Laminate is a wood floor covering often used in residential and residential renovations. non-residential premises. Reliable, practical, aesthetically pleasing, budget-friendly – the product range is able to satisfy the needs of any consumer.
And for those who do repairs themselves, accessibility and ease of work are important.
The lack of special construction skills will not be an obstacle in the path of a motivated person - a photo of the correct installation of laminate flooring will clarify all the difficult moments for you.
For which floor can laminate be used?
Anyone who has already held laminate panels in their hands knows that they are not uniform in structure, have several layers, and have special locks on the sides for fastening.
Working with such a fixation system is not difficult, but you need to know and follow technological features styling
The type of lock varies among individual manufacturers. With rare exceptions, the instructions for laying laminate flooring do not include the use of glue.
Laminate flooring can be laid on any floor - concrete, wood, tiles, parquet, linoleum, the main thing is that it is hard, dry and even.
If these conditions are not met, the service life of the laminate will be significantly less than what the manufacturers of this product guarantee.
Horizontal unevenness and slope should be eliminated. Depending on the type of floor, leveling can be carried out for concrete floors using a cement screed or primer.
For wooden ones - repair, replacement of damaged elements, surface treatment with a sanding machine.
What a home craftsman needs to know when working with laminate
Before laying the laminate flooring yourself, leave the material you brought from the store in the room you are renovating for two days: for multilayer plates, it is important to adapt to the microclimate of your home.
Do not allow direct contact of the laminate with concrete surfaces - they easily become moisturized themselves and transfer moisture to their “neighbors.”
At high humidity laminate panels delaminate and lose their consumer properties. Therefore, a vapor barrier layer must be placed between the new coating and the concrete floor.
The most suitable material is polyethylene (thickness 200 microns). A diffuse membrane is less commonly used for these purposes. For protection against moisture to be effective, there should be no tears or bare spots - lay the sheets overlapping with a margin of more than 15 cm.
For non-concrete floors, polyethylene insulation is not needed.
Why do you need a substrate?
An obligatory part of the preparatory work is to distribute the substrate. It is needed to ensure better operation and installation of laminate: sound insulation, thermal insulation, smoothing out minor floor irregularities, additional protection from moisture.
The substrate can be linoleum, polystyrene foam, bubble wrap or other specialized materials.
Pay attention!
The layer thickness is on average 3–5 mm depending on the type of laminate (pay attention to the manufacturer’s recommendations).
When covering the floor, place the sheets of backing without overlapping, and secure the joints with tape.
How to plan the optimal laminate flooring layout
Laminate planks are distributed in staggered rows; cross-shaped joints are not allowed. The offset is preferably half a panel. But at home, many people prefer not to fit in the center (like a brick when laying), but to focus on the size of the segment that fits well with the previously laid row.
Choose the most suitable option for the direction of the rows - longitudinal, transverse or diagonal. In most cases, they are oriented parallel to the flow of daylight.
Pay attention!
Transverse and diagonal laying is chosen if you want to change the visual perception of the shape and size of the room.
Execute the plan future work on paper - this will help to rationally use your working hours and materials. Calculate how many solid and cut panels are needed for each full or partial row.
You need to take into account:
Dimensions, protrusions, openings, architectural features premises. If the room has a large fireplace, it is advisable to start the rows from its central axis.
Be sure to mark a 1 cm technological gap around the perimeter of the room.
Remember that the protruding part of the fastening part - the ridge of the panel - for the first row from the wall is pre-cut.
Pay attention!
Laying sawn panels less than 6 cm wide is not allowed.
If preliminary calculations show that the last row is 5 cm or less, then the width of the plates of the first and last row is simultaneously adjusted to approximately the same size.
Laminate panels in hand - how to proceed
The preparatory work has been successfully completed, you can begin installing the panels.
To install laminate flooring you will need a minimum of tools. The main ones are a miter saw (can be replaced with a jigsaw) and a hammer.
Work begins on the left side, choosing the far corner. You can build up the laminate sheet gradually, adding one element to a row.
