If laminate flooring is installed on a concrete base, all old flooring must be removed first. If chips and cracks are found in the concrete. And other defects, it is restored using a self-leveling mixture. It should be taken into account that a vapor barrier material must be laid on the concrete base.
If the laminate needs to be laid on a wooden floor, it must first be leveled by scraping. In addition, it is necessary to secure the substrate. Most often plywood is used for this. This material is characterized by low cost and long service life.
If the laminate is installed in a room where linoleum or tiles are installed, no action is necessary. It is enough to lay the underlay under the flooring and begin fixing the laminate.
Laying methods
The described floor covering can be secured in the following ways:
- using glue;
- connection without glue.
When using the first method, glue is first applied to the edge of the panel, after which the next one is attached to it. Since this method is time consuming and complex, it is rarely used during material consolidation. It is only necessary if there will be a large load on the floor in a certain room.
The most commonly used connection is a glueless connection, in which the panels are joined to each other by butting and snapping the lock. First, the panel is leaned against the already installed one at an angle of 30 degrees, after which it is lowered onto the substrate. At this moment, you can hear a click, which will mean that the elements of the floor covering are securely fastened together.
Panel layout options
Most often, the panels of the described floor covering are laid towards the light. But if desired, you can lay it diagonally or perpendicularly. With the classic installation method, the first row of panels is laid first, after which part of the last one is cut off and laid in the next row. In this way, the floor covering is placed over the entire area of the room. When choosing this method, no additional amount of material is wasted, since all the scraps are used during installation.
The described installation method is most often used in large apartments or offices. This is justified by the fact that a minimum number of panels are used during operation. Laying is carried out towards the window.
The second method is checkerboard laying. It involves securing all panels in a checkerboard pattern. This option leaves approximately 15 percent waste. That is why the method is used quite rarely.
Classic masonry involves fastening the panels diagonally. All flooring elements are laid at an angle of 45 degrees. It should be borne in mind that when choosing this option, about 15 percent of waste also remains.
Stages of laying material
Step-by-step instructions for laying laminate flooring are usually included with each package of material. Installation of the floor covering is carried out in several stages:
After 4 rows, the installation process usually goes faster, since all actions are monotonous.
Installation of skirting boards
The plinth is secured not to the floor covering, but to the wall. Since such products have various methods of fastening, before purchasing it is worth finding out which of them can be installed on walls.
There should be no gaps between the baseboard and the wall at all. That is why if the walls are uneven, they must first be leveled. If wires are laid under such products, they are tucked into a special groove. Do not hide wires in the gap between the wall and the laminate. This is due to the fact that the floor covering can expand during use. The attached video will allow you to find out more details about the process of laying the material.
Can flooring be inexpensive, reliable and easy to install? There is a material that combines these incompatible properties. This is a laminate floor. Therefore, it is the most popular among other types of coatings. To lay laminate flooring with your own hands, you need to know the characteristics of the material and the subtleties of working with it so that its service life is as long as possible.
The main question that arises when choosing a floor covering is whether it is possible to install it yourself? Yes, and very easy! You just need to know the technological features. We will tell you how to lay laminate flooring yourself, with step-by-step instructions. You will be able to carry out high-quality assembly yourself, without resorting to the expensive services of professional craftsmen. Our detailed article will introduce you to all the secrets and features of laying this flooring.
Buying laminate
Before buying laminate, you should familiarize yourself with the parameters that affect its quality and cost. It happens that a laminate of the same quality and characteristics differs significantly in price. This is because some manufacturers include a markup for branding and marketing gimmicks in the price.
So, what to look for? Laminate varies in classes, 21-23, 31-33, and thickness, from 4 to 12 mm. The optimal thickness of this floor covering should correspond to the type of room where it is intended to be installed. The laminate class is indicated by two numbers, where the first indicates the type of room, and the second is the wear resistance coefficient, which implies impact resistance and moisture resistance. For example, if a laminate of minimal thickness and light load is suitable for a bedroom, then for a kitchen it is better to choose a higher class.
