How to Lay Laminate Flooring Part One
Laying a laminate floor is a relatively demanding DIY project and should only be undertaken by those with reasonable experience and DIY skills. Depending on the room that you intend to floor, however, the whole job of laying the laminate flooring should take no more than a day.
When laying a laminate floor it is always important to follow the manufacturer's instructions when laying your laminate.
Laminate flooring is ideal for living areas and hallways. Whilst certain ranges are suitable for bathrooms and kitchens, this is not always the case, and as a result you should always check the advice on the packaging before your purchase. Boards are protected by a special resin coating but doorways should always be fitted with sturdy doormats and furniture should be fitted with furniture pads.
Measure the width and length of your room, then multiply together to give the area of your room. Add 10% wastage. Divide the area of your room by the pack size of the laminate to ascertain the number of packs required.
Choosing the right flooring for your space is especially important. Engineered flooring is made from a softwood or manmade board with a thin layer of soft timber bonded to the surface. Laminate flooring is a manmade board with a protected film. Both types feature interlocking profiles along edges which push together for a smooth surface. Some require additional use of glue, whilst other simply click into place.
Before laying underlay or laminate, ensure that floorboards are firmly screwed down and flatted all nails with a hammer. Ensure that a newly laid concrete floor is completely dry before continuing. Old, uneven concrete floor should be treated with a self levelling compound. This free flowing, self smoothing material dries flat and level. A damp-proof membrane (DPM) should always be placed over concrete to prevent moisture creeping through.
Choose between polyfoam underlay, combined underlay and wood fibre underlay.
Polyfoam is the thinnest of these and can be used with any firm, dry and level sub-floor. Prepare the floor and if necessary also treat with a DPM. Place the underlay over the entire floor and trip to fit, cutting 16mm gaps around pipes. Lay lengths side by side and secure with masking tape.
Combined underlay requires just one layer of underlay, regardless of the sub floor. Since it is thicker than polyfoan underlay it will absorb slight irregularities in the floor, providing good sound insulation too. Ensure that joints are taped to keep the product sound proof.
Wood Fibre underlay is the thickest of all and should be used with floorboards or a slightly uneven sub floor. Wood fibre provides good heat and sound insulation. Boards should be left within the room in question for 24 hours before laying in order for them to acclimatise, and expand according to the conditions in the room. Lay the boards, staggering the joints and leaving a 10mm expansion gap and 5mm between boards.
When laying a laminate floor it is always important to follow the manufacturer's instructions when laying your laminate.
Laminate flooring is ideal for living areas and hallways. Whilst certain ranges are suitable for bathrooms and kitchens, this is not always the case, and as a result you should always check the advice on the packaging before your purchase. Boards are protected by a special resin coating but doorways should always be fitted with sturdy doormats and furniture should be fitted with furniture pads.
Measure the width and length of your room, then multiply together to give the area of your room. Add 10% wastage. Divide the area of your room by the pack size of the laminate to ascertain the number of packs required.
Choosing the right flooring for your space is especially important. Engineered flooring is made from a softwood or manmade board with a thin layer of soft timber bonded to the surface. Laminate flooring is a manmade board with a protected film. Both types feature interlocking profiles along edges which push together for a smooth surface. Some require additional use of glue, whilst other simply click into place.
Before laying underlay or laminate, ensure that floorboards are firmly screwed down and flatted all nails with a hammer. Ensure that a newly laid concrete floor is completely dry before continuing. Old, uneven concrete floor should be treated with a self levelling compound. This free flowing, self smoothing material dries flat and level. A damp-proof membrane (DPM) should always be placed over concrete to prevent moisture creeping through.
Choose between polyfoam underlay, combined underlay and wood fibre underlay.
Polyfoam is the thinnest of these and can be used with any firm, dry and level sub-floor. Prepare the floor and if necessary also treat with a DPM. Place the underlay over the entire floor and trip to fit, cutting 16mm gaps around pipes. Lay lengths side by side and secure with masking tape.
Combined underlay requires just one layer of underlay, regardless of the sub floor. Since it is thicker than polyfoan underlay it will absorb slight irregularities in the floor, providing good sound insulation too. Ensure that joints are taped to keep the product sound proof.
Wood Fibre underlay is the thickest of all and should be used with floorboards or a slightly uneven sub floor. Wood fibre provides good heat and sound insulation. Boards should be left within the room in question for 24 hours before laying in order for them to acclimatise, and expand according to the conditions in the room. Lay the boards, staggering the joints and leaving a 10mm expansion gap and 5mm between boards.
