Installing a laminate floor is usually easier than it used to be. You no longer waste time applying glue and all furniture does not have to be removed from the room. But for a good placement you must observe a few rules.
Laying laminate flooring
- Species
- Benefits
- Cons
- Tools and supplies
- Preparation of the investment
- Method for the substrate
- Install laminate
- Finishing and maintenance
Species
There are different types of laminate floors available and they often look like parquet. With parquet, the top layer consists of solid wood, so that each plank has its natural grain structure. The top layer of a laminate floor consists of a transparent layer that must protect a printed paper drawing. There are endless drawings that imitate the character of real wood, but you can also choose another pattern, such as natural stone. It is also possible to have your own drawing made. Laminate is available in different lengths, widths, in tile form, smooth, rough, glossy and sometimes matte.
Benefits
- You can completely disassemble a laminate floor and reinstall it in another room or house.
- The laminate parts fit together perfectly.
- The floor is immediately accessible after installation.
- It is easy to maintain and requires no further finishing
Cons
- Laminate is not moisture resistant and is therefore not recommended in damp areas such as a bathroom or sauna.
- Laminate floors are sometimes marred by indelible stains such as felt-tip pen.
Tools and supplies
By working with the right tools, you prevent damage to the various parts and you can also work more smoothly.
- Laminate flooring: depending on the brand and the point of sale, these are quite different: between 7.60 ?? and 33.95 ?? per square meter. The message is therefore to compare in advance, because more expensive is not always better. Please inform yourself clearly about the click system during the purchase, so that there are no surprises because some systems require two to get the job done.
- Skirting boards: Cover the saw seams.
- Waterproof film (polyethylene): costs about 3.00 ?? per square meter and it is sold per quantity of your choice. It is best to choose a one-piece foil of at least 0.20mm thick so that you do not have to overlap.
- Sound insulation: costs about 3.00 ?? per square meter and it is sold in a roll of one meter.
- Laminate set: The package costs about 22.00 ?? and includes a stop block, wedges and a stop iron.
- Scissors or Stanley knife: for cutting the substrate.
- Water resistant adhesive tape: the seams of the substrate must be sealed.
- Hammer: to put the laminate parts in place.
- Bell saw, a fine-toothed saw or a tilting saw: for sawing the laminate parts.
- Sandpaper: smooth out irregularities and to sand away splinters.
- Profiles: for finishing a staircase, doorways, etc.
- Elastic paste: extra finish
Tip
There are now also laminate parts that already contain sound insulation. This is very handy, but also more expensive. The prices date from June 2008!
Preparation of the investment
- Before rolling up your sleeves, you should carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions for use, so as not to compromise the product warranty.
- Laminate floors can shrink or expand, requiring you to acclimatize them first. To do this, place the laminate parts in its closed packaging for at least 48 hours in the center of the room where you will lay the floor.
- The surface must be clean and flat: fill the holes or level the surface and allow a concrete floor or screed to dry thoroughly.
- Do not place a laminate above an underfloor heating system, unless this is permitted by a clear statement from the manufacturer.
- You can easily lay a laminate floor on a damp-proof floor covering such as linoleum, but it is best to remove carpet and other floor covering first.
- Nail loose parts of a wooden subfloor. If it is very uneven, first lay an intermediate floor, for example a chipboard.
- Determine in advance in which direction you want to install the laminate, lengthwise, widthwise or diagonally.
- Calculate the amount of laminate and substrate you will need per square meter (length x width). Add another ten percent for the residual waste, diagonally about twenty-five percent.
- Calculate the amount of skirting boards by measuring the perimeter of the room and add about ten percent for the residual waste.
- You should keep in mind that a laminate floor can be a problem for doors due to the increased height. If necessary, shorten the doors according to the thickness of the floor and the substrate.
Method for the substrate
Vapor-proof foil
You lay a waterproof film (polyethylene) of at least 0.20 mm thick. Seam the foil at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the laminate parts and allow it to rise slightly against the wall. Only cut off the excess foil after the floor has been installed. Foil strips must overlap at least 20 centimeters. Seal the seam tightly with a water-resistant adhesive tape.
Sound insulation
A sound-insulating underlay will be placed on the foil. It is important for sound insulation that the laminate floor does not come into contact with the substrate or the walls. The strips are laid butted and must not overlap.
Install laminate
First row
A laminate floor must be able to expand in all directions. That is why you must provide an expansion joint of eight to ten millimeters around the room. Place wedges against the wall on both sides of the corner (every 12 inches) before installing the first row. Slide the laminate parts together with the short sides and tap them each time with the stop block. You may have to cut the teeth off the parts of the first row, this on the long side. At the end of the first row, cut the last section to the appropriate length, but do not forget the expansion joint. It is best to use a fine-toothed saw for this. If you are working with a tilting saw, lay the part with the top layer down to cut them. If the remainder is longer than twenty centimeters, it can serve to start the second row. In this way the transverse seams stagger from row to row and then show an alternating pattern.
Second row
Click the parts of the second row in the parts of the first row. Most laminates click together along the long side. There are also floors where you have to click the parts together on the long side and also on the short side, so that the parts connect better, but sometimes you have to be with two to get the job done. Inform clearly about the click system during the purchase, so that you are not faced with surprises. To put the parts in place, tap them longitudinally with a hammer and tapping block so as not to damage the laminate. Tap the last part of the row in the longitudinal direction using a tapping iron.
The rest of the floor
The rest of the floor is usually quite smooth now, but you should leave an expansion joint around pipes. The pipes should preferably be placed on a transverse seam. Mark the recesses in both laminate parts and saw them out with a clock saw. Place the parts together around the pipe. You usually still have to cut the parts of the last row lengthwise. Do not forget the expansion joint here. Secure the parts with a tapping iron. You may remove the wedges once the floor has been completely installed.
Finishing and maintenance
- Pipes: elastic paste provides an extra finish around pipes.
- Place skirting boards against the wall around the room, but do not let them touch the floor: there must be a business card in between.
- An office chair with wheels can break the floor.
- If necessary, apply felt pads under the legs of tables and chairs.
- A burning cigarette can cause blisters and make permanent stains.
- The further maintenance is done with a vacuum cleaner or a slightly damp cloth. To remove stains, such as spaghetti sauce, make soapy water with Dreft. Never use cif, however, as this will remove the shine. Some manufacturers suggest acetone to tackle stubborn stains and streaks, but try this product out on a leftover piece first because you never know.
- It is better to absorb puddles and spilled liquids quickly before they penetrate the seams of the floor and cause the laminate parts to swell.