Another way is to assemble the row loosely and only then move it and secure it to permanent place. To ensure that the lock clicks tightly, you can lightly tap the panels with a hammer.
To avoid damage to the laminate, it is first covered with unnecessary trim.
Let's move on to the first row. We saw off the ridge of the panels and, if necessary, adjust the width of the row and the length of the outer panels. The side with the already missing comb is adjacent to the wall.
We start the second row, shifting the panels by 1/2 or 1/3, monitoring the length of the outer elements.
Along the perimeter of the room being repaired, we place spacer wedges at a distance of about 25 cm. The result should be a deformation gap of 8-10 mm (less than the width of the plinth).
Subsequent rows are laid similarly to the second, taking into account the spacers.
To carefully lay the laminate flooring around doorway, it is necessary to eliminate the gap between the floor and the jambs. To do this, shorten the box posts using a saw to the thickness of the plate and fix the new covering.
Pipe and laminate: drill a hole in the plate, 10–15 mm larger than the diameter of the pipe. This area should be sealed later.
Use glue to better fixation panel scraps (under radiators, near the doorway, pipes).
Job done! And the renovated room pleases the eye with the high-quality installation of laminate flooring.
Photo of laying laminate flooring with your own hands
- Installation speed
(5) - Simplicity
(4.5) - Using the tool
(5)
General
The question of how to lay laminate flooring has recently gained wide popularity. This material has proven itself to be an excellent flooring. The technology for laying laminate flooring yourself is quite simple, which allows you to install a modern floor in an apartment quickly and at the lowest cost. Modern market offers a wide range building materials, capable of satisfying the needs of even the most demanding customers.
Quick installation is one of the advantages of laminate.
Product Features
Do-it-yourself laminate installation is based on laying standard laminate slabs on a substrate that acts as a shock-absorbing element. The laminate consists of 4 layers. The top coating (overlay) is transparent plastic that protects against scratches and abrasion. The next layer of furniture paper performs a decorative function and provides desired color and texture (high-quality tiles are difficult to distinguish from natural wood). The basis of the material is fiberboard, impregnated with a non-flammable reinforcing compound. The bottom layer with a thickness of 0.2-0.8 mm with waterproofing properties is made of paper impregnated with resins and paraffin. This multilayer construction provides the main advantages of the laminate: decorativeness, strength, durability, water resistance, heat-insulating and noise-insulating properties.
To connect the tiles to each other, special connecting elements are made at the ends and side sections. At the ends there is a Lock-lock using a tongue-and-groove system, which allows the slabs to be joined during installation. A Click-latch is made along the side edge to fix the elements in the longitudinal direction. Such a connecting system allows you to connect all elements into a single system without the possibility of displacement relative to each other.
Laminate underlay is sold in rolls.
The substrate is roll material 2-10 mm thick from polyethylene foam, polystyrene foam, cork, etc. Typically, the laminate is accompanied by a polyethylene foam film, which has sufficient shock-absorbing ability and heat resistance.
If you want to increase waterproofing and create a vapor-proof layer, polystyrene foam film with a layer of foil is used. When laying heated floors, you can use a more expensive cork underlay.
Coating installation principle
Before starting work, you need to decide how to lay laminate flooring with your own hands. There are different methods laying laminate, to lay laminate tiles with your own hands, you can use 3 schemes shown in Fig. 2. (Fig. 2. Laminate laying diagrams)
Methods of laying laminate differ in the location of the tiles relative to the source natural light(windows): parallel to the light flux, perpendicular to it and at different angles (diagonal option). Most often, a scheme is used that provides for parallel placement of elements relative to sun rays. With this installation, the longitudinal joints of the tiles between the rows are practically invisible, which provides the illusion of a monolithic surface.
If the tiles are placed parallel to the light flow, then shadows inevitably appear in the gaps, which emphasizes the structure of the floor covering. This method is used if you want to obtain visual effect extensions narrow room. The diagonal method is the most complex and leads to unnecessary waste of material.