For a clearer understanding, let’s look at the classes in more detail:
| Laminate class | Wear resistance level | Room type | Thickness mm |
| 21 | Easy | Bedroom | 4 |
| 22 | Average | Hall, living room | 5 |
| 23 | High | Kitchen, hallway, children's room | 5 |
| 31 | Easy | Utility rooms | 6 |
| 32 | Average | Office rooms | 6-10 |
| 33 | High | Cafes, shops, gym | 12 |
The table shows:
- classes 21, 22, 23 are intended for household use, and 31, 32, 33 - commercial use;
- the greater the thickness, the higher the load level.
The class of laminate affects its cost. Therefore, the choice of increased thickness for home use is not always justified. Yes, class 33 has maximum moisture resistance, wear resistance and shockproof properties. But its main purpose is public places with high traffic, and for the same kitchen in the house, class 23 laminate will serve perfectly.
There is also such a nuance as the manufacturer’s warranty. Manufacturer's warranty period may vary from 15 to 30 years. Sellers may cite this parameter as a strong argument in favor of coverage at a higher cost. Don't delude yourself. The plant guarantees the service life of the coating, the installation of which was carried out by certified craftsmen.
What type of surface can laminate flooring be laid on?
The base can be any previous coating - cement, tile, wood, linoleum. It is only necessary that this surface be hard and level. Therefore, you must first make sure that it is level enough. After which you can begin assembling the laminate. A deviation of 1 or 2 mm is permissible, no more. Only if this condition is met, the board will not sag, but will lie flat and tight. With a larger difference, the laminate board may crack or break. Check if there is a deviation using a rule or profile.
Important: laying laminate flooring is only possible on a clean, leveled base without cracks, unevenness or other defects.
Installation on concrete floor
It is best to lay laminate flooring on a concrete floor. A self-leveling base is perfect. If there are unevenness on the concrete floor that exceeds the permitted standards, they need to be leveled. In the case of a cement floor, everything is easy - just pour a special screed. Concrete is therefore considered the best base for flooring.
If the concrete floor is smooth and clean need to lay down a backing. What types of underlays are there for laminate flooring?
- foamed polyethylene, budget option;
- expanded polystyrene;
- durable cork material;
- multilayer substrates made of different materials specifically designed to perform this function.
If there is a need to level the base, it must first be prepared for filling with a self-leveling mixture - cleaned and primed. The thickness of the first poured layer must be at least 10 mm. When the surface has dried, re-priming is carried out and another layer is poured. It is better to close the room for a day or two to avoid the appearance of defects on the surface of the screed.
The floor boards should be laid after the filled mortar has reached at least 50% strength. I would like to note that the screed dries completely in 70-80 days. You don’t have to wait for 100% drying if you use plastic film as a backing.
After reading the material completely, you will know how to lay laminate flooring on a concrete floor yourself.
Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor
One of the frequently asked questions is: can laminate flooring be installed on a wooden floor? In general, this is risky. Especially if the wooden covering is aged. According to technological standards, it would be more correct to remove it, then replacing it with a full-fledged concrete base. In this case, it will be necessary to do all the necessary work on bedding, thermal insulation, and preparation of the reinforcing belt. Only after this can you make a concrete screed. Once the mixture has hardened, you can begin laying the laminate panels.
Until the filling is done, it is possible to install a heated floor system. Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on heated floors? Yes, if a special type of laminate board is used. It does not deteriorate from heating.
Completely replacing the old wood covering with concrete is a very expensive undertaking, both in terms of cost and time. Therefore, they usually prepare a wooden surface for installation of laminate flooring without replacement. Unless, of course, the floor is completely old. If the joists and boards are damaged, it is better to re-lay them or make a screed.
Minuses wooden covering as a base:
- parts can “walk” in height;
- there is a high probability of squeaking when walking;
- the logs are drying up.
There is no need to lay laminate flooring on a creaking base. We need to find and fix the loose planks. They can be additionally screwed or nailed.
