How to Lay Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is just right for modern day lifestyle. It has gained a lot of popularity because of the number of advantages it has over any other types of flooring. It has high durability and does not require much maintenance. It is easy to clean and is water-resistant. Therefore, it does not get damaged due to humidity. It is available in a wide range of color and styles. Additionally, the material used for manufacturing laminate is environment-friendly.

Preparing the Surface of the Floor

This task is the most crucial, in the process of laying laminate flooring. The floor needs to be prepared, in order to obtain the desired flatness. If laminate flooring is installed on a surface that is not flat, it will keep 'creaking' all the time. To start with, remove any old carpet, padding and the tack strips fixed along the perimeter of the room. Once all the materials that were sticking to the floor have been scraped out, clean the floor with a vacuum cleaner.

If you notice any depression on the floor surface, take necessary steps to level them. If you have done some leveling work on the floor, then do not lay laminate flooring until it dries up completely. You can use carpet dryers or dehumidifiers to speed up the process of drying. The doors of the room are required to be trimmed to fit the laminate flooring under them. Make the measurements correctly and cut off accordingly. Also, cut the door frames from the bottom to create a gap, so that the laminate flooring can be slipped under them.

Installation of Underlayment Pad

When your floor is ready, it is time to install the underlayment pad. It provides the cushion required for laminate flooring, to ensure comfort while standing on it. It acts as a vapor-proof barrier for the concrete floor. A variety of underlaying pads are available in the market in the form of big rolls and are suitable for any type of laminate flooring. It is always recommended to buy some thick underlaying pads. While installing the underlaying pads, its pieces should be joined properly with the help of a wide plastic tape. The edges of the pads need to be arranged in a systematic order, such that they get enough room for expansion caused due to weather changes.

Installing Laminate Flooring

When you start laying the first plank of laminate flooring, use spacers of one-fourth inch on the initial wall in order to keep an expansion gap. These planks are built with an inter-locking mechanism, so that there will be no-gap left in between two planks. As the top edge of one plank is touches the next one, turn it downwards slightly so that it sits into the right slot. Continue the installation, until you reach the final plank. Here, the situation becomes a bit tricky. So, you should take the help of a puller tool fit the last plank properly. You can apply some wood glue to keep the adjacent edges together. As a finishing touch, put a cover of wood quadrant over the expansion gap with the help of small nails or some good adhesive.

Before laminate flooring installation, you should read carefully the instructions provided by the manufacturers regarding laying the laminate flooring. It takes a lot of time to lay laminate flooring. If you try to finish it in haste, it may cause some flooring problems later.