Installing laminate flooring is not very challenging when experts do it. Trimming around obstacles need to be done with care, as any imperfections are often noticeable. You can either install the flooring on your own by following the given steps, or call our team.
For installation, you will need basic hand tools including a circular saw, hammer, tapping bar, pull bar, table saw, foam, compound mitre saw, a heavy roller, foam, expansion spacers, and jigsaw. The step-by-step installation process is:
Step 1: Install a moisture barrier if installing the floor over plain concrete or tiles covering concrete. It should run wall to wall with sections overlapping 8". Moisture transfers through concrete quite readily, and moisture from the ground reaching your laminate will destroy it by causing warping, separation and mold.
Step 2: Start on the left side of the room from the most common entry point. Complete the entire length of the left wall by joining the short ends of the planks. The gap created by the spacers is needed for expansion that comes with higher humidity, and the gap will be covered by the shoe molding once the floor is installed.
Step 3: Toward the end of the first row, measure the length the last piece needs to be, and trim the piece to fit before installing it.
Step 4: While working on the second row, you should cut a piece of the same length as the last piece of the first row in order to stagger the end butts. From the same end of the room, start the second row. For subsequent rows, choose varying lengths for the first piece in order to achieve a more random look. Connect each piece with the one next to it by placing the tongue in the groove and pushing them together. Use the tapping bar to secure a tight fit.
Step 5: For trimming around floor vents, you should make your measures and pre-cut the boards before installation.
Step 6: Continue with this technique until all rows have been installed. You can use a pull bar to pull the pieces in the last row into the second to last piece for a tight, secure connection. A pull bar is a handy tool whenever you cannot use the tapping bar.
After finishing the flooring work, ensure all the joints are secure. Further, you can reinstall the baseboard molding and other trim pieces.
It is essential to maintain and clean laminate floors on a regular basis. Their melamine wear layer can be scratched and scuffed by grit and dirt, thereby reducing the shine of the flooring and creating a dull look. The tools, equipment and supplies required to clean your floors include multi-floor vacuum, microfiber mop, and hard-floor vacuum.
Refining laminate floors is not possible, and so it will last 15-30 years with the thick melamine wear surface. If the surface gets worn or dull, you will need to replace it.