The cost of laminate compared to parquet is much lower. But cheap doesn't mean bad. This material has gained wide popularity and has proven itself, it has excellent characteristics. At the same time, outwardly it is difficult to distinguish it from natural wood. If you have a tool, laying a laminate with your own hands is a feasible task and everyone can do it, even in the absence of experience in carrying out such work. However, there are certain features that you should be aware of in order to avoid wasting time and further rework.
General characteristics of the material
Laminate flooring can recreate not only the texture of wood, but also marble and even ceramic tiles. Compared to wooden parquet, it compares favorably with much greater resistance to moisture, as well as a range of operating temperatures. These characteristics are achieved by covering the entire surface with a continuous layer of very strong resin. The regulated service life of this coating is 5 years. But in practice, with careful attitude and proper care of the floor, laminate flooring will last a much longer period before replacement. The disadvantage of this material is itssensitivity to moisture. For this reason, it is not suitable for use in rooms with a high level of this indicator.
What you need to carry out the work: a set of tools, consumables
If you follow the step-by-step instructions for laying the laminate, then there will be no problems during the work.
First of all, you will need the laminate itself, as well as a substrate made of soundproof material. If the base is a concrete floor (screed), then the laminate laying technology provides for the mandatory presence of a moisture-proof coating (film) over the concrete. For taking measurements and for marking, marking, laying a laminate, a set of tools is simply necessary. You will need a pencil, ruler, square. For cutting, cutting material, it is better to use an electric jigsaw. But if the latter is not in the arsenal, then a saw for wood with a small tooth, or even a hacksaw for metal, is quite suitable.
To fit laminate slabs, it is necessary to use a wooden (plastic) beam with a rubber lining, a wooden or rubber hammer (mallet), as well as spacers - prismatic bodies that are designed to obtain the same gap between the wall and the directly by the coating itself. Some craftsmen prefer to make such spacers from the bars on their own. But it is still recommended to purchase finished plastic products: in this case, accuracy is guaranteed. Many people face difficulties when installing the last plate: the gap betweenwall and laminate board is very small and does not allow assembly. A special mounting clamp (bracket) will help solve the problem.
Preparatory work
Laminate laying technology allows you to use a variety of surfaces as a base: from tiles to bare concrete, even old wooden floors in panel houses are suitable and not only. But before starting work, you need to make sure that the magnitude of the differences for every 2 meters does not exceed the value of 3 millimeters. If this rule is not observed, then the laminate will “walk” under the weight of a person. This, firstly, will significantly reduce the life of the floor covering, and secondly, it will create discomfort. A standard building level will help to detect the skew of the floor surface.
Preparing wood surfaces for laminate flooring
If the slope of the floor surface exceeds the maximum allowable value (3 millimeters), then it must be eliminated. Old, broken and cracked boards must be replaced with new ones. The same applies to old lags. It is not necessary to hire builders to carry out these works. These works are relatively simple and do not require much qualification from the performer, so they are easy to do with your own hands. Laying laminate on an uneven surface, as already mentioned, is not allowed.
A level is used to draw a straight line on the wall. In the future, the wooden flooring is aligned according to this markup. Sometimes, to make the room more comfortable, the empty space (gap) between concrete and woodthe flooring is filled with sound and heat insulating material.
After rough leveling, it is recommended to grind the surface with a grinder. To carry out such manipulations, you can hire a specialist who has all the necessary equipment at his disposal, or you can rent tools and do everything yourself. Laying laminate on a wooden floor has no fundamental differences in the assembly scheme and installation method.
You can level the surface for laying in a simpler way - lay plywood sheets on a wooden floor and fix them with self-tapping screws. Such a floor will be almost perfectly flat, and after laying the laminate will not sag even under very heavy weight.
Concrete surface preparation
It is recommended to install laminate flooring on a concrete floor. With your own hands, you can do absolutely all the stages and operations, including the preparation of the foundation. Laminate laid on concrete will serve reliably and for a long time, and will not cause discomfort when walking (damping and rocking). If there are gaps and significant cracks in the base screed, they must be sealed with cement mortar.
A perfectly flat floor can be obtained by pouring the so-called self-leveling screed. The only drawback of this alignment is the high cost of a special cement mortar. And therefore, it is advisable to use it only with a slight slope of the surface: this will not consume a very large amount of the composition.
If the floor surface is very curved, has significant irregularities and depressions, it is advisable to pourordinary concrete screed. The surface is leveled by the rule before the mortar dries.
DIY Laminate Laying Methods
Laminate boards can be laid parallel to the front door, perpendicular, as well as at an angle (usually 45 degrees). There are several possible schemes for laying laminate flooring. The choice of a particular method depends on individual taste preferences and design intent.
When laying laminate flooring at an angle, there is a lot of scrap that is thrown away. It is clear that this significantly increases the cost of work. In addition, laying laminate flooring in this way is extremely difficult to do with your own hands: high qualifications and extensive experience are required. The most common method is to position the laminate board in the direction in which the light rays fall from the windows. This solution makes the joints between the boards almost invisible.
In order to deliberately highlight the joints between the boards, the latter are placed parallel to the window opening. This scheme of laying the laminate allows you to visually expand the volume of the room.