Preliminary preparation of the wooden base begins with cutting off excess pieces protruding above the surface. The cracks need to be filled with putty.
Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to lay leveling material on it. Typically plywood is used for this. The optimal thickness of the plywood sheet for leveling is 10-12 mm. Plywood sheets are screwed with self-tapping screws. If there are differences greater than permissible, you will need slats of various thicknesses to level the plywood.
It will be better if the joints of the plywood sheets do not coincide at the corners. This way the load on them will be distributed evenly. More sheets cannot be fitted closely. Wood has the ability to change. Temperature and air humidity affect the condition of the tree. Therefore, there must be small gaps between the sheets of plywood. They are needed to avoid distortions if the tree begins to “move” - dry out or expand.
If the wooden floor has not been damaged and the plywood sheets are laid evenly, such a base for the laminate will last a long time.
Laying on linoleum
In many apartments, linoleum is laid on the floor. And when it’s time to change the floor covering, a completely reasonable question arises: is it possible to lay laminate flooring on linoleum? Usually there are no contraindications to this. There is even some positive aspect. Linoleum provides additional sound insulation.
But there are cases when should not be used linoleum as a base:
- Uneven floor. If there are holes, swellings, or large differences, it is better to remove the linoleum and pay attention to leveling.
- The covering is very old. Linoleum that has begun to deteriorate will swell. This can ruin the laminate flooring, not to mention the aesthetics.
- Highly soft linoleum is undesirable as a base. This is fraught with the appearance of squeaks on the laminate when walking.
Underlay for laminate
On the prepared base, leveled and cleaned, you must first lay the substrate. The main role it plays is to protect the interlocking joints of the laminate from the destructive effects of external loads. This is achieved by absorbing steps on the floor and redistributing pressure on it.
The substrate also has additional properties:
- hides small irregularities of acceptable sizes;
- muffles noise;
- insulates.
Types of substrate
Foamed polyethylene. This is the most affordable type. Therefore, it is very popular. The advantages include increased moisture resistance and low cost. The polyethylene foam backing is produced in rolls, which simplifies working with it. The low price justifies its obvious disadvantages: low thermal conductivity, sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, lack of sound insulation.
Polyethylene foam short-lived. He quickly loses his shape. The level of damping, or cushioning, in other words, decreases over time. Because of this, the locking connections will quickly become loose. In short, polyethylene foam significantly reduces the lifespan of a laminate floor. Therefore, it is advisable to use it only under a cheap coating with a comparable service life.
Important: polyethylene foam backing is only suitable for cheap laminate flooring.
Expanded polystyrene. This type of substrate is average in cost and quality. Foamed polystyrene has the ability to hold its shape well and muffle noise. The surface of the substrate has a high density, so it smoothes out small irregularities well. In terms of cost, polystyrene foam is more expensive than polyethylene, but more affordable than cork backing. Release form: slabs and rolls. Due to its reasonable cost combined with good properties, this material is used more often than others. The only argument against is the impossibility of laying it on a heated floor.
It is recommended as a substrate if there is a heated floor system. It has the best properties required for a substrate. The price is a little cheaper than cork. The properties of the substrate directly affect the service life of the laminate. Therefore, buying a good underlay for expensive laminate flooring is a justified investment.
Important: a foiled polyurethane laminate underlay is suitable for heated floors.
It is made from natural cork chips. Release form: rolls. This is probably the best underlay for flooring. Undoubted advantages: durability, load resistance, high thermal insulation properties, good noise insulation. There are also disadvantages. Cork substrate does not like heat and moisture. In addition, it must be laid on a perfectly flat surface due to its low leveling ability. When laying, the joints must be taped with tape so that there are no gaps.
The type of premises where cork can be used are living rooms, without heated floors, where there is low or normal humidity and there is no risk for the covering to be flooded with water. Despite its excellent properties, natural cork laminate underlays are rarely used. This is due to the high price.
Bitumen-cork on cellulose. The cost is close to cork. Suitable for use with a heated floor system.
