Tools To Put Down Laminate Flooring
Tools To Put Down Laminate Flooring – Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair and DIY. Tried, true, trusted home advice
How to Install Laminate Flooring With the right tools and some basic skills, you can have a brand new floor in a weekend. This step-by-step guide will guide you through the process of how to install laminate flooring.
Tools To Put Down Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring allows homeowners to get the look of wood at a low cost and is easy to install. In fact, tongue-and-groove or snap-and-click joinery makes the installation of laminate flooring ideal for the average DIYer. Anyone who is at least moderately handy, has a few basic tools and can follow instructions can learn how to install laminate flooring.
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Before you get started, there are a few things you should know about buying and installing laminate flooring. First, you need to calculate the square footage of the room so that you know how much product to buy. To do that, multiply the linear footage of the room’s width by the linear footage of the room’s length to find the area, then add 10 percent for errors and waste. Laminate flooring typically comes in 22- to 24-square-foot boxes, so divide the area by the square footage of each box and 10 percent to determine how many boxes you need to buy.
After purchasing laminate flooring, open the boxes and acclimate the product to the home environment. Leave it for 24 to 48 hours before installing.
Also, understand that even the best laminate flooring products require an underlayment to act as a cushioning, support and moisture barrier. For optimal results, purchase the best possible laminate underlayment.
Finally, understand that the condition of the subfloor is important. If the subfloor is uneven or missing large parts, these defects should be corrected before installing layers on top of them. Laying a few sheets of ¼-inch lavan over the floor should take care of the unevenness, but missing parts of the subfloor may require patching.
Installing Your Laminate Floor
Before tearing up the old flooring, make sure you have the tools and materials you need for the project. Once you start laying the floor, going to the home center can only cause stress and delay.
Again, plan to buy at least 10 percent more flooring than you need to account for cutting boards for end fittings.
Floors contract and expand as temperatures and humidity levels change, so acclimate the flooring to site conditions at least 24 to 48 hours before installation. Lay it flat or stack it in the room where the boards will be installed. Do not forget to remove the flooring from the plastic packaging; Doing so promotes air circulation, which aids the acclimatization process.
Remove the base moldings before doing anything else. You may want to remove the existing floor, especially if it’s damaged or if the room has exceptionally low ceilings. Working from the edge of one wall, begin carefully lifting the old flooring. Remove nails and staples (or tack strips, pulling up carpets at work). Clean up debris and inspect the surface of the subfloor for areas in need of repair.
Project Source Flooring 4 Pack Installation Kit In The Flooring Accessories Department At Lowes.com
If you are installing laminate floors over concrete, it is very important to install a vapor barrier. Concrete is porous and absorbs moisture. Your best course of action is to seal the floor with a concrete sealer, allow it to cure, and then install a high-quality underlayment over the concrete before laying the laminate floor.
Some laminate flooring is sold with a pre-attached foam underlayment (also known as a vapor barrier). Otherwise, purchase the underlayment separately and install one strip at a time, starting with the longest wall. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in creating butt edges and sealing seams.
Once the underlayment is down, there’s one additional basic step to undertake: cutting the door jambs. To accomplish this, lay a plank so that its edge runs toward the jamb. Mark the board and, using a handsaw, cut parallel to the floor, creating a cutout that will fit neatly under the board jamb for a clean, professional look.
The most important row of the entire flooring project is the first. It should be installed parallel to the long wall, starting at one corner and working towards the other. Be careful to keep this first row straight, so subsequent rows will fit properly and look professional.
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Place the first plank with the groove facing the wall and flush to one corner of the room. For natural expansion and contraction, place 1/4-inch spacers between the board and the wall at 12-inch intervals. Install the remainder of the first row, placing one plank at a time and matching the tongues to the grooves, pressing gently for a snug fit. When you reach the end of the row, use a pull bar to help press that last plank firmly into place.
After the first row is completed, continue one plank at a time, matching the tongues to the grooves. Use a flooring cutter to cut the first and last part of each row as needed. Gently tap each plank with a hammer and tapping block. Be careful not to hit too hard as this may damage the laminate surface or the tongue.
For a permanent, attractive installation, make sure the end joints of adjacent boards are at least 6 inches apart. This prevents the floor from splitting and keeps close joints from buckling.
Installing the last plank can be a bit of a pain. It may be necessary to cut the board or at least the tongue to make sure it is flush. Finish the job by placing thresholds anywhere there is a door or where the laminate meets another flooring material. Finally, remove the spacers and reinstall the base molding. Now sit back and admire your handiwork.
Laminate Flooring Guide: What To Know Before You Install
Bob Vila has partnered with Empire Today to help you easily get beautiful new floors at a great price.
Laminate flooring is a DIY favorite. There’s good reason to love it, as it’s light years better than it was a few decades ago in terms of quality and selection. Beyond those points, there are other important benefits of laminate flooring:
With these steps to installing laminate flooring, homeowners can give any space a new look without having to commit to it long-term. The techniques required to install laminate flooring are easy to learn, and the project goes quickly once the first row is properly installed.
After reading this tutorial on how to install laminate flooring, you may still have some questions about the process. The following are some frequently asked questions about installing laminate floors.
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As a general rule, it is best to start the laminate installation with the first row along the longest wall. Lay the first plank in the corner, leaving a ¼-inch gap from the walls, then continue that row along the wall and to the other corner.
Yes, laminate flooring requires an underlayment layer underneath. The underlayment supports the floor and creates a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from penetrating the laminate floor. Some laminate flooring products have a built-in underlayment.
Learning how to install laminate flooring is easy, and this popular DIY upgrade can impact the look of a room. Laying a laminate floor does not require nails or adhesives, and it is easy to install and adjust the tiles as needed. Be sure to press the seams gently and maintain space around the edge of the floor.
Laminate flooring is best floated over a subfloor or existing floor, but some products are glued down. Be aware that the adhesive can damage the floor underneath, so it’s best to avoid this method when installing laminate plank flooring in apartments or other areas where the floor will be temporary.
How To Lay
Laminate Flooring
After laying the laminate floors, you can walk on them immediately. There are no glues or other adhesives holding the floor in place, so it’s ready to walk on as soon as the project is complete.
A laminate flooring cutter is the best product for cutting laminate flooring. These devices easily slice through flooring and create clean, precise cuts. However, you can also use a handsaw, miter saw, or utility knife in some cases. We talked to flooring experts to get some installation tips to help you avoid humps, bumps, gaps, and cracks.
When you set about marking the size of your starter row, you want to make sure the walls are parallel. You may find yourself installing laminate in a room with a 6-in. One end is thinner than the other. That means you have to rip out the last row which is badly damaged and it looks ugly. Unless one side of the room is forever covered with furniture, you’d better split the difference and cut the first and last rows so that neither side is noticeable.
All underlayment
Ll Flooring (formerly Lumber Liquidators)
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