Bigpineguy Retired
10-25-2009, 07:36 AM
Laminate Floor Installation Tips Easy to Maintain and the Look of Hardwood at the Price of Carpet
Here are some tips for installing laminate flooring that the manufacturers don't mention: how to select the best laminate underlayment and use quarter round.
Laminate Floor Installation Tips
One of the wonderful things about laminate flooring is that unlike traditional hardwood floors, it's simple to install. Traditional hardwood floor installation requires dealing with slightly warped lumber, nailing, gluing, sanding, and floor finishing. Laminate floors go down quick and are prefinished. And, laminate floor maintenance is simple. However, like any other DIY project, there are a few things the manufacturer's instructions simply don't tell you. This thread will arm the members with various laminate floor installation tips.
Use the Best Laminate Flooring Underlayment:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa311/delanda/FLOOR%20VETS/installing_laminate_floors.jpg
Flooring distributors will generally present the buyer with at least two grades of laminate underlayment – standard and premium underlayment. What's the difference? Just thickness. Both grades are made of a felt-like material with a moisture barrier. Go ahead and spend the extra cash to get the premium grade underlayment.
The purpose of laminate flooring underlayment is two-fold. First it provides a bit of “give” between the foot or furniture and the subfloor. This not only protects the laminate but makes up for the inevitable low and high spots on the subfloor.
The other duty of underlayment is sound control. This seems illogical since it's underneath the slick surface of the laminate planks, but it does work because it's between the subfloor and the planks. Be sure to use wide clear plastic tape to connect runs of underlayment.
Doorways and Laminate Floor Installation
When it comes to the job of laminate floor installation, most of the “fun” occurs at the doorways. First, pull the hinge pins and remove the doors. They're probably hollow core doors, and so weigh almost nothing. If left hung, they'll just get in the way.
Undercut the door jambs. For a professional looking finish, the laminate planks have to slide under the door trim.Hold a small piece of the laminate ( as wide as the jam being cut ) to the floor next to the door jam and draw a horizontal pencil line the thickness of the laminate and use an undercut saw or even a saws all to undercut it.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/bigpineguy/roomprep.jpg
Installing straight runs of laminate in the a room is straightforward enough,Start on the longest wall running the planks down the wall ,*Note* You will NEED to leave a space between the wall and the planks to allow expantion and contraction on every wall in the area being installed , I take a single plank and cut it using a chop saw in 4 inch strips, and those work as great spacers..* Start your first plank as a whole board and run out the row down the wall..On the second row, cut off 8 inches off of the board ( keep in mind, they have to run a certain way to click together, don't cut off the wrong side..it happens..), and run about 4 planks and stop there, now do the same for the third row, but now measure 8 inches shorter than row 2's first board, run that out to where you almost meet with your last row, repeat this for about 5 rows, then jump back down and "step" each row until you filled in each of the 5 rows..
Then, measure both sides of the room from your 5th row to the other side of the room to ensure that you are running square..
Things get tricky at the doorways. There will be times when it's absolutely impossible to both snap the laminate flooring planks together and get the laminate under the door jamb.
When this happens, use a sharp utility knife to shave off the locking part of the laminate edges while leaving the flat part of the connector intact. This will allow sliding the two planks together to mate. Be sure to add a small bead of wood glue to ensure that the planks will remained mated. Titebond woodworking glue is the best choice. Don't use Gorilla Grip glue; it'll foam out of the joint as it dries.
Baseboard and Quarter Round
Laminate flooring is a “floating” flooring system. It won't move around a lot, but it's only connected to itself. At no time will it be attached to the subfloor or wall. This is why there should be a ¼ inch gap around the entire perimeter of the floor. This gap also allows the installer to use the laminate flooring pull bar to snug things up.
After installing the baseboard, there might still be a bit of a gap visible at the floor edge. The solution? Nail quarter round to the bottom of the baseboard (not the laminate). Not only does it cover the gap but it gives the baseboard an elegant three dimensional look.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/bigpineguy/Decorated%20images/DetMoldingLam.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/bigpineguy/Decorated%20images/IMG_2524.jpg
Hope this helps..
