Laying Laminate Flooring?
For those who like DIY and enjoy making their own home improvements, laying a laminate floor is a relatively straight forward process thanks to modern materials and the easy to install click system of fitting the boards. In this article we have outlined the main points and tips for how to lay laminate flooring.
Before You Start Laying Laminate Flooring
Is the room ready to lay laminate flooring?
The space must be clean, dry, and the floor must be level before you start. Poor site conditions are the main reason for an installation to fail. Check the humidity levels with a hygrometer, they should be within 35-65% (RH Scale). Acclimatise your flooring for 48 hours in the room it is going to be installed. All floors will expand a little when initially installed and this helps to moderate this process.
Have you got the correct equipment?
Having a few specific tools will make the floor laying process easier and safer too. Basic equipment includes a hand saw, pencil, underlay, tape measure, moisture metre, spacers, an electric saw, long spirit level, pull bar, mallet or hammer, and a jig-saw. For your comfort and safety we would also recommend knee pads, dust masks, and a pair of goggles.
Tips for Laying Laminate Flooring
Always refer to the manufacturers instructions as there may be variations in installation techniques.
- Buy 10% laminate flooring than the size of the room area.
- Install underlay to ensure a level finish and to aid insulation and sound proofing. If fitting over concrete and sub floors choose a damp proof membrane or a damp proof underlay.
- If the combined thickness of the floor layers impedes a door opening, this will need removing, planning and refitting afterwards.
- Test the configuration before starting to see whether laying length or width ways is a more suitable design.
- Start by laying the first board in the left-hand corner, at a straight wall over the underlay, with the short tongue end against the wall. It needs to be laid with an expansion gap of between 10–12mm around the edges using spacers. The first board should be a 1/2 board then continue along the row.
- The expansion gap around the edge can be finished by covering with a suitable thickness skirting board or beading, otherwise known as scotia.
Our Laminate Floor Fitting Service
For those of you who do not want to install laminate flooring yourself, or perhaps you haven’t got the time? Here at Value Carpets & Flooring, we have a professional floor fitting service. Our experts can efficiently install your laminate flooring; negating the risk of mistakes and waste. You can be confident that our highly experienced installers will give you the outstanding floor finish you desire at a fraction of the time. Contact us today to find out more about this service and our massive range of products.