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Flooring Questions? |
Need to know how to install laminate flooring? The flooring professor can help! our centuries of combined flooring experience can go to work for you giving all the instructions for installing laminate flooring you could ever need! Do not make the same fatal laminate floor installation mistakes so many people do. Get the facts you need before you begin!
So let's get started....
OK, with regard to how to lay laminated flooring we must first know do we have a laminate floor that uses glue for the installation or will we install no glue laminate flooring. Chances are very good that if you recently purchased your new flooring that it is a glueless laminate flooring product. Most all new laminate flooring sold today uses a mechanical locking system also known as a click together or snap together laminate flooring installation system.
We will assume that is what you have. If it is not you can get more detailed information on old fashioned glue laminate installation in our consumer flooring guides section by downloading our how to install laminate flooring consumer guide. If you have already installed a glue laminate floor and know how, install floating laminate flooring that is of the no glue variety using pretty much the same technique but without the glue.
If you have never installed laminate flooring before and have no idea how to install laminate flooring, then be sure to review the instructions for installing laminate flooring below...
If you do not know how, install glueless laminate flooring by following standard laminate flooring installation instructions. In most cases the manufacturer will provide the recommended installation instructions with your product. The information in this section is meant to offer you a guideline of basic directions for installing laminate flooring so that you can decide if it is a project you want to tackle. The flooring professor also will provide resources to get manufacturer specific installation instructions for your flooring as well as give more in depth installation details if you do not have access to your manufacturers recommendations in our consumer flooring guides section.
here are the basic steps of what is needed to be done to install a no glue laminate floor.
As in any floor installation you MUST first be sure you have your substrate properly prepared general guidelines for installing laminate flooring call for the floor to be clean, free from debris or residues, and flat to within 3/16" in a 10" span.
Install your laminate flooring underlayment. Laminate flooring of all kinds require an underlayment. (*note there are a few products on the market that have the underlayment attached to the backing but we do not recommend this type of product as it does not offer the proper support under the joint)
Find the best place in the room to begin your laminate flooring installation and as a rule plan to work from left to right (if you are right handed) but you may work the other way if it is more comfortable. once you have found the best place to begin we recommend that you measure out where your full boards will end on the other side of the room to be sure you do not have a "sliver" against the opposing wall. If all is in order then proceed with the installation.
First you will want to cut off the tongues on both the end and side on the first board, make sure you leave the appropriate spacing (approx 5/16"-3/8") from the wall and put your first laminate wood flooring plank in place.
Then proceed by adding additional planks in a "stair step" pattern until you have moved across your room!
When you install no glue laminate flooring you will encounter challenges such as cutting door jambs, dealing with door casing, cutting around pipes, doorway transitions, keeping the floor square in the room, cutting around cabinets, reversing direction, installing laminate flooring stairs, and more. We will offer as many basic tips to handle these situations as possible on this site, but you can get a much more in depth and detailed step by step in our instructions for installing laminate flooring consumer guide.
When deciding how to install laminate flooring around the door jambs, undercutting is the best method. Door jambs can be cut using a jamb saw, or by using a dovetail saw for best results. If you have a lot of patience and tough knuckles you may try it with a traditional hand saw. The same technique would apply to door casing as well.
When cutting around pipes, your manufacturers directions for installing laminate flooring will likely tell you to be sure that a board joint falls directly on the center of the pipe, then take the two boards click them together and then use a drill and drill bit (allowing for the diameter of the pipe plus an additional 3/4" for expansion) and drill a hole centered on the joint between the two boards. Then unclick the panels, wrap them around the pipe and you are now ready to install no glue laminate flooring boards around the pipe.
How to install laminate flooring at doorway transitions can be easy or complicated, if the traditional pieces that the manufacturer offers will work, you can simply order the laminate flooring transitions you need when you order your flooring. the basic pieces offered are
Reducer
end/square molding
stair nosing
t molding
some mfr's offer a universal trim now that can be easily modified to make the reducer, t molding, and end molding.
These are the most common challenges you may run across when learning how to install laminate flooring. They can be overcome using simple techniques once you know how. one of the biggest challenges we have encountered when installing laminate flooring is getting the ends to lock in place. As when we offer any general installation advice it is important that you understand the best results will ALWAYS come from taking our tips, reading our how to install laminate flooring consumer flooring guide, and reading and understanding the directions for installing laminate flooring provided by the manufacturer of your particular laminate flooring product! Now you know the basics of how to install laminate flooring and should be ready to decide if it is a project you would like to tackle!
Care & cleaning
Installation
Discount laminate flooring
Installing laminate flooring stairs
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