Method of laying laminate along the light flux.
However, this technique creates a unique coating pattern and visually increases the entire floor area. Thus, methods of laying laminate are selected taking into account the size of the room, the location of windows, and the design solution.
The problem of laying laminate flooring can be solved independently in several stages. Initial stage involves taking measurements, drawing up a general coating pattern and calculating the required amount of material. Then they are carried out preparatory work, the underlay is laid, and only after that can the laminate be laid.
How to lay laminate flooring yourself? To ensure the reliability of the connection of elements and to eliminate the occurrence of defects, the following nuances arise:
- An expansion gap must be left along the entire perimeter of the floor at the junction with the wall. The laminate board is sensitive to temperature changes, and for extinguishing thermal expansion the condition should be taken into account: 1 m² of laminate can expand in all directions by 1.5 mm. Taking into account this condition, the compensation gap at the wall should be about 10-18 cm, depending on the area of the room.
- To ensure reliable connection of the tiles to each other, the minimum possible sizes of inserts (cut slabs) are recommended. The length of the element should not be less than 20 cm. When cutting in the longitudinal direction, it should be taken into account that the minimum permissible width is 5 cm. The overall layout of the elements should be drawn up taking into account these recommendations.
- When calculating the required amount of material, it is necessary to take into account the inevitable losses when cutting and fitting elements. The recommended stock of laminate is 6-8% for longitudinal or transverse installation, and up to 20% for diagonal installation.
Methods for laying laminate flooring yourself must be chosen taking into account certain practical recommendations.
Necessary tool
A grinder is well suited for cutting laminate.
To install laminate flooring yourself, you will need the following tools:
- Bulgarian;
- electric jigsaw or laminate saw;
- electric drill;
- wood hacksaw;
- spatula;
- mallet;
- hammer;
- scissors;
- furniture stapler;
- paint brush;
- roulette;
- protractor;
- metal ruler;
- construction level.
Preparatory work
The preparatory stage includes preparing the floor for the manufacture of flooring and proper preparation material for installation. The subfloor must be carefully prepared for coating. Its surface must be smooth, without defects, differences in height and slopes. If there are logs, a flooring made of boards, plywood or chipboard is laid on top of them without gaps. On top concrete floor must be imposed cement screed with an external leveling layer. The permissible height difference is 1 mm for every 1 m of floor. Immediately before laying the flooring, the base is cleared of debris and dirt. It is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner to remove even fine dust. It should be taken into account that dust in the interlocking joints of laminate boards is a future source of squeaking.
Before installation, the laminate is kept indoors for two days.
Preparation of the material consists of adapting the laminate to room conditions. Laminate tiles cannot be laid directly on the floor. Material holding period room conditions must be at least 2 days.
Only after such curing are the slabs released from packaging and sorted. Optimal conditions for adaptation - humidity within 50-65%, temperature 18°-20°. When stored, the panels are placed in a horizontal position.
Laying the substrate
After completion preparatory stage The substrate is being laid. If the flooring is made on a concrete screed, then before laying the substrate a layer is spread polyethylene film 0.1-0.2 mm thick as waterproofing. If you have a wooden subfloor or chipboard covering, it is not necessary to use plastic film. The film strips are joined to the overlap with a gap of 15-20 cm.
A substrate is laid on top of the film layer. Economical options are often used - rolled polyethylene foam or expanded polystyrene with a thickness of at least 2-3 cm. The strips are laid end-to-end, without a gap, and the joint area is secured with tape. When laying the pillow, it is recommended to maintain a direction perpendicular to the direction of laying the bottom polyethylene film. When laying the underlay on wooden subfloor It is advisable to attach it to the base using a furniture stapler.
Laying laminate on the surface
Laying the laminate begins from the corner.
The most common scheme for laying laminate panels yourself is to place them parallel to the side walls. Laying the slabs begins with a corner element near the wall with a window. First of all, a strip is formed along the entire wall with an end connection. To ensure strict parallelism with respect to the wall and provide a compensation gap, insert wedges of strictly the same width are used. Sawing of panels, if necessary, is carried out electric jigsaw or a special laminate saw.