Important: the best and, at the same time, the most expensive substrate is natural cork. But it is not suitable for heated floors.
In addition to the above types of substrate, many new products appear on sale. Basically, these are little-known materials that have not undergone any testing. Therefore, it is better to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. They are usually indicated in the instructions on the package.
Is plastic film needed under laminate flooring?
The main purpose of the polyethylene film under the substrate when laying the laminate is protection against moisture penetration from the inside. If there is a basement with high humidity under the floor, the use of film is simply necessary. It is laid under the substrate with an overlap and taped with tape.
Polyethylene film for laminate
There is also a risk of moisture appearing from below when laying on a cement screed that is not completely dry. This is a problem with almost all modern new buildings made of monolithic concrete. The screed takes more than 2 months to dry. Many are not ready to wait that long. Even expensive, highly wear-resistant laminates deteriorate from moisture and begin to swell and creak. Therefore, it is advisable to use polyethylene film.
Important: many laminate flooring manufacturers recommend always using plastic film during installation.
How to lay the underlay
Now let's look at how to properly lay the underlayment under the laminate.
You need to start laying out or rolling out the backing material along the wall from which the installation will take place. As a result, the underlay should cover the entire length of the floor along the desired wall. It is better not to cover the entire floor of the room with a substrate at once, so as not to walk on it. The next strip along the wall should be laid as needed.
The joints must be tightly aligned and taped. If there are small gaps between the joints, it's okay. Not allowed laying the substrate overlaps, so the laminate should evenly adhere to it.
To speed up the process, the edges of the substrate are sometimes secured with a construction stapler. But it’s better to spend a little more time gluing with tape than to then listen to the not-so-pleasant sounds of staples rubbing against a laminate board.
Important: it is forbidden lay the underlay overlapping.
DIY laminate installation tools
Before starting installation work on laying laminate flooring, you must prepare all the necessary tools.
Tools
- Hammer and hammer. They are needed to adjust the laminate panels to each other. A block of wood is suitable as a finishing tool. Do not knock directly on the panels, as the locks may be damaged.
- Stationery knife. Needed to open packages.
- Square, pencil, tape measure. Will be needed for marking.
- Wedges. They will be needed to maintain the required gap between the wall and the covering.
- Montage. Using a special bracket, the boards of the last row are laid.
- Electric jigsaw. A jigsaw is needed for sawing boards. You can even cut laminate with any hand saw that you have at hand. Small cuts are required - the board is sawn across.
How to cut laminate correctly
The laminate should be face up when cutting. This will prevent burrs from forming along the edges of the front surface.
To make the cutting line smooth, use metal guides - rulers and squares.
The last row requires special attention. Boards for this row almost always have to be sawn lengthwise.
Laying scheme
A frequently asked question is how to lay laminate flooring, lengthwise or across the room. There is no special rule in this regard. There is only one subtlety, the observance of which is recommended, and only for visual effect. If you are laying laminate boards perpendicular to the window opening, then the light will fall along the seams, and they will become less noticeable. Laminate flooring can also be laid across. In this case, the joints of the boards will simply be more visible. Laying it diagonally looks very nice and visually expands the room. But this option is more complex - it requires skill, and there will be more waste.
In general, during installation the most difficult parts are the assembly of the first and last rows. When laying the first one, you must maintain gaps along the wall. The last row will take a lot of time to saw the boards and join them in the doorway with the covering in another room.
The main rule for proper installation of laminate flooring is the offset of the seams. Each transverse joint should be 400 mm from the next. This way the load will be optimally distributed over the entire surface, and the coating will be more wear-resistant.
The assembly of the next row always begins with a piece of the previous plank. Each even row should begin with such an incomplete piece. This assembly option is considered traditional. It is called "half-board offset layout." Odd rows with this option always start with a whole panel.
Important: the distance between the transverse seams of adjacent panels must be at least 40 cm.
You can also lay the laminate board with a ladder. When installing in this way, the minimum permissible seam displacement must be observed. Usually this parameter is indicated on the packaging. The first row starts with a whole plank, the next - with 1/3 of the full length, the third - 2/3. You will get a kind of ladder.
