Another Laminate Flooring Masterclass
By The Guys At RRD
When you are looking at how to install laminate flooring successfully you need go no further than this informative case study. In fact, the best way to ensure your laminate flooring is installed successfully is to use us at Real Room Designs. This is exactly what Mr M did!
This job came as a bit of a surprise as we had this customer lined up to fit their new wardrobes. However, when we arrived to do so Mr M enquired as to whether we would be able to fit his lounge with some laminate flooring that he had picked up at a clearance sale earlier that week. We of course were happy to do so.
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is simply a multi-layer synthetic flooring product. It is generally agreed that laminate flooring was invented in 1977 by the Swedish company Perstorp. It is true to say that laminate flooring has grown significantly in popularity since that time in many countries around the world. Most laminate flooring is packaged as a number of tongue and groove planks of a standard size and thickness to ensure a nice even coverage. Laminate flooring is very versatile and durable resulting in its popularity in today’s market as it simulates wood.
The Laminate Flooring Job
This job, as most flooring jobs, was fairly straight forward. We removed the old carpet and underlay along with all the gripper rods. Then, as we are always tidy, we cleared up any mess that had occurred to ensure the flooring would go in easy and level. We then proceeded to lay the new underlay ensuring all of the floor was covered.
Once the underlay was down, we started at one doorway by scribing out he skirting board and architrave around the base of the doorway. Then we continued to lay the flooring by alternating from each side of the room. Starting with a full piece of laminate and cutting the piece at the opposite end. This ensured that the lines/joins in the flooring would match up and would look the part when complete.
As soon as the flooring was laid, we fitted beading around the outside of the laminate. This helps to keep it fixed down as well as giving a nice finish between the flooring and the skirting board.
Some Do’s and Don’ts For Laminate Flooring Installations
Care must be taken when installing your laminate flooring. Improper installation can result in peaking. This is where adjacent laminate boards form a kind of V shape arrangement projecting from the floor. Also you may create gaps in the flooring, where two adjacent laminate boards are separated from each other. Make sure you get your lines straight and your joints in position properly. Don’t forget you laminate flooring will be down for a very long time, hopefully. It is a very durable and hard wearing product. However, it is recommended that you try to keep the laminate flooring as dry as you can. Water pooling on the surface can cause the flooring to swell and even warp in some circumstances.
Finally……
This one room took us just under one full day to complete. This is usually about the average time scale of one room per day (obviously the size of the room does come into play). I trust we have given you an insight into how to install laminate flooring successfully.