Laminate flooring is an inexpensive alternative contrast to other types of flooring. It is made to look like tiles of wood but are basically made of a composite core fused to a finished layer. Most of the flooring materials are installed using glue or nails but laminate flooring is a floating system. It is pretty simple to install hardwood flooring and this will also save you a lot of money as you will not need to hire a contractor.
Things that you will require:
- Laminate flooring
- Measuring tape
- Crowbar
- Moisture barrier
- Saw
- Spacers
- Shoe molding
- Rubber mallet or tapping block
- Caulking compound
Instructions
1. Start with measurements. Take out your measuring tape and go down on your knees. Take the measurement of the floor that you wish to laminate. Do not leave out the closet and cut out areas, when you are taking the total floor measurement.
2. Buy the flooring. After you are sure about the measurements, go ahead and purchase the flooring. Make sure that you buy a little extra because there are chances that you might go wrong with the installation. You may also find areas which are discolored. Keeping extra material will help you store some for later, if you need to replace some damaged portion. So, it is always wise to buy at least 10% more than the measured area.
3. Season the flooring. After you have got the laminate flooring, open the boxes with a knife and then leave them open. This will help the flooring material to acclimatize to their surroundings. Leave them open for at least two to three days or else it will result in the buckling of the floor.
4. Start cleaning. Take the room that you want to floor and start with cleaning it. Remove all the furnitures and also a shoe molding, if there is one. Remove the shoe molding using a crowbar.
5. Lay it out. Before you start with installing the flooring, lay it out on the floor. This will give you an idea about how it will look once installed. It will also give you an insight into whether there are damaged pieces. You will also know that whether you have enough pieces to cover the whole floor along with the closet spaces and cut out areas.
6. Prepare the sub-floor. Lay a moisture barrier over the floor to prepare your sub-floor. This barrier is a foam material. Pull it tight near the walls and straighten the wrinkled parts to make it appear smooth. Do not make the foam layers overlap each other. If needed, you can tape separate pieces together. Make sure that your sub-floor is not uneven. If you notice some unevenness, then ease it out using some leveling compound.
7. Lay out the boards. Take boards and lay them out along the wall. Leave some space between the board and the wall. Use wood spacers for this purpose. Plastic can also be used. Make sure that the groove side of the boards face the wall. Start attaching the boards and do check with the manufacturer’s manual before you commencing with this job. Also be very cautious about the tongue of the board that you are attaching. Do not damage it. You also have the liberty to attach the boards using rubber mallet or tapping block. Continue attaching the boards till you reach the last one. You might need to cut the last board. Use a jigsaw or a miter saw depending on the kind of cut required.
8. Shoe molding. Put the shoe molding back to its original place to bridge the gap between the walls and the boards.
9. Final touch. If you notice cracks or gaps, use caulking compound over them. Make sure that you choose the color of the caulking compound exactly like that of the laminate flooring.
Conclusion
Laminate flooring gives you the leverage to indulge in some laziness as it is not high maintenance. It gives you the look of a hardwood floor with no extra effort to maintain it. The installation process is very easy and will hardy take your time. You may keep a help at hand to fetch you the things required. This will help you concentrate on your work better without repeated disturbance. Also keep in mind that you cannot laminate a floor which has a drain. This flooring gives you a wood finish luxurious floor without harming the environment. So, it is easy on your pocket, easy to install and completely green!
