What Method Of Laying Laminate To Choose When Installing In An Apartment

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Tool and material preparation
• The need for plastic wrap
• Settlement work
• Types of tool joints
• Leveling the floor
• Floating way
• Beveled laying
• Lack of thresholds
• The subtleties of styling diagonally

Before you start laying laminate flooring in an apartment, you should pay attention to the basic provisions and the instructions themselves, which clearly spell out all the rules and recommendations. At first glance, everything is very easy and simple. But, as in any system, certain installation difficulties may arise, which you will have to cope with yourself.

Tool and material preparation

To begin with, the store purchases the necessary material and equipment, which will make it possible to produce flooring in the shortest possible time and with the highest efficiency. In work, a hammer with a jigsaw, a hacksaw will be an excellent assistant (although it is not recommended to use it for cutting individual lamellas, as it spoils not only the appearance, but also the protective layer of the laminate). More problems will arise with the last rows of the floor covering, since you will not have to cut across, but along.

A pencil with a ruler, as well as a tape measure, will help to make calculations and mark the cutting points. Do not hit the laminate with a hammer, as the interlocks will be damaged. It is better to purchase a special tool - a doboinik. The last row of flooring is laid using a special bracket, which is commonly called a "mounting".

The laminate itself cannot be independently laid on the base of the floor in the room without additional elements. The substrate is essential, as it allows you to protect the lamellas from external weather factors (humidity and temperature changes). In addition, it is better to purchase ready-made spacers that will be installed along the walls to create a gap of 10-15 mm. This is especially important when installing a laminate on a warm floor, regardless of its type and type.

The need for plastic wrap

Having started talking about the substrate, you should find out if there is a need to lay plastic wrap under the laminate. It is perfect if the room in which the work is carried out is located on the first floor of the building, when, in addition to this, there is an unheated (damp) basement room. Laying of the polyethylene film is carried out under the substrate to be arranged. It is connected to each other with scotch tape. There must be an overlap of the film row by row so that it can perform its main function. In this case, no moisture can enter from the inside.

Laminate flooring can lie on a concrete screed that is very slightly dry. Not everyone is ready to wait for 28-30 days before it dries completely. This causes increased humidity and therefore a hazard to the flooring. High humidity is also typical for new buildings, made of monolithic concrete structures.

If you do not take measures to protect it from humid air or the base, then even the highest quality laminate will quickly become unusable (it will become deformed, over time, it will make squeaks and extraneous sounds while walking).

All these points indicate that it is not superfluous, but even necessary, to produce a plastic wrap flooring under the laminate substrate. Everything can be done very quickly, and a lot of money will not be spent. The most important thing is that over time, the very result of the painstaking work will be obvious. In addition, almost all manufacturers in their instructions for laying a laminate with their own hands indicate the need to lay a polyethylene film under the substrate.

Settlement work

Initially, it is worth deciding which method of laying the laminate according to the step-by-step instructions will be chosen. The traditional way is called rectangular. In this case, the calculation is performed in a simple way: the width of the room is multiplied by its length (we get the area), which is additionally multiplied by 10%. The last figures will be needed to compensate for the material in case of damage or cutting.

There is a way to visually create the appearance of a larger room - a step-by-step installation of the laminate diagonally relative to the front door. Here, the calculation is carried out in the same way (we get the area), only instead of 10%, the final result is multiplied by 20%, since the costs of materials will increase significantly during trimming the lamellas.

When you have decided on the amount of laminate, you need to think about the substrate under it. The substrate serves as a vapor barrier in the room, as a shock absorber for external influences on the floor covering, and also absorbs extraneous noise. When laying the laminate on a concrete surface, the thickness of the backing should be 3 mm. With a wooden base, 2 mm will be enough. The main material from which the substrate is made is expanded polypropylene. You can also find cork substrates in stores, which will be much more expensive. It does not always make sense to use just such a material, since the laminate itself is not one of the expensive floor coverings. That is, the classic performance will be enough.

The backing strips should be fastened together with tape. This suggests that you need to buy one roll of adhesive tape, which will be enough for a standard room.

Types of tool joints

Now you can go directly to the choice of laminate, which will be laid on the floor according to the instructions. To a greater extent, in addition to its qualities, it may differ in terms of lock connections:

• "Click". The start of installation is oriented towards the walls. When the first row of flooring is assembled, wedges should be inserted between it and the wall. The technological gap is usually taken in the range of 10-12 mm. The protrusion of the first row of lamellas should address exactly the walls. In this case, there should not be any gaps, all locks should be tightly reduced to each other. Correct closing of the locks is guaranteed if the panels are inserted into each other at an angle of 45 degrees. When lowering, a characteristic click should be heard, indicating that the instructions for laying the laminate have been followed. The second row is mounted according to the following basic rule: the panels are connected in the end lock, after which they are shifted to be inserted into the groove at a certain angle. All subsequent rows are laid in the same way.

