A wonderful way to give to your home a nice modern makeover is having the laminate flooring installed in your home. It is really nice “wood look alike” flooring but it’s actually not wood. There are many benefits associated with laminate flooring apart from being modern, which makes it more and more popular around the world.
Laminate flooring is available in a lot of colors and styles to choose from according to your own style and taste. You can make it work by setting the rest of the decor in accordance with the flooring. It doesn’t limit your decor styles and ideas, instead it makes you scope wide and makes every style of interior decoration beautiful and stylish.
Laminate flooring is easy and economical to install. Let’s have a look at the process of laminate flooring installation.
- Clean The Existing Floor
It is really indispensable before installing the wood like laminate flooring that the existing floor; onto which you are going to install the new floor is clean and flat. If there are any humps on the floor, then they should be removed; and if there are any cavities, then they should be filled out before further processing.
- Select The Right Underlayer
Since laminate flooring does not stick to the sub floor, it actually sits on it; so it is really important to select the right kind of underlayer. Underlayer is the material that will work as a cushion between the laminate flooring and subfloor. It should be remembered that the laminate flooring is noisier than the wood flooring, so it needs some underlayer cushion to insulate that noise.
- Measurements and Temperature Control
When you measure the area that needs to be covered with laminate flooring, keep little margin for the wastage as well. Also you need to keep in mind that a little gap about ¼ of an inch will have to be left between the walls and the floor since the laminate flooring is prone to expansion with the rise in temperature and humidity. Experts suggest that the temperature of the room two days before, during the installation and two days after should be not more than 18 degree Celsius.
- Start The Flooring
Here comes the actual process…the flooring! Laminate flooring installation is always started from the left corner of the room towards the right corner of the room. Before starting your work, place spacers along the walls to allow equal room for the expansion. This will make it easier for you to keep the gaps. Now start placing the laminate tiles one by one from left to right and lock their spaces properly. Make sure the joints between the tiles are tight and fixed in their places.
Work your way through the room until you reach the other end of the room. Now look for any gaps and use the left over pieces of the laminate tile to fix them.
- Take Your Time
Once you are finished, take your time and see if there are any gaps, loose ends, cuts or trims. Fix them to give the floor an even look.
- Install The Trim Track On The Sub Floor
After that, remove the spacers and install the trim tracks onto the sub floor. Make sure that the measurements are correct and the trim tracks are hammered properly along the walls leaving room for the expansion. It is important to note that the trim tracks should e attached to the sub floor and not the laminate flooring installed, because the laminate flooring is to expand due to rise in the temperature and humidity.
- Clean Up
Lastly, clean up the area with a mop or a vacuum cleaner. Look for any left over glue of tape that you have used. Make sure that you clean up all that nice and tidy to give a fine look.
Now, you’re ready to enjoy your new flooring.