5 practical tips for covering laminate flooring
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| Tips for covering laminate flooring |
Natural effect, good price, durable for 15-20 years, reliable, hygienic surface - and yet easy coating, simple technology. It is no coincidence that laminate flooring is the most popular choice for families and homeowners these days when it comes to warming! However, in order for it to work perfectly with you, it is good to know some proven technical tricks for flawless cladding - which we will now share with you, read more next
Have you already chosen and bought your good quality, favorite floor covering? Great! And once we've got the right aids, all you have to do is set a day off and get to work. In such cases, in spring, both the temperature and the weather are good for you if you accidentally cover a floor, even a laminate floor. Let's see why and what you should pay attention to…
When do I start?
Well, yes, that’s a good question: time, but now of all, weather conditions are essential when paving.
It is best to pay attention to the temperature and humidity: it is worth striving for a temperature around 20 degrees Celsius and relative humidity of 50-60% - which is otherwise found in a normal living environment. Make sure that the laminate floor never comes into direct contact with water, e.g. under flower pots then always place a washer, and if water accidentally spills, wipe it off as soon as possible.
What tools and aids should I get for the job?
Spacer wedges for the laminate floor, vapor barrier foil, and some kind of step noise reducing pad (foam foil, cork, possibly eco-sheet) - these can be obtained in the shop when you buy the laminate floor.
Of the tools, the tape measure and pencil are of course basic, but it is good to buy a jigsaw with a metal cutting board, a pull-in iron, a fine saw, a cleaning or wiping cloth - of course, it depends on the manufacturer work will be much simpler, easier and faster…
How do I prepare the substrate, i.e. how do I lay it for my new laminate floor?
Substrate preparation is very important, it should be solid, straight, and above all dry. In the case of newly made substrates, it is worth examining the moisture content with a so-called With CM measuring device. If our substrate is inherently uneven, we will need to level out these unevenness with concrete or screed.
It is important to always apply a vapor barrier film to the substrate, min. 0.2 mm thick layer, overlapping. If we have underfloor heating, this is extremely important! On the ground floor or in the basement, the ideal thickness of the vapor barrier should be higher, at least 1.2 mmm, here the foil should be pulled over the bathtub at the wall and overlapped by at least 10 cm, then glued with adhesive tape at the overlaps.
Laminate flooring can be laid on existing flooring without vapor barrier foil, such as linoleum, PVC, rubber - provided this substrate is smooth enough to be laid.
The vapor barrier foil will be fitted with a step sound-absorbing foil, which can be cork, foam foil or XSP sheets - you also need to fix these at the edges. (And if our floor mat is our substrate and we cover the laminate above it, we can even omit the footstool noise, in which case it is enough to prevent fungal growth with some newsprint or wrapping paper, but many people prefer to remove the floor mat in front of it.)
It is very important that the foot noise reducer does not replace the vapor barrier - unfortunately, many people live in this misconception!
The classic, correct layer order is therefore briefly as follows: a classic substrate, this is where the vapor barrier foil comes in, followed by the step noise reduction and finally the laminate floor.
After purchase - and before disposal…
It is important that after we have bought it and the laminate floor has arrived to us, let it acclimatize in our apartment for a few days for at least 2-3 days, so don't let him immediately cover it with the covering. It is advisable to store it in the middle of the room at a temperature of 18 ° C and a maximum humidity of 75%, horizontally, in a dry and draft-free place. If the floor packaging is open or damaged, try to bleed it again, taping it with adhesive tape.
Before laying our warm covering, let it be good to dry the subfloor thoroughly and to inspect the floor tiles one by one to filter out any defects or damage - this is also important for the warranty.
In what direction should the cards be placed and what should we pay attention to when continuing the rows?
It is important to lay the sheets in the longitudinal direction, preferably in the same direction as the main light. Skip the 10 mm dilation for fixed built-in furniture, stairs, and radiators, and the last row should be at least 10 cm wide, and to do this, start by adjusting the starting line accordingly at the start.
Laminate floor pieces for further use must be at least 40 cm long, but the cross joints must also be at least 40 cm apart on the shorter side.
Never strike the tiles forcibly, do not use a hammer or bat during cladding. Click-through systems are easy to snap together, and each manufacturer has its own user guide, which is worth reading and following. Even with slight pressure, the sheet will snap into place nicely, connecting perfectly. When placing the first row, placing it next to the first sheet, raise the second sheet slightly, paying attention to the water level, and then tilt the sheet into the “head groove”. Then, if you raise it at an angle of about 30 degrees, you can also tilt the longitudinal side into place by pushing it down slightly.
