Installation of the Alloc Floating Floor

Alloc flooring is available in many different colors and finishes.

The Alloc Corporation manufactures a wide line of laminate flooring products for use in homes and businesses. Many Alloc products resemble traditional hardwood or stone flooring, but cost much less than these materials. Best of all, Alloc floors are designed for floating installation, meaning that no adhesives or nails are required. These floating floors are DIY friendly, and they can transform the look of your home in just a few hours.

Things You'll Need

• Drill
• 1 1/2-inch wood screws
• Trowel
• Leveling compound
• Alloc underlayment
• Utility knife
• Plastic spacers
• Circular or table saw
• Safety glasses
• Pry bar
• Trim
• Hammer
• Finish nails

Instructions

1. Stack the boxes of unopened Alloc laminate in the room where the flooring will be installed. Leave it there to acclimate to temperature and humidity changes for 72 hours prior to installation.

2. Add screws to tighten loose deck boards or to fix squeaky sections of flooring, in order to prepare the subfloor. Level out wood or concrete subfloors with a floor leveling compound applied with a trowel. Wait for the leveling compound to dry, then vacuum the floor to remove all dirt, dust and debris.

3. Cover the subfloor with Alloc RapidRoll or FastFold underlayment. Place the material with the foam side down, allowing each end to extend up the walls about 2 inches. Overlap each row and use the built-in tape strips to fasten the rows together. Cut the underlayment with your utility knife as needed.

4. Install your first row of Alloc laminate along the most visible wall in the room. Use plastic spacers to maintain a 1/4-inch gap between the base of the wall and the flooring. On Alloc products with an aluminum edge, the edge should face away from the wall.

5. Connect your second row of flooring. Line up the tongue-and-groove connectors along the edges of the board. Press the boards flat to the floor until you hear them click or snap together.

6. Stagger the joints along each row by at least 12 inches, for a more stable installation. Alternate planks from different boxes to minimize the effects of any color variations between boxes.

7. Cut Alloc flooring using a circular or table saw. Keep the flooring facing down when cutting and wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. If your Alloc flooring has an aluminum edge, position this side so it is cut first. This will result in cleaner cuts and less damage to the relatively soft aluminum edging.

8. Rip the last plank lengthwise with your saw to fit. Maintain a 1/4-inch expansion gap at this final wall using plastic spacers. You may need to use a pry bar to connect this final plank to the adjacent row.

9. Remove all spacers and add trim to cover the expansion gaps. Alloc recommends 1/4-inch round trim or wall base. Nail the trim to the wall, not to the flooring. Trim away excess underlayment with a utility knife after the trim is in place.

References

• Alloc: Installation Instructions

Resources

• Alloc: Flooring Installation Video