How Do You Put In Laminate Flooring – Installing laminate flooring is definitely a DIY project that will save you money, but you will need special tools for a successful installation.
Laminate flooring has been popular in Europe for decades and first appeared in North America in the early 1990s. That’s when Pergo sent me samples of this new North American floor. Since then, I have installed thousands of square feet of laminate flooring.
How Do You Put In Laminate Flooring
Why has laminate flooring become so popular in the last 20 years? Because it’s hard, it doesn’t require on-site sanding or finishing, and it’s one of the easiest floor coverings to install anywhere.
Laminate Vs. Solid Hardwood Flooring: Which Is Better?
This is my tool of choice for cutting pieces of laminate. A jigsaw is a hand-held power tool with a straight, narrow blade that moves back and forth. Jigsaws are mostly for cutting wood products, and laminate flooring is close enough to be counted as wood.
Why do I recommend a jigsaw instead of a chop saw here? Safety, lack of airborne dust and low noise are the main reasons. Chop saws produce a smoother cut than jigsaws, but this level of sophistication doesn’t matter here because all laminate flooring cuts are made at the ends of the boards, where they are hidden by the baseboard. When choosing laminate floor tools, you shouldn’t put up with loud and dusty operation. In addition, you need a special cutting blade to cut the laminate correctly. The surface layer is so hard that it dulls ordinary carbide blades after just a few cuts.
“Bending” the pieces of laminate flooring to fit properly is part of the installation process, and this is where a rubber mallet can help. Along with the threading block (more on that in a moment), the hammer blows join the pieces of laminate end to end. A regular steel hammer can be used instead of a rubber hammer, but the rubber makes the installation quieter.
All laminate floors have interlocking pontoon profiles at the ends and edges that will shatter and become damaged if hit directly with a hammer or sledgehammer. This is where the threading block comes in. The block, shaped to match the pontoon and groove profile at the ends of the laminate floor, fits tightly against the laminate. Then tap the block with a rubber mallet to move the floor piece firmly against the neighbor’s head. Commercially produced tappers are sold as tools, but you can also use a piece of scrap cut from one end of the laminate.
How To Lay Laminate Flooring?
Pulling laminate pieces tightly together, end to end, is standard in every laminate flooring installation. The thing is, you can’t use a hammer and a tapping block on the ends of the laminate pieces where they meet the wall because you can’t swing the mallet. To solve this problem, you need a simple hook-shaped tool called a draw bar. Bent at one end to attach the laminate to the end and bent at the other end for the mallet or mallet to strike and drive the tool, the draw bar is an essential tool for successful laminate installation.
Most parts of laminate flooring don’t need cutting at all, but end pieces and pieces that need to fit around corners and obstructions need to be measured and marked for cutting. However, nothing fancy is needed, just a standard tape measure and something to mark. If you are installing dark laminate, consider using a fine white paint so you can see the lines better than a pencil.
This multipurpose carpentry tool provides an accurate reference for 90 and 45 degree angles. In addition, the blade can be extended, retracted and locked to act as a depth gauge and marking guide. The most common use for a combination square during laminate installation is to mark square cut lines on the ends of the floor sections to be cut where they meet the walls.
This general-purpose layout tool measures angles and allows you to transfer them to the workpiece for cutting. Carpenters and carpenters use sliding T-bevels all the time for many jobs. For laminate flooring installation, you will need a sliding T-bevel if some of the cuts you need to make are not 90 degree cuts. If all the cuts you make are square, you will need a square combination (described earlier).
Installing Laminate Flooring? Fill In The Gaps!
If you need to install laminate flooring around pipes coming from the floor, a 12, 18 or 20 volt drill and spade blade are essential. This drill and bit combination allows you to drill large, clean holes in those pieces of laminate that need around the pipe.
When it’s time to drill the holes in the laminate, do the job so that the floor is over 1-1/2 inches of scrap. thick wood. This allows you to apply a lot of pressure to the blade while supporting the underside of the laminate so the material doesn’t tear away where the blade comes out of the subfloor.
Note: You don’t need a drill and spade tip for every laminate installation – only if you have to go around pipes coming from the floor.
Steve Maxwell is an award-winning content creator who has published over 5,000 articles, shot countless photos and produced videos since 1988. He has created content for Mother Earth News using his experience as a carpenter, builder, stonemason and joiner. , Reader’s Digest, Family Handyman, Cottage Life, Canadian Contractor, Canadian Home Workshop and more. Steve lives on Manitoulin Island in Canada with his wife and children in a stone house he built himself. His website receives over 180,000 views per month, his YouTube channel has over 58,000 subscribers and his weekly newsletter receives 31,000 subscribers every Saturday morning.
How To Install Laminate Flooring Like A Pro
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Installing Laminate Flooring With the right tools and basic skills, you can have a brand new floor by the weekend. This step-by-step guide to installing laminate flooring will walk you through the process.
Laminate flooring gives homeowners the look of wood for less, and it’s easy to install. In fact, tongue and groove carpentry makes laminate flooring installation ideal for the average DIYer. Anyone who is at least moderately handy, owns basic tools and knows how to follow instructions can learn how to install laminate flooring.
Before you get started, there are a few things you need to know about buying and installing laminate flooring. First, you need to calculate the square meters of the room to know how much product to buy. You can do this by multiplying the width of the room in linear footage by the length of the room in linear footage to find the area, then adding 10 percent for error and waste. Laminate floors usually come in 22- to 24-square-foot boxes, so divide the area plus 10 percent by the square footage of each box to determine how many boxes you need to buy.
Pro Tips And Tricks For Installing Laminate Flooring
After buying the laminate floor, open the boxes and let the product get used to the atmosphere of the house. Allow to act for 24-48 hours before installation.
Also understand that even the best laminate flooring products require an underlay to act as cushion, support and moisture barrier. For the best results, buy the best possible laminate underlay.
Finally, understand that the condition of the subfloor is important. If the subfloor is uneven or has large pieces missing, these defects must be repaired before the layers are installed on top of them. Placing a few ΒΌ-inch plates on top of the floor should take care of the unevenness, but the missing floor pieces may need to be replaced.
Before you renovate an old floor, make sure you have the necessary tools and materials for the project. Once you’ve started laying the floor, rushing to the home center will only cause stress and delays.
How Do You Install Laminate Flooring On Stairs With Nosing?
Again, plan to buy at least 10 percent more flooring than you need to account for the boards that will be cut for the end connectors.
Floors shrink and expand as the temperature and humidity level change, so at least 24-48 hours before installation, the floor must be adapted to the conditions of the space. Lay it flat or stack the boards in the room where they will be installed. Do not forget to remove the floor from the plastic packaging; this promotes air circulation, which helps the acclimatization process.
Remove and store the baseboards before doing anything else. You may wish to remove the existing floor, especially if it is damaged or if the room has exceptionally low ceilings. Carefully start lifting the old floor from the edge of one wall. Remove nails and staples (or fastening straps if the job involves lifting the carpet). Clean the debris and check the surface of the subfloor
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