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Ezine ready page
Ezine ready page
Posted on April 1, 2006 by Alphonso Sirtle. | Posted under Interior Decorating
Easy to Install, Glueless Laminate Flooring
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Prepare 1. Place each box of planks, unstacked, in the room in which they will be installed to help the planks acclimate to the temperature and humidity. Generally, this will take 48 hours, but check the directions with your brand. 2. Once you open the cartons, inspect each piece for damage. The opened planks should be installed in the same day. 3. Gather your installation tools: moisture barrier if needed, self-adhering moisture proof tape, underlayment, spacers, tapping block, pry bar, fine toothed saw, pencil, safety glasses, dust mask, level, measuring tape, and hammer. If you are installing the laminate floor in a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room, you will also need a silicone sealant that is 100% mildew resistant. 4. If installing over concrete, complete a moisture test. If subfloor is covered with carpet, remove it. 5. Make sure the subfloor is level and clean. Fill in low spots or sand down high spots so nothing creates more than a 3/16" rise. 6. Lay the moisture barrier edge-to-edge, if needed. Join the seams with the moisture proof tape. The barrier should stick up at the edges by 2 inches (this will be covered by the moldings). 7. Lay the underlayment over the moisture barrier butting the pieces at the edges. The seams should be joined with the moisture proof tape. 8. Make sure the floor temperature is 60 degrees or warmer and the room temperature is 65 degrees or warmer. The humidity should be between 50% to 70%. 9. Plan to leave at least a 5/16-inch gap at the edges and around permanent fixtures to allow for expansion. If the floor is going to be more than 40 feet long or wide, you will need to plan an extra expansion gap. Any tongue that is at the gap should be removed. 10. Also, plan to run the planks toward the main source of light to enhance the appearance of the floor. 11. Check if the doorframes and doors need to be shortened for the depth of the floor and underlayment. Trim them as needed with a handsaw. Laying the Floor 1. Leaving a 5/16-inch gap along the beginning wall, lay the first row and slide the short ends together. Since the outside rows should not be narrower than 2 inches, measure to see if you need to trim the first row so that the last row will not be too narrow. Remove the tongues that face the wall to leave the gap open. 2. To join the short ends, lay the new piece so that the front corner touches the corner of the existing laid plank. You will slide new planks along the tongue and groove until it bumps the already lain row. To join the long sides, tap the plank with a tapping block starting at the joined end joint, never in the middle of the plank, until the planks are tightly joined. 3. Follow the line of the wall. If there are corners, trace the pattern on the back of the planks and cut them to fit. 4. With a plumb line, check that the first row is straight. 5. To stagger the joints, start the second row with a half piece that is at least 15 inches long. Tap its long side into the lain row of planks, making sure the expansion gap is left. 6. Touch the short end of this second row beginning plank with the short end of the next plank and slide the tongue and groove together. Tap the long side into place using the short end to guide it into place until it clicks. 7. Always joining the short ends first, complete the rest of the rows in the same manner until the floor is completely covered. 8. Make sure to offset each row by 15 inches when beginning a new row. This will make the joints stronger. 9. When you get to the last row, measure its exact width. Leaving room for the expansion gap, cut the panels of the last row to no less than 2 inches wide and lay in the same manner as the other rows. Make sure to remove the tongues that will face the expansion gap. 10. Replace the quarter-round moldings, making sure that the finishing nails do not go into the laminate flooring. If this installation is in a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room, fill the expansion gaps along all edges and round all fixtures with the 100% mildew resistant silicone sealant before replacing the moldings. Installing the click together laminate floors is a "snap." These general guidelines show how easy it can be for anyone to install the floor without a professional. This could save you labor charges if you are on a tight budget. Always read the specific instructions that are provided with the specific product that you buy. Many even include instructional videos to give you a visual of how the project should progress. Be well informed of these instructions so that your warranty will remain valid. About The Author: Alphonso has been working in the home remodeling industry for last 5 years. Take advantage of his experience and written material on flooring ideas at his website at http://www.improve-home.com |
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