The end joining of the panels is carried out by bringing the element at approximately an angle of 20 ° and inserting its tenon into the groove of the previous plate. Then the second panel is lowered and lightly tapped with a mallet to seal the joint. In the same way, all elements of the first strip are connected.
The second stripe is formed in the same way. Unlike the starter strip, it starts with a laminate panel cut in half. This is necessary to ensure a staggered alignment of the strips - the end joint of one strip falls into the middle of the panel on the next strip. After the formation of the second row along the entire length, this strip is brought to the initial row and joined to it in the longitudinal direction. The connection starts from the wall to the window, by uniformly joining and compacting with a mallet. At correct docking a characteristic click is heard.
When combining rows, their parallelism is strictly controlled.
Installation in specific areas
The most specific areas when installing flooring are radiators, pipes and doors. In cases where it is difficult to snap the panels under the battery, part of the ridge is cut off and the plate is secured with glue. To lay the laminate around the pipe on the slab, holes with a larger diameter are drilled pipe diameter, a section of laminate is cut parallel to the end of the panel, and the tile is installed in its place. After this, the sawn-off piece is inserted back and glued. All gaps are masked with sealant or plastic covers.
Preparation of the doorway begins with sawing off the jambs to the thickness of the coating with the backing. The actual configuration is drawn on panels designed to be placed next to the jamb. It should be noted that an expansion gap must be provided, but this gap is covered by the box, i.e. the board is brought almost closely under the beam of the jamb.
The door leaf is also shortened, but taking into account the height of the plastic or aluminum transition profile to mask the seam. Once the laminate flooring is finished, the baseboard is installed, which is attached to the wall, not the floor.
The technology for installing laminate flooring is not particularly complicated; it can be done with your own hands. It is important to take into account all the nuances of the work, to show accuracy and patience. Laminate is a modern flooring material that correct installation will serve reliably for many years.
Since its appearance on the market, laminated flooring has gained a lot of supporters. Indeed, well-selected material and correctly executed installation immediately gives the floors a very neat appearance with an imitation of natural wooden covering. And although laminate also has many shortcomings, and very serious ones, its popularity is high, and, apparently, it has occupied its “niche” seriously and for a long time.
The obvious advantages of laminate include its quite affordable cost (compared to the natural coatings it imitates) and a relatively simple, and most often intuitive, installation technology. So, when purchasing such material, it is quite possible to save money by not inviting installation work specialists, but performing the work independently. Even the owner of an apartment or house who is quite far from construction and finishing work, in theory, should be able to cope with the task. Naturally, having received the necessary instructions for this. This is exactly the goal of this publication - step-by-step instructions for laying laminate flooring with your own hands.
Of course, the process of laying the flooring itself is inextricably linked with other stages - from the selection of material to the comprehensive preparation of the floor for installation of the laminate. However, for the purposes of this article, many questions will be omitted. Simply because separate detailed publications are devoted to them. Therefore, as the presentation progresses, the reader will be offered links to open the corresponding pages of the portal.
Basic requirements for high-quality laminate installation
In order for the laid laminated floor covering to show the durability expected of it, not to lose its original fresh appearance, not to become deformed, and not to irritate the owners with an unpleasant squeak, it is necessary to observe a whole series important requirements. Their implementation, in fact, turns into stages preparatory activities before actually installing the laminate. Let's go through them briefly:
Wise choice of material
Laminate should not be selected only for its decorative qualities. The characteristics of the room in which it is planned to be installed must be taken into account. The intensity of traffic on the surface is taken into account, whether it will experience loads from street shoes (from which the abrasive effect is incomparably higher), or whether it will be located exclusively in living rooms.
Attention is drawn to the environmental component of the issue - laminate for residential premises must produce minimal formaldehyde emissions (E1) or generally be completely clean in this regard (E0.5; E0 or ECO).
