Resilient Flooring

Installing Vinyl and Rubber Wall Base

Acclimating, gluing, forming corners and rolling vinyl and rubber wall base, with Roppe and Johnsonite specs side by side.

Updated · 3 min read

Install wall base on a conditioned, clean wall, with full adhesive coverage, no stretching and controlled corner grooves. Skipped acclimation, thin adhesive and stretched material cause most callbacks.

Acclimate the base

Base installed cold or straight from a coil tends to shrink and curl later. Both makers call for 65 to 85°F, but they set different timing for how long the base and site must be conditioned.

Roppe

  • Hold the space at 65 to 85°F and 40 to 60% RH for 48 hours before, during and after installation.[1]

Johnsonite

  • Lay the base flat for at least 24 hours at 65 to 85°F, with the site conditioned for 48 hours.[2]

Adhesive and coverage

Both makers say to keep adhesive about 1/4" below the top edge so it doesn't squeeze out. Coverage differs, so follow the base you're installing.

Roppe

  • Cover 90% of the back with adhesive.[1]
  • Roppe's WB-600 cartridge covers about 70 lf of 2.5 to 3.5" base or 50 lf of 3.5 to 6" base.[1]

Johnsonite

  • Cover 80% of the back with adhesive.[2]
  • Johnsonite's 960 adhesive with a 1/8" square notch covers roughly 200 to 250 lf of 4" base, or 100 to 150 lf of 6" base.[2]

Outside corners

Both makers form outside corners by removing material from the back of the base, but they give different depths. Use a cove base groover or gouge to control the depth.

Roppe

  • Cut a center groove removing about 30% of the material, add 45° stress-relief grooves, then fold.[1]
  • Don't over-compress the corner.

Johnsonite

  • Gouge a notch no deeper than a quarter of the total thickness.[2]

Rolling

Hand-roll every piece. The makers differ on timing and direction.

Roppe

  • Roll within 30 minutes, in the direction of the last piece installed.[1]

Johnsonite

  • Always roll back toward the starting point so the base doesn't stretch.[2]

Inside corners

Inside corners are cut and fitted, not bent.

  • For Roppe cove base, offset the first piece slightly (1/16" under 5 ft, 1/8" over), then cut a V into the toe at slightly under 45°.[1]
  • Straight (toeless) base: scribe the second piece to the first with dividers.

Step by step

Work in this order once the base is acclimated and the walls are prepped:

  1. Check that walls are clean, dry and sound. Don't install over vinyl wallcovering.[2]
  2. Start at an inside corner and plan so short pieces don't land at doorways.
  3. Apply adhesive to the back of the base at the specified coverage, staying 1/4" below the top edge.
  4. Press the base into place without stretching it.
  5. Form outside corners to your maker's groove depth (see above).
  6. Hand-roll, following your maker's timing and direction (see Rolling above).
  7. Clean excess adhesive right away.

Common mistakes

Most wall base failures show up weeks later as gaps and curling.

  • Stretching the base. It shrinks back and opens joints. Don't over-compress corners either.[1]
  • Don't run adhesive to the top edge; it squeezes out and stains the wall.
  • Thin coverage. The top edge pulls away from the wall.
  • Using interior base outdoors or in commercial kitchens. Roppe excludes both.[1]

Tools and products we carry

Stock these for adhesive, corner forming and rolling on wall base jobs.

References

  1. Roppe: Wall base installation
  2. Johnsonite/Tarkett: Wall base installation and maintenance

Linked PDF documents are archived copies saved by PreFloor Tools so they stay available if the publisher moves or removes them. Check the publisher's website for the latest revision.

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