Instructions for laying laminate flooring yourself
The installation technology for this floor covering is always the same. There are only peculiarities when connecting boards depending on the type of lock.
Now let's look at step-by-step instructions on how to lay laminate flooring with your own hands.
- First you need to prepare, vacuum and level the surface of the base.
- When the surface is cleaned and leveled, if necessary, lay overlapping polyethylene film. The edges are secured with adhesive tape.
- Now the substrate is laid out or rolled out in strips along the desired wall. The joints must fit tightly. They are also sealed with adhesive tape.
- Wedges are placed around the entire perimeter. Their thickness is 10 mm. They will create a small gap between the floor and the walls. Due to this, air circulates around the floor covering. This will help prevent damage to the laminate when the room is very hot or humid.
- The first row should begin to be laid on the side opposite the door. All panels of the first row should rest against the indentation wedges. Each panel fits into the adjacent one.
- The last plank of the row may be too long. It needs to be trimmed, taking into account the prepared indents.
- The next strip of panels should start with half or a third of the board, according to the diagram.
- All rows are laid sequentially.
- The boards of the final row will need to be cut lengthwise. The main thing is not to cut off the tenon.
If the shape of the room is geometrically correct, installation difficulties should not arise.
Important: the laminate must adapt to the temperature and humidity of the room before installation. Therefore, a couple of days before the intended installation, you need to bring the packages with the flooring into this room.
How to eliminate joints between multi-level coverings of adjacent rooms
We looked at how to properly lay laminate flooring. But there is one more important point.
Often during installation, multi-level joints are formed between the laminate and the threshold or flooring of adjacent rooms. How to deal with them?
They are easily neutralized using thresholds. If you need a straight joint, a metal threshold will do. It is the most durable. For joints that are curved, there are flexible thresholds.
Types of thresholds:
- single-level- the most common, designed for joining laminate flooring in adjacent rooms;
- multi-level- used for joining a laminate floor to another surface, the level of which differs in height;
- unilateral- used for joining with doors;
- angular- for connecting coverings at an angle of 90 degrees.
Installation methods depending on the type of lock
Installation methods for laminate flooring depend on the type of lock on the board, Click or Lock. It is impossible to confuse them, because the manufacturer indicates on the packaging which connection is used.
Laying method with locking connection Click
This technology involves assembly without a hammer. The boards are assembled sequentially. Each subsequent panel must be brought to the already installed one at an angle of 45 degrees. Then the tenon must be inserted into the groove, pressing lightly. The castle received this name because of its characteristic feature. When the tenon fits into the groove, it makes a clicking sound. With this technology, the panels are first fastened with lateral connections, and then longitudinal ones.
Laying with lock joint Lock
This method has differences from the previous one. The tenons are inserted into the groove from the side, and you can’t do without a mallet and a hammer. This technology involves first assembling rows and then connecting them. Boards of the same row must be laid out evenly on the floor, parallel to each other.
So, we looked in detail at how to lay laminate flooring with your own hands. It remains to clarify one more point. Connection " tongue and groove» does not make the floor surface airtight. Water can still get between the seams. However, special adhesive can significantly reduce the likelihood of water getting inside the coating.
Glue is applied to the spikes immediately before assembly. But this method has a significant drawback. The resulting floor covering will become monolithic. If necessary, replacing several boards will no longer be possible.
Before installation, the laminate must be left in the middle of the room for 48 hours at a stable temperature (minimum 180) and a relative humidity of more than 70%. Please note: all laminate packages must be sealed. This procedure is necessary to ensure that the laminate adapts to the conditions of future installation.
When installing yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for installing laminate flooring, which are located in each package on the insert included with the floor.
To install laminate you will need:
- hammer
- granny (a block for beating laminate flooring)
- wood saw or jigsaw
- clamp for installing the last laminate panels
- spacer wedges to provide clearances near walls
- Ruler and pencil
- polyethylene film is necessary when laying laminate flooring on concrete floors as a vapor barrier.