BPG~
Here are some tips for installing laminate flooring that the manufacturers don't mention: how to select the best laminate underlayment and use quarter round.
Laminate Floor Installation Tips
One of the wonderful things about laminate flooring is that unlike traditional hardwood floors, it's simple to install. Traditional hardwood floor installation requires dealing with slightly warped lumber, nailing, gluing, sanding, and floor finishing. Laminate floors go down quick and are prefinished. And, laminate floor maintenance is simple. However, like any other DIY project, there are a few things the manufacturer's instructions simply don't tell you. This thread will arm the members with various laminate floor installation tips.
Use the Best Laminate Flooring Underlayment:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa311/delanda/FLOOR%20VETS/installing_laminate_floors.jpg
Flooring distributors will generally present the buyer with at least two grades of laminate underlayment – standard and premium underlayment. What's the difference? Just thickness. Both grades are made of a felt-like material with a moisture barrier. Go ahead and spend the extra cash to get the premium grade underlayment.
The purpose of laminate flooring underlayment is two-fold. First it provides a bit of “give” between the foot or furniture and the subfloor. This not only protects the laminate but makes up for the inevitable low and high spots on the subfloor.
The other duty of underlayment is sound control. This seems illogical since it's underneath the slick surface of the laminate planks, but it does work because it's between the subfloor and the planks. Be sure to use wide clear plastic tape to connect runs of underlayment.
Doorways and Laminate Floor Installation
When it comes to the job of laminate floor installation, most of the “fun” occurs at the doorways. First, pull the hinge pins and remove the doors. They're probably hollow core doors, and so weigh almost nothing. If left hung, they'll just get in the way.
Undercut the door jambs. For a professional looking finish, the laminate planks have to slide under the door trim.Hold a small piece of the laminate ( as wide as the jam being cut ) to the floor next to the door jam and draw a horizontal pencil line the thickness of the laminate and use an undercut saw or even a saws all to undercut it.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/bigpineguy/roomprep.jpg
Installing straight runs of laminate in the a room is straightforward enough,Start on the longest wall running the planks down the wall ,*Note* You will NEED to leave a space between the wall and the planks to allow expantion and contraction on every wall in the area being installed , I take a single plank and cut it using a chop saw in 4 inch strips, and those work as great spacers..* Start your first plank as a whole board and run out the row down the wall..On the second row, cut off 8 inches off of the board ( keep in mind, they have to run a certain way to click together, don't cut off the wrong side..it happens..), and run about 4 planks and stop there, now do the same for the third row, but now measure 8 inches shorter than row 2's first board, run that out to where you almost meet with your last row, repeat this for about 5 rows, then jump back down and "step" each row until you filled in each of the 5 rows..
Then, measure both sides of the room from your 5th row to the other side of the room to ensure that you are running square..
Things get tricky at the doorways. There will be times when it's absolutely impossible to both snap the laminate flooring planks together and get the laminate under the door jamb.
When this happens, use a sharp utility knife to shave off the locking part of the laminate edges while leaving the flat part of the connector intact. This will allow sliding the two planks together to mate. Be sure to add a small bead of wood glue to ensure that the planks will remained mated. Titebond woodworking glue is the best choice. Don't use Gorilla Grip glue; it'll foam out of the joint as it dries.
Baseboard and Quarter Round
Laminate flooring is a “floating” flooring system. It won't move around a lot, but it's only connected to itself. At no time will it be attached to the subfloor or wall. This is why there should be a ¼ inch gap around the entire perimeter of the floor. This gap also allows the installer to use the laminate flooring pull bar to snug things up.
After installing the baseboard, there might still be a bit of a gap visible at the floor edge. The solution? Nail quarter round to the bottom of the baseboard (not the laminate). Not only does it cover the gap but it gives the baseboard an elegant three dimensional look.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/bigpineguy/Decorated%20images/DetMoldingLam.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o155/bigpineguy/Decorated%20images/IMG_2524.jpg
Hope this helps..
BPG~