Rules for installing a laminate with your own hands
Floors are an essential component of an apartment or house. Twenty years ago, many heard only about parquet or linoleum, but in our time a completely new type of coating was developed, which was called a laminated floor. Laminate can be laid in any of the rooms – bedroom, nursery, living room. And the installation of the laminate depends on the class of coating and its physical characteristics.
Content
- Laminate Elements Design
- Preparing for laying the floor
- Methods for installing laminate floors
- Mounting on the principle of “plank to plank”
- Laying cover with click locks
- Floor device with “Lock” locks
- Installation of adhesive laminate
Natural flooring materials have been replaced by modern coatings – laminated parquet. The Swedish company Perstorp is considered the creator of the laminate. The specialists of this company have developed a coating for the working surface of kitchen furniture. The term “laminate” combines two names – melanin, from which the coating is made, and lamination, that is, the method of processing melamine.
What does a laminate look like?
Laminate Elements Design
Laminate floors in appearance are no worse than parquet, and their technical properties are much better than other similar materials. A significant advantage is the fact that it is much easier to lay a laminate floor than, for example, parquet.
A laminate itself is a paper that has a solid wrap, so moisture in the coating is terrible only at the joints – that is, on the sides. Laminate flooring consists of several layers. The top layer is a transparent wear-resistant film with a digital index. Classes 31-33 are designed for a service life of about 20 years. The 34th grade is currently under development, and it is planned that it will serve for life.
What layers does a laminate consist of?
Next up are several layers of paper soaked in resins. Here on it is a drawing that affects the aesthetic value of this coating and consumer choice. Below is a carrier layer consisting of a fiberboard of significant density with moisture-resistant impregnation.
In this layer there is a lock, which is intended for fixing laminate panels to each other. Thermal insulation, sound insulation, durability of the future floor depends on the density, thickness and quality of the plate. The lock, in turn, allows you to easily remove and replace the damaged part of the laminate floor when a need arises..
The best locks can withstand loads of up to 1200 kilograms per meter. An acceptable result is 700-900 kilograms per meter. The fourth layer is the substrate, which is characterized by high sound insulation and completely absorbs sounds.
Preparing for laying the floor
It is worth starting the independent laying of the laminate floor only after electrical and finishing work, wallpapering or painting the walls. When performing work such as installing a laminate, a video and photo gallery will help you understand the meaning of the procedure. Before laying the laminate with your own hands, you need to carefully examine it. Defects are all elements with scratches and chips on the surface, with defects in the lock and violation of the lacquer layer.
It is worth checking that the base for laying the laminate floor is even and dry. The coating can be laid on the glued PVC floor, linoleum and parquet board, but it is important to prevent the formation of cracks and delamination. If you plan to lay the laminate on concrete, then its humidity should not be higher than 2%.
Layout options for laminate flooring strips
It is strictly forbidden to place the laminate on carpet. To avoid the creak of finished floors, you need to put a so-called carpet layer between the laminate and the old coating, which is felt paper or a foam pad. If the basis for laying is a concrete surface, then in addition to it it is necessary to lay a plastic film or a substrate made of foamed polyethylene for waterproofing.
If necessary, additional floor leveling should be carried out using a special mixture. The floor must be vacuumed, cleaned out all irregularities and tubercles, and only after that fill in a self-leveling mixture, during which it is recommended to monitor so that no sag is formed. Mix the mixture a couple of hours before laying.
Methods for installing laminate floors
Laminate floors are laid in various ways, the choice of which is dictated by the specifics of the castle system, as well as the use of adhesives or the rejection of them..
Mounting on the principle of “plank to plank”
It is possible to lay the laminate floor according to the “plank to plank” technology, which consists of sequential actions:
- It is worth laying the laminate, starting from the most remote corner from the entrance to the room. The long sides of the panel should be directed parallel to the light rays falling from the windows. Thus, the sides of the panels will be parallel to the walls of the room. If the room has a round shape, you need to navigate only by light.
- The gaps between the walls and the rows of panels should be based on the following ratio: 1.5 millimeters of clearance per 1 meter of the room, which in general should not be less than 10 millimeters.
- Next, you should determine the width of the last row. To do this, it is worth measuring the length of the room, taking into account the gaps. If the width of the last row in the calculation is less than 5 centimeters, it is necessary to saw boards so that the first and last rows have the same width.
- Wedges are placed against the walls, which correspond to the size of the gaps.
The sides of the panel must be directed parallel to the light rays
Laying cover with click locks
In this case, you should set aside all the tools. To lay a laminate with Click locks:
- Take the second panel at an angle of 30 degrees, insert the product into the end groove of the previous panel and snap it into place by pressing the second panel to the floor.
- Move end seams of the third row by 30-40 centimeters in relation to the seams of the previous row. The rows are laid with a piece of the panel that remains from the previous row. If the first piece is less than 4 centimeters long, it is recommended to cut a new one equal to half the panel. The surface is staggered, which ensures uniform pressure distribution on the panel.
- Lift the second row and insert it at an angle of 30 degrees into the groove of the first row. The most important thing is not to stop the process until you hear a familiar click.
Installation of a laminate with a click lock
The process of connecting the planks with click locks continues until the sound signal is click
Floor device with “Lock” locks
Do-it-yourself installation of a laminate with “Lock” locks is considered the most economical option. The changes relate to the first paragraph of the previous instruction: you need to connect panels that are located horizontally. The grooves also fit together. The panels are joined to each other by hitting a hammer on a bar of wood that is attached to the opposite edge of the panel to be attached. You should hear the sound of “lock”.
A sound signal should also indicate the completion of the connection of the slats with the lock “lock”
Installation of adhesive laminate
If you decide to install the laminate on the glue, then it is worth buying a good water-repellent glue. Laminate flooring is done in a floating way, which means connecting the individual elements along the crest and groove. Coating to the subfloor is not firmly fixed.
For every 12 square meters, nearly half a liter of glue is consumed. It is applied in excess, without saving, the entire length of the groove of each subsequent panel. Next, you should carefully arrive to the sound of “dance-dance”. Use a damp cloth to remove excess glue, which protects the joints from moisture and allows you to disassemble the coating if necessary.
Do not save when buying cheap glue, the composition must be selected in accordance with the recommendation of the laminate manufacturer
It is better not to use cheap PVA glue, because it will bring only a deplorable result, after which you will have to buy a new laminate. Before starting operation, the coating must be given a break of 10 hours..
Useful information, tips
Proper and competent installation of the laminate with your own hands implies preliminary preparation: the material should be placed in a room with a temperature of at least 18 degrees and a humidity of about 75%. Before laying the first row, it is worth pulling a rope along the wall and aligning it.
If the room has an uneven wall, then the first row of the laminate floor should be cut along the contour of the wall. If the work is done using a conventional saw, then the material should be laid face up, using a circular saw face down. When laying a laminate floor, you should focus on the first two rows. And they should turn out equal.
Laminate flooring on the base
The laminate is perfectly protected from dust, for cleaning you just need to vacuum the floors. However, the material should always be dry, and if something spills on it, then immediately wipe the liquid. When cleaning a laminate floor, it is highly undesirable to use abrasive cleaners, as they can damage the top decorative layer of the laminate. In addition, heavy furniture should not be moved on the floor, because it negatively affects the decorative layer of the laminate.
Installation of a laminate floor with lock joints requires observing the technological sequence of laying the slats, which the video demonstrates:
So, you managed to install the laminate floor with your own hands. If during this process you followed the above instructions, then you should get a very attractive coverage, which will serve you faithfully for many years.
