During repairs in an apartment or house, attention must be paid to the choice of high-quality flooring. An excellent solution is a laminate that has an interesting appearance, high quality and other positive parameters. The process of its installation is considered quite simple, so often citizens decide to cope with this task on their own. At the same time, it is important to know how to lay the laminate correctly, which method is appropriate for this, and also how the process is implemented in the most specific places.
Process rules
Although laminate is considered a popular coating that is easy to install on your own, some rules should still be taken into account to prevent various serious mistakes. These rules include the following:
- It is not allowed to perform the process in a room with a high humidity index, as under such conditions the coating will quickly become unusable.
- You can create a cover on the balcony,but at the same time you will have to pay a lot of attention to high-quality waterproofing and insulation.
- Laying can be done on both wooden and concrete bases, but in any case, serious preparations will have to be made in advance.
- It is first necessary to correctly calculate in order to determine exactly how much material is needed for work, since all lamellas must be from the same batch, otherwise they may differ slightly in appearance, therefore it is not allowed that buy more material.
If you correctly figure out how to properly lay the laminate in the room, then this process will not be too complicated. This guarantees a minimum of waste and perfect evenness of the coating.
Preparation of tools
Before direct work, it is recommended to prepare all the tools that will be useful in the process. This will allow the procedure to be carried out without interruption. To work with laminate you need:
- electric jigsaw, which can be replaced with a saw, but it is the jigsaw that ensures even cutting of panels;
- wood plank to fit planks together;
- rubber mallet that prevents visible seams, and since it is made of rubber, there will be no significant damage to the material;
- tape measure and pencil needed for marking.
Additionally, it is important to determine whether the base leveling is required. Often this isnecessary process, which means that additional tools and materials are needed. A substrate is also selected, and it is desirable to purchase a material that has good thermal insulation properties and at the same time will become an excellent shock absorber.
Choice of laying pattern
It is important to understand not only what method will be used for this process, but also what scheme will be applied. In this case, you need to focus on the location of the window in the room and the selected laminate. How to lay correctly: along or across? This issue is resolved based on an assessment of the material itself and the angle of incidence of sunlight from the window.
It is advisable to arrange the planks without fixing in advance in a different order around the room in order to clearly see which scheme will give the most attractive option. A scheme is selected from several methods:
- Classic. With such a system, the amount of waste is minimized. To do this, the first row is formed, and the last lamella is adjusted to the size of the room, for which it must be cut. The remaining element is used to start the next row. With this method, it is not allowed to use parts that do not exceed 30 cm. The seams will be messy, so the created coating does not always look attractive.
- Chess. Such a scheme is considered attractive and easy to create. With its help, a coating is obtained that resembles parquet in appearance. How to lay a laminate on the floor in this way? First, the first row is done as standard. The next one starts like thisthe edge of the first panel was in the middle of the board from the previous row.
- Diagonal. This method is considered complex and requires preliminary calculations. Significantly increases the amount of waste when using this method. The pluses include the ability to visually increase the size of the room. How to lay laminate flooring in this way? The process starts from the corner of the room, after which you need to move diagonally from the door and window of the room. It is advisable to first stretch a rope from one corner to another, which can be guided in the process of work.
Thus, laying can be carried out in different ways and according to different schemes. After selecting the desired parameters, the preparation of the base begins.
Selecting the styling method
The material can be mounted in many ways, so the owners of the premises must first decide which method will be used. You will have to choose from three options:
- Adhesive technology. It is used if lamellas are purchased that are not equipped with any locking systems. It is important to understand how to properly lay the laminate in this way in order to prevent possible errors. It is necessary to carry out work on a perfectly even base and use only special glue for the named material. Before using each lamella, it must be checked for dust. Glue is applied directly to the edges of the boards. It is advisable to degrease the surfaces in advance, and also walk on them with sandpaper for a betterconnections. Glue is applied to both surfaces that are planned to be glued. Then they are tightly applied to each other and kept in this state for at least 5 minutes. It is considered optimal to use tie-down straps. If excesses protrude, they are promptly removed, since the solution must not be allowed to dry on the front surface.
- With Click system. Such a system assumes that the tenon of one board is inserted into the groove of another lamella. To fit the elements well, you need to use a wooden block and a rubber mallet. The process is considered quick and simple if you know how to properly lay the laminate with this method. If one element breaks in the coating, you can disassemble the structure and replace the lamella.
- With Lok system. Parts of the locking system are placed at the ends of the lamellas. To connect them, it is necessary to place the strips in the same plane. Additionally, a special overhead bar is used, with the help of which the elements are knocked together. Often the density of such a connection is increased by glue.
