When laying laminate flooring, it is of great importance not onlycharacteristics and type of material, and the base of the floor. Therefore, preparing the floor for laminate flooring is a special process that requires maximum attention. The capriciousness of laminate flooring lies precisely in the surface on which it is laid. The presence of various cracks, bumps and holes negatively affects both the service life of the material and the room as a whole. Therefore, preparation for laying laminate flooring must be carried out competently and efficiently.
Laying laminate flooring requires a perfectly flat surface, so before starting installation, be sure to level the floor.
Tools and materials needed for floor preparation
To ensure that floor preparation is as comfortable as possible, the following tools are required:
Scheme of cement floor screed.
Also, floor preparation requires certain building materials. It is necessary to determine what will act as a substrate:
Scheme of floor leveling with moisture-resistant plywood.
It is worth remembering that laminate can be used to cover all types of surfaces, with the exception of carpet. Return to contents</a>
Aligning the concrete floor with a laminate
When the concrete floor is uneven, it is necessary to level it. How to prepare the floor for laminate flooring using a self-leveling mixture? The following steps should be followed:
Scheme of floor leveling with self-leveling mixture.
- to carry out the purification works of concrete, it is possible to vacuum the base;
- cover with cracks in the screed (it is recommended to make it a tile glue);
- to bring down rushes and mounds;
- treat the floor with a deep penetration primer;
- prepare the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Despite the fact that the mixture is calledself-leveling, it will not level itself without human help. In order for the floor under the laminate to be perfectly level, it should be poured along the beacons. The beacons are guides along which the rail or rule moves, leveling the material and eliminating excess. at this stage is as follows:
- mixture is poured and leveled by the rule;
- a spatula distributes the solution;
- roll the mixture to remove air;
- The rule removes unevenness, after the mixture has hardened (1-2 hours).
Subfloor diagram for laminate flooring.The consistency of the solution should be similar to sour cream. It must be made absolutely homogeneous. Pouring the floor under the laminate begins from the top point of the floor, then the mass itself will be distributed over the surface. Then the solution is distributed using a spatula. There are a number of recommendations on how to prepare the floor using a self-leveling mixture under the laminate:
Dry screed can also be used.The technology of its application is the same, but it is much more difficult to do. This is explained by the fact that dry floor screed is quite thick and harder to pull together. In this case, it is best to use not beacons, but a beacon profile. Mix the dry screed with a drill and mixer. It should be well compacted, especially at the joints of the sections. A number of experts recommend walking on the screed. If the screed is poorly compacted, cracks may appear at the joints of the sections. Return to the table of contents</a>
Aligning a wooden floor for a laminate
Scheme of fastening of logs.The main requirement when laying laminate on a wooden floor is the rigidity of the base. Since wood can bend, the laminate will bend over time, too, and the locks will loosen. As a result, joints and creaking will form. Thus, the base must be strong. In order to achieve this effect, it is necessary to lay joists as often as possible and lay plywood on them, not chipboard. First of all, you need to check the floor. If it does not bend or creak, then its evenness is examined. If minor irregularities are found on the surface, plywood is installed and secured with screws. If there are significant irregularities, the floor is completely disassembled and re-done. The same applies to surface deflections. The technology for preparing a wooden floor is as follows:
When the logs are installed with the necessaryfrequency, but the floor still sags, which means that the boards are thin. To correct the situation, lay plywood (from 20 mm thick) on the floor and fix it with screws. Thus, preparing the floor for laying laminate flooring consists of eliminating all distortions on the surface.
