Laminate is a rather spectacular coating, which can be used to make the interior of the room more solid and attractive. Floors lined with such material will look attractive, but, of course, only if the planks are properly installed. Further in the article, we will consider how to lay a laminate along or across a room, what technology to use to assemble such a coating, and how to make preparatory work.
What factors influence the styling method
You can install laminate flooring in rooms both along and across. The choice of the direction of laying such boards will depend on the following factors:
- size and configuration of the room;
- number and location of light sources;
- subfloor type.
The reader can see what the laminate flooring looks like laid along or across the room in the photos presented on the page. As you can see, depending on various factors, the mostan attractive appearance of such a coating can be achieved using both installation methods.
How slats are most often placed
In most cases, the direction of the laminate boards is chosen based on the light source. In residential areas, this is, of course, usually a window. When laying the lamellas perpendicular to the light source, all the joints between them become visible. Accordingly, the coating itself does not look too neat and impressive. It is supposed to lay the laminate in parallel with the rays of sunlight falling into the room.
In each room in modern apartments, most often there is only one window. Accordingly, it will not be too difficult to choose the location of the lamellas. But in corner apartments, windows can be located on adjacent walls. Very often there are two or more of them in equipped rooms and in private houses. In such rooms, when laying, you should be guided by the window from which the most sunlight comes (the largest, facing south, etc.).
Of course, both in apartments and in private houses, there are also rooms without windows. In this case, you need to focus on the brightest source of artificial lighting. Laminate boards in such rooms should be mounted parallel to the rays emitted by them.
What you should know
The material can be laid a little differently in narrow corridors with ceiling lamps. Focus on the light source in this case byfor obvious reasons it won't work. In such premises, lamellas are usually laid simply in the direction of the busiest movement of the residents of the apartment. Using this method of installation in this case allows you to extend the life of the coating. When laying along the main movement, the joints of the boards will subsequently wear out much more slowly.
Selecting the direction of installation depending on the size and configuration of the room
How is laminate flooring laid - along or across the room? The answer to this question depends, among other things, on the layout of this particular room. The lamellas of this material are mounted, in fact, usually parallel to the rays of light from the main source. However, sometimes designers and builders violate this rule. For example, in very narrow rooms with one window on a short wall, lamellas can also be mounted at an angle of 90 degrees to the incident sun. Of course, the coating itself in this case will not look so neat, but noticeable joints will visually expand the room and make it more voluminous.
Sometimes rooms in apartments can also have a complex configuration, that is, in plan they can be, for example, the letter "G" or "P". In such rooms, it is recommended to lay the laminate in a diagonal way. With this installation, the service life of the coating may be slightly reduced. However, the use of such technology will make the interior of a non-standard layout more solid and attractive.
How to lay laminate -along or across the room depending on the type of subfloor
Boards of such material are placed on a concrete screed using standard technology, focusing most often on a light source. Another thing is wooden floors. On such a coating, it is still recommended to lay the laminate perpendicular to the lower plank floorboards. When using this technology, the service life of the coating is extended. If the subfloor boards are parallel to the rays of light from the main source, the apartment owners will most likely have to give up the opportunity to mount the flooring in order to make it more durable.
Choice of material according to technical specifications
How to lay a laminate - along or across the room correctly, we'll talk about this a little lower. To begin with, let's figure out how to choose such a floor covering.
When buying slats, among other things, of course, you should pay attention to their variety. In terms of technical characteristics, such a coating may vary:
- according to the degree of wear resistance;
- according to the degree of resistance to moisture;
- by the type of attachment of the slats to each other.
There are only four wear resistance classes of laminate:
- 21, 22, 23 - can be used in residential areas with not too high traffic (in bedrooms, offices, living rooms);
- 31-33 - designed for installation in rooms with a heavy load in terms of patency (corridors, kitchens, hallways);
- 34 - extra strong laminate used for finishingfloors in hospitals, conference rooms, etc.;
- 42, 43 - Super strong custom made material.
According to the degree of moisture resistance, lamellas can be classified into ordinary and intended for laying in wet rooms. In locker rooms and rooms of saunas and baths, for example, class 34 laminate is usually installed. In addition to increased strength, such boards are also moisture resistant.
Special coatings
Among other things, a special waterproof laminate can also be used for installation in damp rooms. Such boards are equipped with a lock of a special design, which ensures the tightness of the joints. Also, the laminate of this variety is able to withstand even direct contact with water for a long time.
Laminate flooring can be laid along or across the room, regardless of its type. The above principles for choosing a mounting scheme in specific rooms are valid for all types of this material.
Methods of connecting boards
Ordinary, non-waterproof laminate planks can be equipped with two types of locks: Lock and Click. The first type of connection is extremely simple in design. In fact, this is a regular tongue/groove lock. It is recommended to purchase such a laminate only if it is planned to hire a specialist for its laying. Mounting boards with a Lock lock is a rather complicated and time-consuming business.
If the laying is supposed to be carried out independently, it is better to purchase lamellas with a Click type connection. In the presence ofsuch a lock, one of the boards during installation is simply brought under the other at an angle of 45 degrees. Next, the master presses on this bar, trying to give it a horizontal position.
Preparatory work
How to lay laminate - along or across the room, we thus found out. But how to properly prepare the premises for such a coating?
Laminate purchased in a store must be kept in the apartment for at least 48 hours before laying. This will allow the material to “adapt” to the microclimate of this particular room and change its geometry accordingly.
The subfloor before laying the laminate should be:
- carefully clean from dirt and dust;
- align in such a way as to get rid of depressions and bumps and ensure that the height difference along the perimeter of the room does not exceed 5 mm.
The answer to the question of how to lay the laminate along or across the room correctly when using Click planks is, in principle, not too complicated. However, the floor itself must be laid with a substrate at least 5 mm thick before installing such a coating.
Mounds and pits should first be removed to avoid that the laid laminate will soon begin to “spread”. In the presence of such defects in the subfloor, the joints between the lamellas of the coating will subsequently expand greatly. As a result, the floor will look unaesthetic and will also begin to creak a lot.
Cover Assembly Technique
When installing such a finishthe same technology is used, regardless of how it is decided to lay the laminate - along or across the room. So what is the right way to collect such coverage?
Begin laying slats in rooms, usually from the farthest corner from the door. The first board is mounted at a distance of about 1-1.5 cm from the planes of adjacent walls. In the future, such a temperature gap is observed around the entire perimeter of the room. If such a gap between the walls and the coating is not left, with fluctuations in air temperature and humidity, it may subsequently be deformed. To make the gap even, it is advisable to install special wedges between the wall and the boards during installation.
In exactly the same way as the first lamella, all other boards are laid along the wall. The second row of planks is mounted with a shift in relation to the joints of the first. Accordingly, the first board in it is cut to the required length. You can cut the planks with a regular wood saw.
Laying the laminate along or across the room, as already mentioned, the boards are connected to each other at an angle of 45 degrees. Press on the lamellas of the second row until they click. Too much effort is not recommended. Otherwise, you can simply break the lock or even the board itself.
According to the technology described above, the strips are mounted until the entire area of the room is filled with them. After the assembly of the coating is completed, the wedges are removed from the temperature gaps and these gaps are covered with skirting boards.
As it shouldthe laminate is being laid (along or across the room) in the photo above you can see in all details. This procedure, as you can see, is not really complicated. To make the finished coating look neat, the main thing is to carefully prepare the subfloor. The lamellas themselves with the Click lock are installed elementarily and, most likely, even a beginner will be able to handle their installation.