If the coating is planned to be laid on a “warm floor” system, then a laminate is selected in which this possibility is specifically stipulated.
There are a number of other selection criteria laminated coating recommended for consideration by the consumer.
But there is an exception to all rules. The flooring market has been replenished with an improved SPC (Stone Polymer Composite) luxury coating, ideal for any room.
Quartz laminate Refloor Fargo combines the strength of stone, the aesthetics of natural wood and has a number of significant advantages over other floor coverings:
- choosing is easy. Without thinking about the types, categories, types of locking connections and other characteristics, you can safely purchase quartz laminate for your apartment or office, kindergarten and a medical facility, a cafe and a warehouse, a bathroom and a dressing room.
Refloor Fargo is compatible with all types of underfloor heating systems. The scope of application is very extensive, all that remains is to choose one of the thirty-two to suit the interior style fashionable shades(today the collection includes 27 options imitating valuable wood species, and 5 - natural stone, and by the end of 2019 it is planned to replenish the assortment);
Synchronous embossing exactly in the register emphasizes the noble texture of wood, adds visual and tactile realism
- safety is the main thing. Quartz laminate does not absorb or emit odors. There is no emission even when heated. The coating is low-flammable and flame-retardant. In addition, Refloor Fargo is non-slippery and has a unique “anti-shatter” effect, which is especially relevant in the kitchen, where the likelihood of dropping a fragile cup from your hands is quite high. The expensive set will not be damaged, and the hostess will not have to remove sharp fragments from the floor.
It is important to pay attention to the antistatic effect of quartz laminate. Anti-static coating - best solution both for home and for specialized premises that house electronics (physiotherapy rooms, diagnostic centers, recording studios, server rooms, etc.);
- quartz laminate is a long-term investment in your own comfort and coziness. When arranging your personal space, you always want the renovation to remain fresh as long as possible, despite possible force majeure. Thanks to the 100% water resistance of the material and glue method installation, the coating will remain unharmed even if a bucket of water is accidentally spilled, or if a hot water supply pipe breaks. While a regular laminate will swell and become unrepairable, quartz will only have to be wiped dry. The water resistance of quartz laminate is one of the main advantages
Do not forget about the mechanical loads that the floor covering experiences every day. Thin hairpins, furniture legs, pet claws, wheels office chairs- items that significantly reduce the service life of conventional laminate, but not quartz-vinyl. An additional plus to high wear resistance is sound absorption of impact noise up to twenty decibels (a pleasant bonus for residents of multi-storey buildings).
Eco-friendly, waterproof, wear-resistant and beautiful flooring for only RUB 1,490/m²
The quality of Refloor Fargo is confirmed by laboratory test reports, fire certificate KM 2, and certificates of conformity.
A laminate, including quartz-vinyl, is purchased immediately for the entire floor area planned for such a covering. The laying technology implies a certain number of scraps, that is, a certain margin should be specified. The amount of the created “reserve” also depends on the type of installation - will it be the usual arrangement of boards, parallel-perpendicular to the walls, or will there be a desire to install the covering diagonally (and in this case, the amount of waste will inevitably increase).
The online calculator below will help you calculate the required amount of material. It contained almost all the variety of sizes of laminated boards encountered in practice. The calculation is made immediately taking into account the required reserve depending on the type of installation.
The choice of laminate as a floor covering is not accidental. It is beautiful in appearance, the cost is adequate for the quality, the material has simple instructions for installing it yourself. This will reduce the overall cost of floor repairs if it is not possible to order the work of professionals. How to lay laminate flooring correctly - this is described in this article
The choice of laminate as a floor covering is not accidental. It is beautiful in appearance, the price is adequate for the quality, the material has simple instructions for installing it yourself. This will reduce the overall cost of floor repairs if it is not possible to order the work of professionals. How to lay laminate flooring correctly is described in this article.
