Before you start installing laminate flooring yourselfhands, it is necessary to carefully examine it for possible defects. Panels with defects must be replaced. should be done in daylight because only then will it be possible to notice all possible damage.
Laminate panel structure.Before installation, it is necessary for the laminate to lie in the room for 48 hours. This procedure is necessary so that the laminate gets used to the temperature conditions. During installation, it is necessary to monitor the precise execution of all processes. Also, it is forbidden to load the laminate during installation, this can lead to defects and damage.
Materials for laying laminate
To lay laminate flooring yourself you will need:
Tools for laying laminate flooring.
- A hammer, sometimes it is necessary to fasten the panels together;
- waterproofing film;
- substrate, foamed polyethylene is used in its quality;
- spacer wedges that help to ensure clearances at the walls;
- plinth and fastenings for it;
- a ruler and a pencil, for the marking of places for pipes;
- roulette;
- electric jigsaw, which is necessary for sawing a laminate;
- cutting knife;
- tape for fixing the substrate and waterproofing film;
- fishing line in case.
Installation must be carried out before installing the doors.boxes and sheets. Before starting work, you should make sure that the surface of the screed is perfectly flat, even minor errors can affect the quality of the finished floor. It is necessary to lay the laminate so that the light falls perpendicular to its seams, otherwise the joints of the panels will be more clearly visible.
Scheme of laying the foam underlaypolyethylene under the laminate. First, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the finished dried screed on which the material will be laid from debris, dust and dirt using a vacuum cleaner. A waterproofing film is laid on the cleaned surface. It must be laid with an overlap of 15-20 cm, and the joints must be sealed with tape. Then the underlay is laid. Foamed polyethylene can act as a underlay. In the case when the installation of laminated panels is carried out independently, it is necessary to carefully monitor the evenness of the laying of the foamed polyethylene and its integrity. The underlay is laid end to end and secured with tape. It must necessarily go onto the walls by several centimeters, this creates a cushioning effect. Return to the table of contents</a>
Practical recommendations
Do-it-yourself laminate installation starts withlaying the first row of two boards, and you must not forget about the spacer wedges, which provide a gap of about 10 mm between the panels and the wall. Such gaps are necessary to allow the panels to adapt to the conditions of the room. The panels are laid with the lock facing you, this makes the work much easier.
Laying laminate flooring begins with installing the first floora row of two boards, and installing spacer wedges that provide a technical gap of 10 mm between the panels and the wall. There is no need to apply force when connecting the boards. A special system allows you to connect them easily, and using force can damage the material. When the first row ends, the last panel, if it is too long, is cut with a jigsaw. The next row is formed from the remaining piece. But if its length reaches less than 30 cm, it is necessary to cut off half of the new panel. In this case, it is imperative to remember about the gaps between the laminate and the wall of 10 mm. The formation of the second row must first be carried out without snapping the lock. And only after all the panels of the second row are laid, slightly raised, they are connected to each other without applying much force so as not to damage the material. If the connection in some places did not occur with the help of weak hammer blows, it is necessary to connect the rows to each other. The formation of the remaining rows is carried out according to the same principle.
Options for laying laminate flooring in a roomin relation to the window and the entrance. When installing, do not allow gaps to form between the floor and the baseboard. The method of connecting laminated panels using a lock is the most common today. This is due to the fact that such a system allows you to carry out the connection at home yourself, without resorting to the help of professional builders. With good quality work, the joints will be almost invisible. There are methods of connecting Lock and with glue. But they are outdated, they are not used now. In addition to the standard method of installing laminate, there is also a diagonal method. This method is more complicated, but allows you to create a beautiful effect. Also, a big disadvantage when using this method is the presence of a large amount of waste, which makes it uneconomical. Preparation before laying the laminate is the same as with the usual method. Next, a fishing line is pulled from the corner, which will serve as a guide for the future floor. The first board must be cut at exactly 4 °. Next, having installed the spacer wedges, the first board is laid in the corner. Then you need to take two panels and cut them so that the joint between them is approximately in the middle of the row, and then the rest of the floor is laid in this way. When laying diagonally, it is necessary to monitor the evenness of the floor, focusing on the line.
Scheme of laying laminate panels with corner lock.When installing in rooms with pipes, first mark the location and diameter of the pipes on the panel with a pencil. Then cut the holes exactly in the middle with a jigsaw. Then place one part between the wall and the pipe, and apply the second part to it. Using special attachments, you can cover the junction of the panels with the pipes. After finishing installing the laminate, remove the wedges and cut off the excess protruding part of the substrate. When installing the skirting board on a laminate floor, you need to attach it only to the wall. It is better to use a plastic skirting board. It will fit perfectly and will hide uneven walls, unlike a wooden one. The wires running under the skirting board must be fed into special holes. Return to contents</a>
Floor care from laminate boards
Laminated panels are enoughdense material. But it is still necessary to avoid high impact loads on it. Their service life is about 20 years. Laminate should be protected from moisture, unless it concerns special moisture-resistant laminate. If scratches or chips appear on the floor, then in a special building materials store you can buy mastic that will hide the defects that have appeared. Damaged laminate boards can be replaced, but this must be done carefully so as not to spoil the entire floor.
