Laminate is a new type of flooring, but during its existence it managed to gain popularity. The material has high performance characteristics and is easy to install. Using the installation instructions, you will be able to carry out the work yourself, even if you do not have the appropriate skills in the field of finishing work.
Floor leveling schemes
Is it possible to put a warm floor under the laminate - this question is often asked by home craftsmen. You can be sure that such work is allowed, but it is important to check if the rough surface is suitable for this. It may have certain irregularities, but for every 2 m2 they should not be more than 2 mm. If the slope is 4 mm by 2 m2, this floor is not recommended for laying laminate and further use of furniture. Otherwisein this case, a skew will occur, which will cause the cabinet doors to not close.
When preparing the floor, you must use technology, taking into account the materials at its base. If this is an old concrete coating, then it needs to be overhauled. Cracks should be widened and filled with mortar, and recesses should be filled with a self-levelling compound. At the final stage of preparation, the floor must be sanded and poured with a screed. If a wooden coating is used as a rough surface, it is necessary to first replace the failed boards. Alignment is permissible with plywood. The cement screed is usually primed, and the plank or plywood coating is sanded with special equipment. All types of floors are washed and vacuumed before installing the laminate.
Laying underlay and insulation
If you are wondering how to properly lay the laminate on the floor, you must remember that it is important to exclude the contact of the material with the surface, which releases moisture. It is necessary to carry out the installation of additional layers that will be responsible for the absorption of moisture and exclude the formation of condensate. Such layers are usually a diffusion membrane or 20 mm polyethylene. The sheets are spread with an overlap of 20 cm, they are connected to each other with adhesive tape.
If you are wondering how to properly lay laminate flooring, then you should know that you will also need to waterproof the surface. This issue is especially relevant if the installation is carried out on a concrete base. When there is gravel or crushed stone in the concrete floor, and the floor itself has been laid on a sand-cementscreed, then waterproofing is simply necessary, as is the case with a monolithic ceiling and factory slabs. The service life of the concrete floor does not really matter, since the material can release moisture, whether it is old or new. If you install a waterproofing layer, then the laminate will not deform, and it will not need to be treated with varnish.
Laying laminate on linoleum
On which floor the laminate is laid, you know. It can be concrete, and linoleum, and wood. It is necessary to start the installation of panels heading from the window. A gap should be provided between the wall and the laminate by installing spacer wedges in these places. The expansion gap must be 10 mm wide. It is necessary for the expansion and contraction of the material with changes in humidity and temperature.
If you are wondering how to properly lay laminate flooring, you should follow the instructions. It says that after mounting the first row, a short element should be trimmed. If the workpiece is longer than 50 cm, it is placed in the second row, minimizing the amount of waste. The elements of the second row should be applied to adjacent dies at an angle of 45 ˚. The last die is installed with a clamp, which will keep it stationary.
To protect the deformation gap when laying the laminate, skirting boards are installed after the installation of the panels. Under them, you can lay wires and other communications. The thickness of the substrate will depend on the thickness of the panels. For example, for 9 mm elements, the substrate is notmust be thicker than 3mm.
Preparation of tools
If you wondered how to properly lay the laminate on the floor, you should take care of the availability of the appropriate tools before starting work, among them should be highlighted:
- construction knife;
- hammer;
- roulette;
- pencil.
To ensure even installation, you will need a level and a building corner. You may need a hacksaw or an electric jigsaw, which will allow you to cut panels, beams and baseboards. With a pencil, you will mark the panels and walls. For ease of installation, you can purchase a laminate installation kit.
How to connect panels
If you are wondering how to lay a laminate on the floor with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the possible ways of connecting the panels. This can be done in several ways. Some boards have special latches that allow the comb of one board to be inserted into the next board. In this case, it is necessary to act by inserting elements horizontally or vertically. In order to achieve higher reliability when docking, glue the parts to be joined and tap them with a hammer.
On sale you can find a laminate with double locks, in which the comb of one panel is not only inserted into the groove, but also snaps into place with little effort. This connection option is more reliable and does not provide for additional fastening. glue method inhasn't been used very often lately. This technology involves pre-treatment with glue and joining the sides.
Various Mounting Methods
After leveling the surface and purchasing all the tools, as well as having decided on a suitable system for connecting the dies, you can start laying them. If you want to know how to properly lay a laminate on a warm floor, you should familiarize yourself with the technique, which says that installation can be carried out with a series connection of boards. This method is called deck. It is suitable for all types of laminate, and differs from figured in ease of operation and material savings. It does not require complex calculations and frequent trimming.
If the laying is carried out piece by piece, then the algorithm of actions will be different. The first panel must be installed so that the lock is facing the master, while the comb is facing the wall. Gap wedges should be installed between the panels and the wall. The 2nd joins the first panel. Between the combined dies there should be no gaps and differences in height. It is important to ensure that the longitudinal edge is at the same level. To connect along the longitudinal edge, the panels are inserted at an angle, and then brought to a click by pressing. End locks are connected vertically and horizontally.
