Mike Kraft: Laminate floors have the same great look as hardwood floors, an installation is
easy especially if you follow this simple steps. Lowes has many different styles of
laminate floor and to fit the look of any home. But before you install any type of
flooring make sure you prep your sub floor. To learn how watch this subfloor
prep videos at Lowes.com/Videos also print out the instructions for this project.
Now we’ve listed all the steps and materials you will need to complete your floor.
For this project we will need laminate flooring, underlayment and moisture barrier
if require, a jig saw and a circular saw for cutting the boards, a miter saw and
table saw can make the job even easier. Of course when cutting always use your
safety glasses and a dust mask, you will also need flooring spacer, a weight or
part of the flooring will keep the floor stationary while your working on it. Use a
topping black dead blow hammer and pull bar to help join the planks. You will
also need a tape measure, pencil, utility knife and lever. You may need some
wood glue and silicon sealing too. Then to finish the job have the appropriate
transitions and moldings, attached them using a hammer, finish nails, a nail set
and filler. Finally for this job kneepads are a really good ides, if you are not
confident in installing a laminate floor see a Lowe’s associate, Lowes installs
many type of flooring and always follow a local building codes.
Now before starting the project, read the manufactures instruction for the correct
installation of your flooring you will find an information regarding type of
subfloors and moisture test. If you are installing over concrete a moisture barrier
is required. Laminate floor are known as floating floors because they are no
physically a test to the subfloor they can be install over ceramic, vinyl, concrete or
on our case plywood. We’ve already prep our subfloor by removing the
baseboards and carpet and leveling the surface like we’ve showed in the subfloor
prep videos. We don’t have to install under limit because our new flooring has a
pre attached and our subfloors does not require a moisture barrier. One note to
make before the installation, be sure to bring the flooring into the room so it can
acclimate to the temperature and humidity for 72 hours if require by the
manufacturer, okay let’s get started. With our flooring with the tang side toward
the starting wall and the grow to the open area of the room we will check the
instructions for your floor, for the first piece in the corner use the sub to cut the
tongue of the long side that will be against the wall. Remember to wear your
safety glasses, cut the tongue off the long side for all the other pieces of raw one
as well. Our flooring manufacturer calls for a quarter inch expansion gap around a
parameter of the floor so cut the planks accordingly and your space to maintain
that gap. One the boards in raw one has been prep it’s time to start assembling the
flooring, begin piece and together the first few rows about two feet away from the
starting wall. Our flooring assembles from the left to the rides.
Now there are several methods for installing laminate floorings so be sure to
check on your manufacturers and instruction. We are still going to our joints at
least 12 inches so we cut the first plank of row too, the 32 inches in length. To cut
the flooring place the plank on its space to reduce chipping and use a saw blade
recommended for flooring. Answer the thumb of the long side of row two into the
grove of rule one, use a slide angle and press downward until the joints locks.
Then attach the next piece of rule one, join the tan and grove of the short side of
an angle and press down. Make sure the planks are perfectly aligned, and then add
the second piece of raw two. Enter the tongue into the long side of grew, slide the
plank to align the end joint rotate downwards and lock the join. No gaps no ridge
edges, do this for every raw. After installing the first two planks of each raw place
a weight or a cardinal flooring on top of the first plank to each raw to hold it in
place. One plank can’t be rotate as such as under a door frame, see the
manufactures and instructions using a tapping block.
Once the first two rows are assembled slide them again to starting wall, maintain
and the quarter inch expansion gap using spacers. Continue in installing the rest of
the floor and make sure the joints are staggered at least 12 inches. You maybe to
use the cup pieces to start new rows, if you have the obstruction like bench or
cabinets use a jigsaw and cut the flooring to fit and make sure you include the
expansion gap. And once you installing to run a toilet or tub apply a silicon
ceiling to form a water tight seal. When you get to the last row measure the
distance between the wall and the last installed row then subtract the expansion
gap this is the most needed for the final row; when marking the cut line don’t
measure from the tongue then put the plank along the line, if needed insert the last
row with the pull bar. Follow the manufacturers and instructions for installing the
transition strips and molding. Now if you are going to install to separate under a
laminate cut the excess around the parameter of the floor. The last step is to attach
the baseboards to the wall not the floor. This floor looks great now you are ready
to install your laminate floor but before you begin your flooring project check out
our other flooring videos at Lowes.com/Videos.
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