Laying Laminate Flooring Tips

This should be done at least 48 hours before the laminate boards are placed so they have time to adjust to the temperature and humidity.

Laying laminate flooring tips.

This will minimize shrinkage or expansion when they react to room temperature and humidity step 2 check for moisture levels. Step 1 let the boards acclimate. Start by laying a piece of the rubber underlayment in front of the casing then set a piece of plastic laminate flooring on top. Tip 3 plan how you lay your floors.

Fill any low spots in the underlayment greater than 3 8 inch with floor leveling compound. They should acclimate for at least 48 hours. If the floor surface has damage or unevenness though you may need to remove it and lay down a rigid underlayment of thin plywood before laying the foam sheets and installing the laminate flooring. See my flooring install playlist.

Insert the tongue of the second row plank into the groove of the first row plank at a slight angle until the laminate edges meet. When installing a floating laminate floor you don t need to use any adhesive nails or staples. Next rotate down until the joints lock image 1. Doing so enables you to slide the new planks underneath the casing.

Always leave extra spacing between the walls and flooring for expansion. Buy a fast drying variety if you want to start laying the floor the same day. Avoid self leveling floor compounds especially on older homes says jay our flooring pro. This will allow them to acclimate to the room s temperature and humidity.

A dip in the floor will cause a soft spongy section in the laminate floor. For the next plank join the short end of the plank first image 2. Use a spacer to help you with keeping the right spacing. Installing laminate floors is not hard.

A simple underlayment of foam sheeting is usually sufficient as a base for laminate planks. Lay out the unopened boxes of laminate planks in the room. Slide the first two rows into their final position and repeat steps 5 and 6 above using the same alternating plank technique to complete the process. Place unopened packages of laminate flooring in the room or rooms in which they are to be installed.

You will see a gap on the long side joints when the plank is rotated down. This will serve as a guide making it easy to trim away the exact. How to install vinyl plank flooring as a beginner. If you are installing the flooring below grade or in a room like a basement with high humidity or moisture lay down a vapor barrier before you install the flooring.

Lay a loose plank of your new flooring upside down against the door casing over a piece of the underlayment and saw off the bottom of the casing. Tip 4 educate yourself on the how to.