- 2mm sound-absorbing underlay or substitutes, such as Parkolag, an excellent bitumen underlay on cork chips that significantly extends the life of the laminate.
Please note: laminate cannot be installed in bathrooms, showers and saunas, that is, in rooms with high humidity.
Since the laminate is laid in a floating manner, that is, the panels should not be attached to the base in any way, therefore rigid fastening of the panels to the base using nails, screws, glue, etc. is STRICTLY prohibited.
Please note: all laminate packs must be intact and the boards undamaged. Defective panels cannot be used in floor installations as they are not covered by the warranty and cannot be returned. If a defect is detected during the installation process, stop installation and return the unopened packs to the seller.
Laying laminate flooring is permissible on linoleum, parquet board or other base, provided that the requirements for evenness, strength and moisture content of the base for laying the laminate are met. It is not advisable to install laminate flooring over carpet due to the “static discharge” effect.
If installation is carried out on a concrete base, the relative humidity should not exceed 2.5%. All screed irregularities exceeding 3mm per 1 lm. must be eliminated. The base must be clean, dry, level and durable.
Start laying in such a way that the light from the window falls parallel to the seams of the laminate. In the case of a perpendicular incidence of light, the seams from the laminate will be visible more clearly.
If you want to make a laminate flooring with heating, please note that this heating must be water. This is due to the fact that sudden heating of the floor is extremely undesirable for laminated parquet and can affect the disruption of the locking joint and, as a result, lead to the formation of cracks.
If you are laying laminate flooring on a concrete base, then you will need a plastic film to provide a vapor barrier from the residual moisture of your screed. After this, a sound-absorbing substrate is laid out, on which the laminate is installed.
If installed on linoleum or wood flooring, no vapor barrier is required.
We consider it ideal to use a special functional sound-hydro-insulating underlay called Parkolag, which additionally provides the ventilation effect of your screed.
Laying the laminate begins with the formation of the first row of 2 boards, while special spacer wedges are installed to provide a gap between the laminate and the wall from 7 to 15 mm. These gaps are necessary so that the laminate, after installation, is not interfered with by the wall expanding and contracting. If your laminate flooring stands on end, then there is a very high probability that this particular rule has been violated. The laminate is laid with a lock on itself to facilitate snapping of the panels.
After forming the first row, we proceed to the 2nd row. Please note that professional installers always install laminate flooring in half a board, that is, the top view should resemble brickwork on a half-brick wall, although the instructions allow installation with the boards offset relative to each other by at least 20 cm. Laying in the “floor board” allows for even distribution pressure between panels as the laminate expands and contracts.
The 2nd row panel is brought to the other panel at an angle, inserted into the lock and latched, and it should make up half of the board. Please note that the laminate is not yet snapped into place at the ends, but is only being “tried on”.
Next, the formation of 2 rows continues without end (on the short side) snapping using the next board.
Next, all 4 panels are joined and tapped. They will serve as a starting point for subsequent installation. Please note that the spacer wedges must remain in place.
Next comes the installation of the remaining rows.
A clamp is used to install the last board adjacent to the wall. It allows you to easily connect to the previous panel.
Pay attention to how the final panels are installed. This diagram will greatly simplify the marking of laminated boards.
This diagram allows you to visualize how you can solve the problem of bypassing the pipes of the heating system.
After laying the laminate, you can begin installing the baseboard. Here is a diagram of how to attach the plinth with clips. Please note that when using ventilation underlays (Parcolag), the lower part of the plinth should not prevent the outflow of residual moisture from the screed.
It has become a sought-after service in the market. Naturally, not everyone is ready to contact construction teams carrying out installation work. How to do your own styling quickly and without problems - we give simple step-by-step instructions.
Types of laminate installation
There are a number of installation methods. The most common ones are:
- traditional;
- diagonal.
Recently, the herringbone method has appeared, but it is quite complicated and requires special skills and labor-intensive work. Therefore, they usually prefer to assemble laminate flooring using only the two methods mentioned above.