Methods for laying laminate flooring - choose a method
Foundation assessment
The final result of installation directly depends on the initial condition of the base. If this is not taken into account, the finishing coating will not only lie unevenly, but will also not last long due to constant load on the slats. They will move, break, joints and seams will lose their tightness. How to properly lay laminate flooring with your own hands, depending on the type of base - wooden logs or concrete? The following are assessed:
Concrete slab
Before installing laminate flooring, it is important to evaluate the height difference. It is permissible no more than 3 mm - the substrate is designed to level out the difference. If for every 2 sq. m observed significant change, then this is a reason to make a new one concrete screed with careful dismantling of the old one.
When the damage to the base is insignificant, leveling mixtures are used to prepare a satisfactory level. It is not recommended to lay laminate on bare concrete if installation of a heated floor is not provided. A layer of plywood will be required. In addition to warmth, it will provide stabilization to the coating and protect the new concrete base from damage due to pressure.
Wooden floors
With boards and joists the task is more painstaking. It is necessary to remove the entire covering in order to evaluate the load-bearing supports - joists - for fractures, as well as biological damage. Mold and rot, for example. The position is also checked in advance wooden beams, even if their condition is satisfactory. Afterwards the boards are evaluated - they may be clean, but crooked and humpbacked. They are changed or a scraping procedure is carried out to ensure compliance with the level. How is laminate flooring attached to plank floors? It is recommended to lay plywood. 
Choosing material
The main covering is laminate, classified according to tests for strength and wear resistance. Before solving the problem of how to lay laminate correctly, the class of the laminate and other quality parameters are important to choose.
Class selection
Classes 21 to 34 are recommended for specific rooms and loads - details here. Up to 31st grade laminate flooring serves no more than 4 years. The coating intended for commercial facilities - shops, halls - is considered optimal - reliable and durable. It is not forbidden to lay it in everyday household conditions, where it can lie in original form up to 20 years. In addition to classification, pay attention to the following:
Choosing the right laminate is not difficult - read more in this article.
Substrate
There are several types of underlay for laying laminate flooring. Each type has pros and cons. The price is accordingly.
A high-quality and correctly selected substrate is the key to an even laminate coating and overall operating comfort.
Calculation of the number of boards
The simplest calculation to obtain exact quantity lamellas per covered area is as follows: S room/S lamellas. But the calculation is very approximate, since the final quantity depends on the following factors:
- Laying method. Deck or diagonal methods vary by up to 40% in total.
- Length of lamellas. The range from 1.3 to 2.66 m affects the number of boards required.
- Mastery. It is difficult for amateurs to do without defects and scraps the first time.
It is also important to take into account that the packaging contains a certain percentage of manufacturing errors, so the final quantity when calculating is safely increased by 15–20%.
Preparing the laminate
When the coating is purchased, it needs to be adapted to room temperature so that in the future, due to a sharp drop, the laminate does not become deformed. To do this, the packages are opened and the slats are laid out on a horizontal surface for up to 3 days. It is recommended to do this when the base is completely prepared.
Methods for laying laminate flooring - choosing a method
When choosing the direction of installation, it is important to consider the flow of light from the windows. The rays falling on the transverse installation visually increase the area of the room. A similar effect is created by diagonal laying.
Direction
Which direction should I lay the laminate? Features of each installation:
If you have no experience in laying laminate, then the classic deck one is what you need. Diagonals require skill. If desired, it is possible to order the work from professionals with a guarantee of long-term operation.
Tools and auxiliary materials
Depending on the locking method chosen, tools will be required. What you need to install laminate:
- Mallet - a wooden or rubber mallet.
- Square, tape measure.
- Markers. It is important to choose washable ones, especially for light shades laminate
- Hacksaw or jigsaw. The latter is preferable, as it accurately cuts contours if you need to go around pipes.
- Wedges for maintaining technological gaps between the wall and the slats. This is required for linear coverage extensions.
- Scotch tape for laying the backing.
The base should be ready by then - a concrete leveling mixture is poured or plywood is laid. See how to level the base here.