  

• "Lock". Installation instructions for laminate flooring will vary slightly. Before connecting the panels to each other, they must be installed strictly horizontally in order to connect the tenon on one of them with the groove on the other. After that, using a hammer and a wooden stand, they are tightly fitted until the gap is removed. There are features for the second (subsequent) row of flooring. Initially, the first panel is laid, which is driven into the groove of the first row. Before installing the second panel, an indent of 10 mm is made from the end part of the first one, connected to the previous row and fitted with the first panel.

  

• Adhesive connection. The longest installation process is typical for the use of adhesive for joining laminate lamellas. Some will think that this method makes no sense, it only takes personal time. In this case, the laminate will be able to last much longer, since all its joints will be reliably protected from moisture. As for the glue used, it must be waterproof. The laying process is similar to the process with “Lock” type locks. Only the adhesive is applied to the end areas.

Leveling the floor

Everyone knows that laminate flooring requires attention to the subfloor. Only a slight deviation in height is allowed, but no more than 1-2 mm for each linear meter in the room.

If there are minor defects in the base in the room, you should fill in a self-leveling compound, which is easy to prepare from ready-made dry mixes.

If the floor differences are significant and noticeable, as well as there are other errors, it is necessary to make high-quality leveling by creating a screed. The fill can be prepared independently, observing the proportions according to the instructions. An easier and faster way is to knead ready-made mixtures for a specific floor option. In addition to the so-called "wet" options for leveling the base in the room, "dry" ones can also be used, when logs are arranged, covered with plywood sheets. In general, there are many ways to create a level surface for subsequent flooring.

If you move away from this point, then over time, the laminate will quickly fail. It will begin to change its appearance (it becomes a "boat"), and also the locks will break very quickly from walking and constant external load.

Then you can already start laying the substrate, which is matched to a specific version of the floor covering.

Floating way

The laminate can be attached to the base with a special adhesive, or it can be suspended. The instructions for floating laminate flooring means fastening the panels together, but nothing in relation to the base.

At the same time, expansion joints should be arranged every 10-12 running meters. They will not allow the laminate to change its parameters with temperature fluctuations inside the room. Special gaps should also be provided between the wall, which are subsequently masked by installing skirting boards along the perimeter of the walls. The main advantages of this method of laminate installation:

1. You can disassemble and re-assemble the flooring if necessary and in case of violations of the instructions. Manufacturers say that such actions can be performed up to three to four times.
2. There is no need to wait for the glue to dry. The floor covering can be used immediately after installation and installation of the skirting boards in the room.
3. Panels that have been damaged during installation can be easily replaced with new ones. The same applies to elements that have been deformed during operation.

Beveled laying

This version of the laminate is somewhat different from the classic one. In its upper part, the edges are slightly chamfered (from 2 or 4 sides). Such manipulations allow the laminate to look like an expensive natural wood flooring.

In addition, the edges of the lamellas are protected from chips and material delamination.

Installation of this type of laminate fully complies with the installation instructions for conventional flooring. A layer of the substrate must be arranged, which is laid on a well-leveled base. For installation, you can choose one of the suitable options:

• Perpendicular.
• Parallel.
• Diagonally.

Lack of thresholds

If you want to lay the laminate indoors and do without thresholds, you may encounter certain nuances. It is imperative to arrange expansion joints throughout the apartment if its area is more than 50 m ².

Otherwise, everything will lead to swelling of the floor covering, which most often occurs in doorways. You cannot use this option for flooring if one room is more than 120 m ^{2 in area}.

The room where the laminate is laid according to the instructions without thresholds must have the required level of humidity, without exaggeration. In addition, careful work is carried out to level the base. We must not forget about the substrate (for example, foamed polyethylene), which is laid in several layers in order to achieve an indicator of 2-4 mm.

The subtleties of styling diagonally

This method of laying the laminate with your own hands in step-by-step instructions has a flooring angle in relation to the walls - 45 degrees. All work begins exclusively from the central part and towards the side walls. You can choose the direction yourself. A deformation gap of 10-15 mm is mandatory along the walls.

The first row of panels should be laid along a stretched thread from one corner of the room to the opposite. Cutting can be done with a jigsaw or a special metal hacksaw. True, in the latter case, you will have to spend a little more time and effort. The remains of the panels must not be thrown away. They may come in handy later.

At the end of all the events, it remains only to dock the laminate with the walls, doorways and other elements in the apartment. This must be done using various options for sills, which can be both straight and flexible, allowing you to bypass any obstacles. The main thing to remember is that when laying the laminate with your own hands, step-by-step instructions must be followed without fail. Only in this case it will be possible to achieve a positive and desired result.

Each point is very important for performance when installing laminate flooring. At the same time, there are certain subtleties depending on specific situations. All this is worth paying attention to, especially during the first execution. If you do not have your own knowledge in this direction and there are doubts about the quality of the work, it is better to give preference to specialists. The article was written specifically for

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