Before you start installing the laminate with your ownhands, you must carefully examine it for possible defects. Defective panels must be replaced. must be done in daylight because only then can all possible damage be noticed. 
Structure of the laminate panel. Before proceeding with installation, it is necessary that the laminate for 48 hours lingered indoors. This procedure is necessary to ensure that the laminate is accustomed to temperature conditions. During the installation it is necessary to monitor the exact execution of all processes. Also, laminate can not be loaded during laying, this can lead to defects and damage.
Materials for laying laminate
For laminate flooring, we need: 
Tools for laying the laminate on the floor.
- 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 prior to installation of doorboxes and canvases. Before you start, make sure that the surface of the screed is perfectly flat, even minor errors can affect the quality of the finished floor. Lay the laminate so that the light falls perpendicularly to its seams, otherwise the joints of the panels will be seen more clearly. 
Layout of the substrate made of expanded polyethyleneunder the laminate. To begin with, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the debris, dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner on the prepared dry screed on which the material will be laid. A waterproofing film is laid on the cleaned surface. To lay it it is necessary with an overlap of 15-20 cm, and glue the joints with adhesive tape. Then the substrate is laid. Polyethylene foam can act as a substrate. In the case where the installation of laminated panels passes independently, you must carefully monitor the smoothness of the installation of foam polyethylene and its integrity. The substrate is put in butt and fixed with adhesive tape. It must necessarily go to the walls a few centimeters, this creates an effect of depreciation. Back to contents</a>
Practical recommendations
Installation of laminate own hands starts fromlaying the first row of two boards, and you should not forget about the spacer wedges that provide a gap between the panels and the wall of about 10 mm. Such gaps are necessary in order to allow the panels to adapt to the conditions of the room. The panels fit the lock to themselves, this makes it much easier to work. 
Laying of the laminate begins with the installation of the firsta series of two boards, and the installation of spacer wedges that provide a technical gap of 10 mm between the panels and the wall. There is no need to exert effort when joining planks. A special system allows you to connect them easily, and the use of force can damage the material. When the first row ends, the last panel, if it is too long, is cut using an electric grinder. 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, you must remember about the gaps between the laminate and the wall of 10 mm. Formation of the second row for the beginning must be done without snapping the lock. And only after all the panels of the second row are laid, slightly raised, they are connected among themselves, without applying much force, so as not to damage the material. If the connection in some places does not occur with the help of weak hammer blows, you need to connect the rows between each other. Formation of the remaining series is carried out on the same principle. 
Options for laying laminate in the room in relation toto the window and the entrance. When installing, you must not allow crevices between the floor and the skirting. The method of joining laminated panels with the help of a lock is the most common today. This is due to the fact that such a system allows you to make a connection at home independently, without recourse to professional builders. With good quality of work joints will be almost invisible. There are methods of connecting Lock and using glue. But they are obsolete, they are not being used now. In addition to the standard method of installing a laminate, there is also a diagonal method. This method is more complicated, but it allows creating a beautiful effect. Also, a large drawback when using this method is the presence of a large number of waste, which makes it uneconomical. The preparation before laying the laminate is the same as for the conventional method. Further, from the angle stretches a fishing line, which will serve as a guide for the future sex. The first board must be cut corners strictly under 4 °. Next, by setting the spacer wedges, the first board is placed in the corner. Then you need to take two panels and cut them so that the junction between them is approximately in the middle of the row, and then the entire remaining floor is laid in this way. When laying diagonally, you must always follow the flatness of the floor, focusing on the line. 
Layout of laminate panels with corner lock. When installing in rooms with pipes for a start, you need to use the pencil on the panel to mark the location and diameter of the pipes. And then with the help of an electric jigsaw cut right in the middle of the hole. Then one part is laid between the wall and the pipe, and the second part is applied to it. With the help of special nozzles, you can close the place of connection of the panels with the pipes. After the laminate has been installed, remove the wedges and cut off the excess protruding part of the substrate. When installing a skirting board on the laminate floor, you need to fix it only to the wall. It is better to use a plastic skirting board. It is ideal and will hide uneven walls, unlike wooden ones. The wires passing under the baseboard must be inserted into special holes. Back to contents</a>
Floor care from laminate boards
Laminated panels are thick enoughmaterial. But nevertheless it is necessary not to allow high shock loads on it. Their service life is about 20 years. Laminate should be protected from moisture, only if it does not touch a special moisture-resistant laminate. If there are scratches or chips on the floor, then in a special store of building materials you can buy mastic, which will hide the shortcomings. Damaged laminate boards can be replaced, but you need to do it carefully so as not to spoil the whole floor.
