Do You Put Vinyl Flooring Under Appliances? (Answered & Explained)

Yes, you can install vinyl flooring under the appliance, but it is not safe if the appliance weighs more than 500 pounds. That’s because each vinyl plank cannot hold more than 500 pounds {around 226-227 kg}. Therefore, putting the bulky appliance on vinyl flooring might cause a dent or mark on your vinyl flooring.

However, installing vinyl flooring under appliances is against the manufacturer’s instructions because the floor may fail to expand on both ends. Consequently, this can cause damage to the floor and denting in the flooring if you do not cushion the legs of the furniture. Secondly, it can also void your product warranty, provided the appliance doesn’t exceed 500 pounds.

Putting vinyl flooring under appliances without considering their weight is a hazardous affair. That’s because you will spend lots of your investment fixing the damages, which are unnecessary if you had initially considered taking preventative measures.

Therefore, it is important to know if the vinyl floor can be placed under appliances before knowing how to protect it.

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Is It Safe to Put Vinyl Floor Under Appliances?

Homeowners prefer vinyl flooring due to its durability and aesthetic value in the space.

However, it is worth noting vinyl flooring is very sensitive to weight, temperature change, humidity, and sharp objects. With that in mind, you must adopt different measures to keep your floor safe and improve its lifespan.

Generally, it is risky to put a vinyl floor under appliances for the following reasons:

Can Lead to Wrapping Of The Floor

Since vinyl flooring is a floating floor, any heavy appliance applied to it can disrupt the normal expansion and shifting of the floor. Therefore, it will start lifting and creating bubbles, causing the floor to wrap and creating bumps. It can also become a tripping hazard and cause severe damage to the floor.

May Lead to Scratches, Dents, and Leave Scuff Marks Behind

The heavy appliance may scratch, dent, and leave scuff marks when being dragged across the floor. It would be wise if you were very careful when dragging appliances on rough surfaces because they can quickly create dents and scratches on the floor due to the weight pressure impact.

And, if the surface is rough or made out of rubber, it can also leave scuff marks on the floor. Worrying about dents and scratches would be prudent, as they can become permanent.

Secondly, dents can also trap dust and dirt, causing humidity and moisture to reflect, resulting in severe damage.

Also See: A Guide to Remove Rubber Marks from Vinyl Flooring

Ways to Protect Vinyl Plank Flooring Under Appliances

With proper installation and preventive measures in place, you can prevent your floor from getting damaged by considering the following before putting vinyl flooring under appliances. They include:

Walls and Cabinets Should Not Touch the Floor

When installing vinyl flooring, ensure you allow room for expansion and contraction so that the floor can shift freely in 2D as temperatures change. Therefore, ensure that the floor does not touch the walls or cabinet to avoid the floor settling and creating bumps and lumps.

Also See: Do I Need Expansion Gaps for Vinyl Flooring? (Explained)

Glue Down the Areas Under the Appliances

Since an interlocking mechanism secures vinyl flooring, the appliance weight can cause lift or bubbling. To prevent bubbling, professionals recommend gluing the interlocking section of the planks to reduce the risks of warping when the floor is under the weight impact of the appliance.

Moreover, opting for a premium adhesive that will last longer and ensure a better attachment is advisable.

Also See: Can a Floating Floor be Glued?

Use a Hand Truck When Moving Heavy Appliances Across Flooring

We strongly advise you against dragging or pulling heavy appliances like refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, cookers, and more across the floor. Instead, it would be advisable to use a hand truck.

The appliance hand truck has a single strap that can hold the appliance to the truck’s frame for stability. It offers floor-friendly rubber wheels, including stair climbers for moving furniture and appliances across floors and up or down the stairs.

Therefore, using a hand truck to move heavy appliances across the floor will reduce the cost of re-doing the entire floor in the long run. However, please opt for an appliance hand truck with a high load capacity.

Must See: 5 Best Ways to Protect Vinyl Flooring From Heavy Furniture (Must-Try!)

Use Forklift Straps

Forklift straps are elastic strips designed to lift heavy objects by placing them under the appliances to support the load. It can efficiently and significantly lift a bulky appliance, preventing it from damaging or harming the floor.

Use Furniture Sliders

If an appliance hand truck is unavailable or you cannot afford it, you can opt for furniture sliders. Furniture sliders are small pieces of rigid plastic made of rubber or spongy felt material on one side. To eliminate excessive pressure on the floor, furniture sliders allow the appliance to glide smoothly on the floor and evenly distribute its weight.

Furniture sliders are essential when moving or dragging heavy objects across the floor since they cushion the impact of the objects’ weight. Doing this will prevent the heavy appliance from denting, scratching, lifting, or warping the planks.

Installing Furniture Pads

Furniture pads are also vital in preventing dents and scratches on your precious flooring. They work efficiently by creating a strong shield between the furniture and floor to protect the surface from the dent, scratch, and scuff.

They are the most secure and convenient ways to keep appliances in place and protect vinyl flooring from getting damaged while doing house chores. Better yet, furniture pads are affordable and easy to install and clean compared to other methods.

Aside from preventing dents and scratches, it prevents your vinyl flooring from discoloring. It is also a significant benefit while saving you the burden of frequent maintenance.

Do not opt for furniture pads with rubber pads because they are made of chemicals that release them and can stain the floor over time.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Putting Down Vinyl Flooring Under Appliances

Advantages

Looks better. There is no need for transition strips.
You don’t need to worry about adjusting the height measurement.
Installing the floor afterward did not damage the cabinets or appliances.

Dirt and derbies can easily be removed from the entire floor.

Disadvantages

It will cause more damage to vinyl than concrete when water leaks.

Warm temperatures can cause the floor to buckle or lift.
You will have to dig under the cabinets or remove them to change the floor.
Installing under the cabinet voids the manufacturer’s warranty.

Conclusion

It is worth noting the legs and weight distribution of the appliance are what will damage the vinyl flooring while moving them across the floor. If it is necessary or you prefer to put vinyl flooring under the appliance, ensure you leave an expansion gap when installing to allow 2D shifting of the floor.

Most importantly, glue down the floor and take the preventive measures mentioned above to prevent your flooring from getting damaged under the appliance.

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Do You Put Vinyl Flooring Under Appliances? (Answered & Explained)