Yes, adhesive acrylic caulking will work fine to prevent water penetration and to hold flooring down.

Do not use silicone caulk...it is messy to apply and 'work'...cleanup is difficult and silicone caulk will attract dust and will never look clean enough.

for the life of me I can not imagine a professional flooring company that wouldnt caulk the freaking tile/vinyl transition at the wall AND have it as a part of the job.

It's part of any professional resilient flooring instalaltion.

Also, caulk shouldnt be needed to "hold down" a vinyl floor.

Lastly, only a small tiny bead need be applied, then wiped out, only to seal the edge to keep the sweat from bathtub/shower humidity from seeping down into the vinyl/adhesive, unless they screwed up or are uneducated and didnt pattern-scribe/cut it net and left gaps.

in my opinion they didnt complete the job.

other then that, what glenn said it fine.

Thanks, guys. They actually haven't done this room yet -- we were merely discussing how to "finish" where the vinyl meets the wall when they come in (today now!) to do this room. We already discussed that they would caulk at the tub, so I'm happy with that. The real issue is whether glueing the vinyl then caulking at the walls will be enough over time to keep the vinyl from curling and keep water from penetrating.

I spoke with the designer at the flooring store and she agreed that she would not want vinyl cove in her bathroom, and she advised that we find a nice baseboard trim we like and "liquid nail"/glue it to the existing tile. She said we had time to do ths and that caulk would keep the floor in place for a good piece of time while we made this decision.

So I'm going to ask the guys to use "adhesive acrylic caulking" all the way around the room when they do the install today.

If it were your bathroom and the tile went all the way to the floor, would you go find baseboard and install it, or would you do vinyl cove, or would you do what we want to do and simply leave it caulked?

Thanks very much.

I'd leave it caulked.

And as Floorman67 said "It's part of any professional resilient flooring installation."

The head flooring dude says he'll only use the silicone caulk, so I guess that's what we'll have to use unless I can muster the gumption to go against him on this. He already disagrees with us on our choice not to use the vinyl cove base. DH says we can always redo the caulking if we hate the silicone ... right?

But this is what happens to people like me who have no idea who's actually going to show up to install stuff (it was a subcontractor). And I've never had vinyl installed before, so what the heck to I know? Hence, I turn to you fantastic people. Thank you for your help and support.

They finished the bathroom installation and used the silicone caulk. Bright white, I might add, which is too white for the slightly creamy walls, but WHATEVER. It's better than vinyl cove junk. The vinyl itself is really nice -- Armstrong Natural Fusion, Bleeker Street. I'm very happy with it, design-wise, and happy we didn't let them put on the vinyl cove. I'll get used to the white caulk.

We will definitely be doing the Konecto install ourselves, though. I asked this guy if he's ever done a Konecto install, and he said no but he's installed a lot of Metroflor. Methinks it's nice to have experience with glue-down, but I don't want anyone *learning* to install Konecto on my dime!

Here is a link that might be useful: Armstrong Natural Fusion

I am happy you are pleased with your installation ... at least pleased enough to accept it even if the caulk bead is too thick and/or the color is not what you wanted/expected.

It is a very sad day in our trade when a consumer has to "make due" and "accept" a less than perfect installation.

Craftsmen are true perfectionists.

I feel consumers should be perfectionists too and require nothing less from us.

It would raise the bar for the entire industry if this were the case for every job that the consumer demended absolute perfection and placed those installing less quality quality work to task.

Some may not know or have not been taught properly, while otehrs just dont care and/or do just enough to "get by".

at any rate ... please enjoy your new floor. I hope it lasts the warrenty period and enjoys a problem free lifecycle.

Floorman67...

Sorry for hikacking the thread, but you are correct in your assessment of the flooring industry in general. I have always been stunned by what consumers will accept as an 'acceptable' job. But then, sometimes it is their own fault. We've become an impatient society...even our advertising reflects it...you've heard that commercial for the 'instant bathroom'...get in...get out! I am very thankful that my customers are a patient lot.

And too many flooring 'professionals' have no training whatsoever. How many (percentage) do you think ever attended an installation school or even a seminar? We can certify installers, but few actually take the opportunity. On the job training is possible, but that assumes that the trainer knows what he or she is doing.

There are competent and well-trained installers in the field. I have met many. My guess is that most of the best are working in the well-paid commercial sector. Am I right?

Amen, Glenn.

I started when I was 12 helping Dad on weekends and evenings when Mom worked.

At 15, I helped during evening weekends, and summer vacations (and getting paid!) when he went out on his own.

At 17, I went to the Armstong School of Resilient Installation to learn all that I could, which was before certifications. They confirmed shool completions back then but didnt "certify" as they do now.

All my life I have been taught on the job and Dad pulled me aside when other co-workers and his bosses did things inappropriately to save time and cut corners, telling me this isnt the way you should do this, but we do what we have to when we work for someone else. Every facet from pattern scribing inlaid resilient sheet in a room full of pipes and old radiators, all the way down to professionally and expertly installing vinyl/rubber cover base corners. Nothing was too big or too small to do right.

At 21, me and Dad had a falling out in business. He had his own busienss now doign commercial and residential subcontract work and was becomming like so many others we laughed at and despised for doing shoddy work to make a buck, then I went out on my own. I am not maligning my Father. I love Him and he taught me pretty much evrything I know, but I couldnt do the work he was asking me to do anylonger when I knew it wasnt right. He had changed. Business had changed him. Money and time was becomming more important that job quality.

Business certainly isnt easy, but a time comes when it's either right or its wrong, with little middle ground. Whhen professionals hit that crossroad, then take the wrong path, it changes them, and each time they elect that improper path, it makes the next crossroads easier and easier to take the wrong path, until the day comes that money and time means more than giving people who trust use with their work a professional job.

I am an advocate of installer and buiness educataion no matter how they go about obtaining it, whether that be on the job, through a mentorship, union apprentiship, manufacturer or distributor training session, or certification.

If certifications are the only way they can get proper training, they shoud go get it.

Consumers need to step up and make a fuss when anything isnt exactly how they want it to be.

We live in a low cost wallmart and home depot world, where as long as the price is right, they can live with almost anything.

As an employer, I instill in my men and women the same installation and customer service values my Dad originally instilled in me, and I demand that on every job.

I believe much of the talent has moved to the commercial spectrum too. Its where the money is at.

Interesting you should say that (about commercial work getting the good men). When I left Dad, I went all commercial for about 10-11 years before we started opening up stores. Did alot of traveling and made alot of money. Now we bring those values and quality to the residential sector.

In the end if something isnt done right, it doesnt matter why.

My early experiences in flooring mirror many of your own. I eventually left my Dad's business too for many of the same reasons you mention. And there was the sobering fact that I discovered that he had no intention of passing on the business to me or my brother, so I went out on my own. As it worked out, the 'loyal' brother got the business. Couldn't believe how shabbily I was treated near the end of our work relationship together. Money and time became important to him also at the expense of his relationship with his sons. However, I hold no grudges as what I am doing now fits me perfectly and the experience I gained in the family business made me the craftsman and artisan I am today.

I went to the Armstrong school in Lancaster, PA also. My 'back then' was around 1962 I think.

You have to do the job right in the commercial sector or you pay a big price for installation failures and liability losses. In the residential sector it is much easier to cut corners and take an 'it'll be good enough to get the check' approach, because most of the time it is...not that I ever cut corners mind you (unless, of course, it's doing a flash cove installation or fitting cove base corners! lol).

right ... when you are working with tens of thousands or hundreds of thoudands of dollars in product on a commercial job, you better make dang sure it isnt going to fail, or you are out of business.