Tips On Laying Laminate Flooring Will Prevent You From Being Floored
Tips On Laying Laminate Flooring Will Prevent You From Being Floored
When installations are needed in our homes, maybe you never hesitate to call a local handyman. Whether you lack the skills or time to conduct the installation, hiring a hired hand simply makes sense. On the other hand, perhaps your mind is mechanically oriented. You like mulling about how everything works, and paying someone else to install something would never be an option. Nonetheless, taking a do-it-yourself approach can potentially be disastrous. Errors in installations can result in wasted materials, time, and money. Thus, heeding tips on laying laminate flooring will prevent your work from becoming as hard as the nails in the flooring.
Laying The Groundwork By Removing The Flooring
Before installing your new flooring, you must remove the old flooring. You should first remove both the baseboard and the quarter round as well. Be cautious when doing this task, to prevent the walls from becoming severely damaged. Hoist up the carpet from the tack strips. Use caution around these strips, as they are extremely sharp. Carefully pull up the strips, to prevent severe damage to the sub-floor. This would require replacing portions of it or filling it with a special compound.
Following Instructions
The next of the tips on laying laminate flooring, involves reading and adhering to the installation instructions. That is because all producers of laminate flooring create unique installation procedures. At first, all instructions may seem synonymous. However, upon closer examination, you can observe slight variances in some facets of the installation, such as those involving gluing. In particular, the producer's warranty could be nullified if you fail to use goods that they suggest, or adhere to their step-by-step directions.
The Gap
While each manufacturer of laminate flooring uses unique guidelines, some procedures remain universal. This is another of the tips on laying laminate flooring. Firstly, the planks should set over a flat, no-bounce sub-floor. As a general rule, floors ought to be level and sturdy, with gaps not exceeding three inches. High spots must be smoothed while low spots must be filled in. That will level out the floor. It is mandatory that you maintain a gap along the entire installation's border. What is that vital? The floor will certainly not succeed if it is adjacent, or not far enough from, the wall.
Blocks Or Hammers
Another of the tips on laying laminate flooring involves the use of all hammers. Make sure to never use a hammer to strike the side of the laminate flooring. This could result in damaging the groove or tongue. Instead, use a special block. Place it down alongside the laminate, and then keep tapping the block until it fits like a glove. Using this method will prevent the block from becoming damaged.
If you pride yourself as a do-it-yourself, then installing your own floor should satisfy your adventurous spit. However, following tips on laying laminate flooring will help to make the task as easy as 1-2-3.