Instructions for laying laminate flooring
The finished surface of the subfloor is cleaned - there should be no sand, concrete chips, sawdust or other debris, otherwise the coating will not lie tightly. A vacuum cleaner is used for cleaning. Next, how to cover a laminate floor:
Do-it-yourself diagonal assembly of laminate has a similar principle. But the process is more labor-intensive, since it is necessary to carefully check the cutting of each board. Errors along the edges are allowed no more than 2 mm, in this case the edges will hide the baseboards.
Execution the following points will allow you to enjoy long-lasting and beautiful results in the future:
- Before laying the laminate with your own hands, correctly lay out the boards in advance in the future drawing and number them. The material will rest, and the process will go faster.
- It is advisable to coat each board with locking systems with wax. The fastenings will become lighter and the protection against moisture will increase.
It’s easy to lay laminate flooring yourself with an explanatory video.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Do you want to change your flooring, but are you afraid it will be expensive? Self-installation Laminate installation is easy and quick. It will help save time and money. The main thing is to follow the rules, be careful and prepare for the process.
Stages of work
Installation of laminate slabs is carried out in several stages, each of which affects the quality of work and service life of the new floor.
- preparing the base for the coating;
- laying the insulating layer;
- installation of panels;
- installation of skirting boards and thresholds.
The laminate is equipped with special latches that fasten adjacent sections. Do-it-yourself laminate installation with step by step instructions anyone can do it. Special Education and no skills are required for this.
What tools and materials will be needed
Before laying the laminate, first prepare:
- level;
- jigsaw;
- a hand saw or;
- mallet;
- centimeter wedges;
- ruler/centimeter/square;
- laminate;
- skirting boards, thresholds;
- wedges;
- marker.
To ensure that the work is not done in vain, all rules and sequence of actions should be strictly followed.
Preparing the base
Before laying the laminate correctly, prepare the lower level. If you do not level the bottom surface, the blocks will “walk.” Installation consists of serial connection panels and latching with locks. During installation, no additional fixation of the floor is carried out either to the baseboards or to the bottom layer. Therefore, how long the laminate flooring will last depends on the preparation of the subfloor.
Regardless of the material of the subfloor, the surface is leveled, cracks and crevices are sealed. This can be done, just like laying laminate flooring, with your own hands.
When leveling, a difference in surface slope of more than 4 mm is not allowed. The optimal discrepancy in level is 2 mm.
If the slope exceeds 4 mm:
- tile locks become loose and break over time;
- gaps appear between the panels;
- the furniture is warped;
- cabinet doors begin to open or do not close;
- the floors squeak when you walk.
After leveling the surface, the final steps are carried out:
- The concrete floor is poured with a finishing screed or sanded.
- The cement-sand composition is coated with a primer. This prevents the appearance of cement dust and protects against unpleasant squeaking when walking.
- align with grinding machine, cutting off irregularities. The cracks are sealed with putty.
Linoleum does not require special preparation for laying laminate. If necessary, level the linoleum surface.
Insulation layer
Before laying laminate flooring, padding material is laid on the concrete subfloor. It performs several functions:
- protects the bottom layer of laminate boards from direct contact with the cement-sand mixture;
- protects slabs from moisture;
- serves as a sound insulator;
- levels out microslope;
- serves as insulation.
Wooden subfloors and old linoleum do not need to be covered with an insulating layer.
The following are used as a layer between the subfloor and the main floor:
- diffuse membrane;
- polyethylene film;
- rolled/sheet EPS;
- special composite materials;
- bubble wrap.
The thickness of the underlay layer depends on the thickness of the panels. The product passport indicates the thickness of the layer between the main and lower levels. For panels 9 mm thick, a 3 mm insulator is used. The insulator layer is not fixed.
What to pay attention to before installation
When laying laminate flooring, cross-shaped seams are not allowed. There must be a gap between the joints. Professionals install panels taking into account that the seams are at the level of the middle of adjacent panels. When doing work by amateurs, this rule is not observed; it is allowed to make seams at the level of 1/3 of the panel. This method saves material.
