP installation with sloppy transitions and quarter round that doesn't sit flat against the wall undermines everything. We use manufacturer-matched or carefully selected profiles, and we install them to sit flat, stay secure, and look deliberate.