How Do You Install Laminate Floors?
Installing laminate flooring is similar to building a giant puzzle on the floor. However, all the puzzle pieces have a similar appearance and instead of producing an image, they come together to replicate a specific material, such as wood, slate, stone or tile. Laminate flooring pieces, or planks, actually consist of fiber cores, layers of coloring and top, clear coats of melamine resins. The planks have corresponding tongues and grooves along their sides that lock together. Does this Spark an idea?
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Demolition
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Installing laminate floors may require that you first demolish or remove existing structures and surfaces. For example, if the room you are working in has baseboards or wainscoting, these elements must be removed before installation, as you will be altering the height of the floor and these can get in the way. If the existing floor has carpeting or glued-down wood flooring boards, remove these elements as well as they can potentially collect moisture and cause structural problems. You can, however, install laminate flooring on top of non-glued wood floors in a process known as "floating."
Preparation
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Before laying out and assembling laminate floor planks, leave the planks in their containers -- unopened -- on the floor of the room your are prepping for a minimum of two days. This will allow the planks to become accustomed to the temperature and humidity of the room, reducing risks of cracking or warping during installation. If you are installing a laminate floor on top of a concrete surface, cover the surface with a vapor barrier before installation. If you are floating the laminate floor on top of an existing wood floor, no such barrier is necessary.
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Positioning
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For best results, begin assembling laminate floor planks in the top left corner of the room you are working in. The first row of planks should be flush against the left wall of the room. Connect each consecutive plank to the one in front of it by holding the tongued, top-edge of each new plank at an angle and sliding it into the groove of the earlier-laid plank. When you get to the end of each row, trim laminate floor planks -- using a handsaw or power saw -- so the planks fit into the remaining spaces.
Tips
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For optimal visual results, do not install laminate flooring planks from the same box consecutively. Instead, mix in planks for other boxes during the installation. Because there can be slight color variations in laminate flooring planks from box to box, this practice will ensure your floors do not end up with blotches or areas of like-colored planks.
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