Backing materials
No matter what surface the laminate flooring is laid on (concrete, wood, tile, carpet), you must first lay the substrate. Laying laminate on a bare surface will lead to disastrous consequences: the laminate will absorb moisture, swell and quickly become unusable. In addition, the lining serves as a kind of damper and softens the impact of mechanical stress on the laminate. This material is produced, as a rule, in rolls, which are spread on the floor with an overlap of 2-3 centimeters on the walls. Excess at the end of the work can be easily cut.
The most common material is polyethylene foam. Such a substrate has a rather low cost compared to other materials, while it serves for a long time, is resistant to moisture, and is a good noise insulator.
Cork pads are quite expensive. Cork has good soundproofing and heat-insulating properties, but at the same time it is defenseless against the harmful effects of moisture. There are cheaper and more practical composite materials (such as a bituminous cork lining with a cellulose backing).
Styrofoam is a great option. But it cannot be used for underfloor heating. And this is perhaps its only drawback.
Polyurethane lining with a layer of foil has perhaps the best set of properties. However, this material belongs to the elite category, and therefore is very expensive. Useful when laying premium laminate flooring.
Some features of laminate installation
Before starting work, the laminate must be acclimatized (adapt to the level of moisture and temperature). Therefore, the laminate, without unpacking, is kept for at least two days in the room for which it is intended.
When carrying out work, you must be guided by the basic rules for laying laminate, as well as common sense. Yes, startyou need to lay the coating from the side that first catches your eye when entering the room. The first board is placed on the side of the front door, the final row is placed on the opposite wall.
The standard mosaic element has special locks on four sides (around the entire perimeter). There are two types of locks: CLICK and LOCK. The first ones are much easier to assemble, besides, they are much stronger, they are unpretentious (it is almost impossible to break such a lock during assembly). Locks of the second type are easier to disassemble and much cheaper than the first. However, when laying with them, you will have to tinker a lot. By the way, if the laminate of the first type can be used on a surface with slight irregularities, then the laminate of the second type is more capricious and requires a perfectly even base.
To assemble elements with a CLICK type lock, the board is brought to the previously installed at an angle of about 45 degrees. The spike (thin partition) is placed in the groove with little effort. After the board slowly falls to the floor. By repeating the action, the first rad is collected. The second and all subsequent rows are assembled in the same way.
Laminate with a LOK lock is assembled by tapping with a wooden or rubber mallet. In this case, both elements are on the substrate in a horizontal position. When laying, care must be taken: the lock is very easy to break if you do not calculate the force.
When laying the laminate with your own hands, without the involvement of a specialist, it is important not to forget about one more important rule - you must leave a gap between the walls and the laminate itself. Therefore, between the laminate board and the wall are installedspacers.
People often have difficulty laying the last board in a row. As a rule, the panel needs to be shortened or even cut off only a small piece. At the same time, you can get confused with the lock system and shred the panel incorrectly, which will entail the need to buy additional laminate. Therefore, you should not hurry. The extra piece is not thrown away. You may still need it - the next row will begin with it.
Due to the very small gap, the last panel cannot be fitted with a hammer. Therefore, a bracket is used (a special clamp for laying laminate). One side of the tool is fixed to the laminate, the other side is tapped with a hammer, as a result, the board enters the groove.
Laying the second row occurs with a certain offset. As a rule, it is 0.5 of the panel length. Although sometimes it can be equal to 1/3.
Bevelled laminate
Laying a laminate with a chamfer (with beveled edges around the perimeter) is fundamentally no different from the installation of conventional panels. The cost is also comparable. Thanks to the chamfer along the perimeter, the cracks are not so striking. Thus, for a long time the laminate does not lose its original appearance and looks like new. The disadvantage of such a coating, according to reviews, is the difficulty in removing dirt from the joints.
Boards are produced with two-sided and four-sided chamfer. With laying laminate, the number of chamfers does not correlate in any way. The difference is only in appearance. And yet it is believed that a laminate board with a chamfer around the entire perimeter (on four sides) is the mostversatile and suitable for use in almost any room.
Laminate Care
We recommend vacuuming and damp mopping laminate flooring at least once a week.
It is unacceptable to use wax on an ongoing basis, as it leaves stains. All manufacturers recommend using wax for deep scratches. After processing with such a tool, the laminate board is not afraid of any moisture.
Do not drop heavy objects, do not touch the surface with hard metal brushes.
Following these simple recommendations, you can keep the original appearance of the coating for many years.
Laying in hard-to-reach places
To lay the laminate in the area of the battery pipes, it is necessary to cut holes in the board, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipes themselves. Holes are made either with a drill of the appropriate diameter, or with a milling cutter. To place the pipes in the holes made in the laminate board, you need to saw off a small piece of the block. The cut line divides the holes into two equal semicircles. Subsequently, the joint can be masked with a special insert in the color of the laminate.
When laying laminate in the area of the doorway, you need to join the board to the door frame closely, without leaving the slightest gap. Ideally, it is best to drive the laminate under the frame if there is sufficient space between the door frame board and the base.
Working on the stairs
When laminatedstairs, it is allowed not to use the substrate. The steps must be rectangular in cross section, and the staircase itself must be rigid and durable.
Start at the bottom. The laminate is attached with glue, which should be applied to the surface in an even layer, for which a construction spatula is used in the work.
Glue must be allowed to dry (at least a day) before using the ladder for its intended purpose.
It is also quite possible to do this work yourself. The tips for laying laminate with your own hands given in this material will help even a person who is far from the construction industry.
