Laminate Flooring Installation Best Practices
Laminate Flooring Installation Best Practices description
Assuming you are laying laminate wood flooring that is pre
glued. Whether they have a real wood veneer or everything about
them is fabricated, you should allow the boards to sit inside
your home for at least two days to fully acclimate to your
home's conditions before installation. Failure to do this can
cause rippling or gaps between the boards that can be impossible
to fix without tearing the planks out and starting from the
beginning.
If there is some type of existing floor it needs to be
completely removed before laying the first piece of your new
laminate. If you are replacing an old floor, cut it into
manageable pieces and pry them up with a long handled scraper
for best results. Make sure every piece is up and then vacuum.
Make the floor as even you can you without sanding. The most
important thing to check for and fix are low spots, if you let
them go you will have a squeaky floor.
After that you put down the underlayment. Start from the walls
and work out from there, use a utility knife to cut the
underlayment to fit the room. It's not a bad idea to mark up the
underlayment to use as a guide when laying your laminate boards.
Use a wood spacer to leave an expansion gap between your
laminate and the wall, then work your way out from there.
You should have to only moisten the glue on the edge of each
board for it to activate. Then slide the next board into pace
and press it firmly against the previous for a good, snug fit.
You want to use a pry bar to protect your wall once you start
laying the last of the boards. Simply ease the end boards into
place and you're done. About the Author: Opal Victoria is a home
designer who specializes in laminate wood floor installation and
care. Wood floors are the optimum way to increase your home
value and beautify your interiors. |