Diagonal laying of laminate allows you to visually make the room larger and more spacious. However, it will require purchasing more boards, since a lot of material will be wasted.
Also read materials:
When installing in the traditional way, the boards are laid parallel to the wall from the window. Laying the laminate in this way allows you to visually hide the joints. Under no circumstances should boards be laid across the window - then the light, falling at an angle to the joints, will highlight them. When laying diagonally, the slats are placed at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the wall. In this case, the angle of incidence of light from the window does not in any way affect the perception of the floor - the joints of the finishing elements are not noticeable in any lighting.
Types of installation of finishing boards
There are also only two of them:
- adhesive connection;
- lock connection.
Advantages of a locking connection– ease of assembly, speed of operation. In this case, laminate boards have special grooves and tenons that are inserted into each other, forming a kind of lock.
Advantages of adhesive joints in that it makes the floors more resistant to moisture, since the risk of water getting into the grooves and gaps that still form when laying the laminate is eliminated. Installation becomes more labor-intensive. But this is justified in a number of rooms - especially in the kitchen, where the likelihood of water spillage is high.
Review of laminate locks (video)
Material calculation
Laying the substrate
The underlay is laid on the prepared floor surface. It's not difficult to do it yourself. The main thing is that the size of the substrate must correspond to the size of the floor. Lay the material without overlap, end-to-end. If the substrate is sheet, then it is laid with an offset - just like bricks are laid in the walls. The joints between the edges of the substrate are secured with tape so that it does not move. After this, the actual laying of the laminate begins.
Underlay for laminate (video)
Types of connection
If an adhesive connection is selected, a sealant is applied to the locks before installation. If the laminate has “lock” locks, then each board is attached separately, and the joint is made with the adjacent board and the top row of boards. If the connection is “click”, then first the boards are attached at the ends, and then row to row.
Installation in the traditional way
- This method is the simplest and you can do it yourself without any problems. The instructions for laying laminate flooring state that work should begin from the wall and perpendicular to the window.
- The first row must be assembled close to the wall, taking into account the compensation gap of 15 mm. In order to keep the gap constant, wedges are used. In this case, the board is placed so that the grooves are located towards the wall.
- Next, we lay our laminate in the first row - the second board is attached to the end of the first placed board. Immediately use a level to level the slats so that they are perfectly straight. The boards should run in a straight line, strictly perpendicular to the window to the opposite wall.
- The last board rarely fits perfectly into the size of the wall and will have to be cut. Therefore, first, the distance to the wall from the already installed board is measured along the floor, taking into account the compensation gap. Then the board is marked and cut with a jigsaw.
- The second row is laid in the same way. Starting work can be done with an already cut piece of board to save material. The tenons are inserted into the grooves and snap into place.
- After laying the row, the boards are inserted tightly together - for this you take a wooden hammer and a wooden block. The block is applied to the board and hit with a hammer - then the locking joint will fit tightly and the gaps between the boards will not be visible.
- This is how a row is placed behind a row. The last row may not fit entirely and then you will have to cut the boards lengthwise.
Diagonal laying
- The first board is laid from the far corner of the room. To orient the lamellas and mark them correctly, you will need a carbon ruler with sides of 45 degrees. After cutting the board, wedges measuring 15 mm are placed on the walls and the lamella is placed in the corner. The first row consists of one board.
- The second row already consists of two boards. The main thing is that the end connection of the elements falls on the center of the first board. Having measured the length of the lamellas, cut the corners again at 45 degrees - they will fit against the wall. Connect the rows together. To make the floor look beautiful, it is important that there is a distance of 20-40 cm between the ends of the boards of adjacent rows.
- In this way we lay row by row, not forgetting to knock together the rows of laminate with a wooden hammer in order to make the gaps invisible and get rid of cracks.
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Laying laminate flooring is not particularly difficult - you can do it yourself, following the instructions, within one day.
Master class on laying laminate flooring (video)
