Laminate flooring has been introduced in the US market in 1982. Since then, their sales have drastically improved with over 20 percent growth per year. Laminate floors became one of the top choices among home owners due to their durability, minimal maintenance, and adaptability. Moreover, they are sold in a vast array of styles, designs, and colors.
When installing laminate floors, you can either choose to hire professional laminate floor installers or do the job on your own. Laminated floor installation is much easier as compared to installing hardwood floors therefore you can successfully accomplish the task by acquiring basic knowledge and using the appropriate tools.
Since home humidity and temperature can significantly affect the floor planks, you have to acclimatize the laminate floorings in the house at least 48 hours before the actual laminate floor installation. You have to stack the laminate flooring flat on the floor and you also need to remove any plastic wrapping from the boxes to allow air to freely circulate around them. It is ideal to have at least 10 percent more flooring planks that what is needed since you will be wasting a little when cutting some pieces.
Before the laminate flooring installation, you have to clean the subfloor and remove the base molding. Thoroughly clean the floor and ascertain that it is free of dirt and debris. For laminate floor installation on top of a new concrete floor, you need to wait until the floor is fully cured. With the help of a hammer and pry bar, carefully remove all base molding and then place them out of the way.
Next, begin laying the vapor barrier one row at a time starting from the longest wall of the room. Always follow the manufacturer’s instruction when joining two barrier sheets together. Some manufacturers will recommend overlapping the vapor barrier while others may require you to butt each row against the other.
Once all the vapor barriers have been placed, lay a piece of laminated floor plank against the door jamb. Use it as a guide when sliding the next set of planks underneath the jamb. Use a flat or coping saw to cut the jams while making sure that you are cutting parallel on the subfloor. Doing so will help to create a nice finished look without eliminating the entire jamb.
After this, start laying the first row of laminated floor planks. For best result, lay the planks parallel to the longest wall. Create 1/2″ spacers against the wall as you push the plank against them. This will help to introduce expansion gap so the planks can expand and contract. Snugly fit all the succeeding planks on the first row and make sure that there are no gaps along the laminated planks. Cut the planks as necessary and ensure to carefully follow this ‘how to install laminate floor’ guide. Have a more appealing and attractive home floor by installing efficient and functional laminated floors!