Installation of laminate flooring on a wooden floor is carried out perpendicular to the location of the bottom layer.
When calculating the amount of material, take into account the cost of trimming panels located near the walls.
To prepare for installation, holes are cut around the pipes with a diameter 1 cm larger than the diameter of the pipe. The junction with the pipe is covered with a special laminate overlay or the hole is sealed with glue/putty. The best option– putty first, overlay on top.
Before laying the laminate, trim the panels correctly. Do not use a hacksaw for this. It breaks the protective layer of the slabs. To cut pieces of panels, use a jigsaw or.
When choosing a laminate, take into account that its thickness does not affect the quality. Panels with greater thickness serve the same as thin ones, but are more expensive.
Manufacturers produce some slabs with an insulating coating on the bottom layer. In such cases, an insulating layer is not placed on the floor; they are limited to a film to protect it from moisture.
If installation is carried out in winter time, you cannot use laminate immediately after purchase. The material is given time to lie in the room so that its temperature becomes the same as in the house. This is not necessary for the warm season.
Better to buy right away required quantity material taking into account the margin for trimming. If in the course of work you purchase additional material, his appearance may differ from the main one.
When choosing panels, pay attention to the consumption for the area of the room. Some manufacturers indicate consumption per 2 m², some at 2.7 m².
Step-by-step instructions for laying laminate flooring
There are straight and diagonal laying of panels. Installation in a straight line (parallel to the wall) is the easiest way to lay the floor. The diagonal method requires skills and more material consumption. The popularity of assembling slabs diagonally is explained by the fact that with such a floor the room is visually perceived as larger.
Straight installation
Do-it-yourself straight-line installation of laminate flooring with step-by-step instructions in the video:
Step by step execution:
- The surface of the subfloor is leveled and covered with a primer.
- After the primer has dried, an insulating layer is applied. There are 2 ways to work with insulation. It is placed immediately on the entire surface or in parts as the laminate is laid. The second method is preferable, since in this case the coating remains intact. The layer is placed slightly over the wall, without fixation. If the room is on the ground floor, a polyethylene base is placed under the insulation. It will protect the lower part of the covering from dampness coming from the basement. The film is placed overlapping.
- It is accepted that the seams between individual laminate fragments should be parallel to the lighting. But this rule is not observed and installation is carried out without focusing on lighting.
- Installation of the panels begins after installing the wedges to the end wall.
- Cut off ½ of the whole part of the slab and install the first panel. The first row is formed. The end part is cut to the required size.
- The second row is laid first without fixing with locks. Each slab must be installed taking into account the location of the joining seam. Cross-shaped seams are not allowed in connections. The outer slabs are cut taking into account the connection at the level of ½ or 1/3 of the adjacent slab. After the second row is completely formed, the second row is carefully attached to the locks of the first row. Fix the connections with a smooth movement. The fragments are tapped with a mallet using a special backing.
- After installing 2 rows, check the level. If necessary, the slabs are leveled using a hammer.
- Gradually lay the entire floor.
- To connect to the pipes, use a jigsaw to cut out a hole whose diameter is 1 cm larger than the diameter of the pipe. The open surface is filled with glue or putty.
- The finishing row is laid using wedges located against the wall. If necessary, cut the laminate panels not only across, but also along.
After laying the floor, baseboards and thresholds are installed. For this purpose, special fasteners are used. Skirting boards are not fixed to the floor. Wooden skirting boards fit perfectly smooth walls. For surfaces with small defects use plastic skirting boards. Thresholds are chosen to be one- or two-level.
Diagonal mounting
Initial preparation is similar to that for direct installation. Diagonal laying DIY laminate on video:
After preparation and coating with insulation, installation is carried out, starting from the corner.
Craftsmen advise first laying all the intact fragments, and then installing the trim sections connecting to the walls.
Installing a new floor yourself is not difficult and, if you follow the technique, will provide good result. To install laminate flooring with your own hands, you just need to be patient and do the job efficiently at every stage.
Laying laminate and installing skirting boards - video