Each method has its own characteristics, but in any case, it is important to understand how to properly lay the laminate in the room in order to get the perfect result.
Concrete base preparation
The base can be concrete or wood. Before laying flooring, it is important to ensure that the floor is tight, dry, level and secure. In order to properly lay the laminate on the concrete floor, as required by the instructions, it is necessarypre-prepare the base. This takes into account the following:
- If there are slight differences on the surface, then you can use a self-leveling mixture, which creates a not too thick coating.
- If transitions and irregularities are considered significant, then it is desirable to make a full-fledged concrete screed.
- To implement the process, it is necessary to mix the cement with the optimal amount of water, after which the mixture is stirred with a perforator with a special nozzle.
- The solution is distributed according to the existing base.
- It is advisable to check the coating for the absence of additional drops with a laser level.
You can start laying the substrate only after the mortar has dried, so it is advisable to wait at least two weeks.
Preparing the wooden base
Often you have to perform work on a wooden base, which is represented by different boards or slabs. How to install laminate flooring on wood flooring? The process begins with the correct preparation of the base, for which the following actions are implemented:
- Initially, you need to make sure the quality of all available wooden elements.
- If there are cracked, rotten or damaged boards, they must be replaced.
- If the floor is a joist construction, it is advisable to raise the boards to make sure the joists are in good condition. Squeaking or significant transitions are not allowed.
- The entire floor must be sanded to eliminateit has little bumps.
- The surface is leveled, for which it is optimal to use sheets of plywood or chipboard, which are evenly laid and fixed with screws.
Therefore, it is important to properly prepare the subfloor to ensure optimum paving.
What to do if the wooden base is unsuitable for further work?
Often the base is of poor quality, so you need to replace it. Before you properly lay the floor under the laminate, the old structure is dismantled. Next, new lags are installed. Plywood or chipboard boards are attached to them.
Knowing how to properly install laminate flooring on a wood floor can help prevent a variety of negative consequences from a poor-quality process.
Laying the backing
As soon as the base is even and of high quality, the creation of the substrate begins. In order to properly lay the laminate with your own hands, as required by the instructions, it is advisable to lay a high-quality diffusion membrane under the coating, and if you need to save money, ordinary polyethylene will do, the thickness of which should exceed 5 mm.
The material is laid in such a way that it goes on the walls of the room. All joints are glued with adhesive tape.
With proper performance of this work, an increase in the soundproofing and heat-insulating parameters of the room is guaranteed. Elimination of small transitions is ensured, and the coating will be protected from moisture.
Calculation of the required amount of material
Next you needdetermine how much laminate you need to purchase for installation. This takes into account various factors:
- selected styling method;
- room area;
- dimensions of one lamella.
For the calculation, it is advisable to use special online calculators that allow you to quickly get the desired values.
Styling technology
Once all the preparatory steps have been completed, you should figure out how to properly lay the laminate. Most often, owners of premises prefer to choose lamellas equipped with locks, since installation is considered quick and easy:
- The first lamella is laid, with which the next part is connected, for which the spike is inserted into the groove.
- For a better fit of the elements, they should be well adjusted to each other, for which they are tapped with a rubber mallet and fixed with a wooden block.
- For a good connection, the joints can be treated with a special adhesive solution.
- Neighboring rows are fixed to each other in the same way.
- To prevent dirt and various liquids from entering the joints, it is recommended to treat them with a special transparent sealant.
- A small distance is left between the walls and the coating, so it is advisable to use wedges for this.
- During operation, you must constantly use the level to prevent the appearance of various transitions and other problems.
- Thresholds are laid in the right places.
- At the end of worka floor plinth is installed.
As you can see, the installation process is simple and straightforward. Therefore, if you understand well how to properly lay the laminate in the apartment, then it will not be difficult to perform the procedure yourself.
Laying in difficult areas
Particular attention should be paid to installation in difficult areas of the room. These include:
- Places near pipes. Here, the distance from the pipe to the wall is first determined. The diameter of the pipe is measured, after which the necessary cuts are made in the laminate. Next, standard laying with a pipe bypass is performed.
- In the doorways. The width of the room and the size of the last lamella are measured. Panel trimming is performed, and then even laying is done. The joint can be formed with a threshold or filled with silicone.
Correct cuts require a lot of attention.
Conclusion
Thus, laminate is considered an excellent choice for any room. With its help, high-quality and reliable flooring is created.
It is important to understand the rules for mounting the material in order to cope with the task yourself. This takes into account installation methods, laying patterns and other important nuances.