In the first row, the cut of the last panel is set. If laying is carried out in rows, you will need to perform the following steps. The first row is assembled from panels with a cut comb. The lock must be facingto myself. The first row does not have to be near the wall. The 2nd joins him, and then leans against the wall.
To form a deformation gap, you also need to install wedges. The next rows are installed using the same technology. Under the door frame, the floor covering is wound up so that there is no gap between the jamb and the floor. For this, the racks of the box are sawn to the thickness of the laminate in the lower part. If a pipeline passes through the floor, then at the place of its passage, a hole should be drilled 2 cm larger than the diameter of the pipe. This will ensure that the floor floats freely during changes in humidity and temperature.
Can I put laminate flooring on wood floor
If you are wondering how to properly lay a laminate on a wooden floor, then first you need to find out if such work can be done. The panels are only joined together, and there is no need to fasten them to building structures. If the installation is carried out in a floating pattern, then the floor will lie on a rough base, allowing it to narrow and expand. It will not prevent the laminate from changing its geometric parameters with changes in humidity and temperature.
Laminated board has such a design specificity that allows you to do without glue. Thus, we can conclude that laying a laminate on a wooden floor is possible. If a new plank floor is available, the fasteners should be checked and the loose fasteners replaced by driving nails or self-tapping screws into the floorboards. The gaps can be filledwood glue or foam. If necessary, the surface is cycled.
If you are wondering how to properly lay a laminate on a wooden floor, then you should also familiarize yourself with the technology, which involves the use of a draft coating with structural violations. This basis will need to be improved. If the floorboards sag, then the lag system can be strengthened by installing a beam or replacing the boards with thicker lumber. It happens that it is easier and more profitable to lay an additional row of boards on top, which will be similar in thickness. They are placed crosswise with respect to the previous layer. The latter measure is acceptable if the subfloor with laminate and underlay does not take too much away from the height of the ceiling.
If you are wondering how to lay a laminate on a wooden floor, then you should know that such a rough surface can also be leveled with plywood, as well as by lining pieces with roofing felt under the logs. You can use glassine rolled up in several layers for this purpose. An alternative solution is the purchase of a designer from Knauf, which provides for a set of fasteners, plywood sheets and supports.
Features of laying laminate on a wooden floor
It is better not to cover the wooden rough base with hydro and vapor barrier, which will prevent ventilation. Under such layers, condensate will accumulate, which is harmful to wood. But if there is a desire to isolate the surface, it is better to use a diffusion membrane. It is better to lay a substrate. Suitable for thisnatural material.
To save a wooden structure, you should forget about the high prices for cork and pressed options with its use, namely bitumen-rubber and cork coatings. The thickness of this layer should be selected taking into account the laminated panel. Under 8 mm from, a 3 mm underlay should be laid without overlap. Stationary fastenings to the walls or the base do not need to be done. All you need is duct tape.
After you know that you can put laminate on a wooden floor, you can get to work. Installation steps usually begin from the corner farthest from the doorway. You need to take four panels with you. Two of them, which will be located against the wall, must first remove the comb. The groove stays in place. To avoid cross intersections, it is important to outline how far the panels in adjacent rows will be displaced. This will improve reliability. The offset for the offset is 30 cm. The second board should be shortened by this amount.
After docking the 1st and 3rd panels, you can attach a segment of the 2nd to them. Then the 4th plate is activated. The assembled segment is moved to the designated location. Leave a distance between the wall and the assembled element, insert 1 cm thick spacers.
Is it possible to lay laminate on a warm floor
Many home masters are wondering if they put a warm floor under the laminate. The answer here is an unequivocal "Yes". With this arrangement of the system, heated water acts as a heat source. It circulates through pipes located under the laminate. The industry of the 21st century produces pipe products made from the latest materials. Innovative technologies are at the heart of it.
You can buy metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes for such a system, which ensure complete safety of operation, so water leaks are completely excluded. When you figured out that you can put a warm floor under the laminate, you should study the features of the technology. It says that a damper tape should be laid around the perimeter of the room. On top of the subfloor, hydro and thermal insulation is arranged, a reinforcing mesh is laid. Pipes should be arranged in parallel or in a spiral manner. In the first case, the drawing will resemble a snake. The ends of the pipe are closed to the heating circuit so that the water circulates inside.
At the next stage, you can start pouring the structure with a sand-cement mixture. Such a screed is leveled for laying a laminate. The coolant will circulate through the pipes, heating the cement and evenly transferring heat to the laminate.
Installation rules
If you wondered how to properly lay a warm floor under a laminate, you should know that the installation technology will be standard. Along the perimeter, you need to install a damper tape at the bottom of the wall. A plastic film is laid on the finished screed. Planks have a small thickness, so it is important to reduce physical stress on the screed. To do this, a foam polyethylene substrate is laid under the laminate.
If you want to know how to properly lay a warm floor under a laminate, then you should knowthat the material before installation should be kept for some time in the room. The water floor is well heated for several days before the start of work, and the heating is turned off in 2-3 days. During this time, the desired microclimate is formed in the room.
