How to lay laminate flooring.

Installing a good modern laminate is easy. But you need a special tool. Progress loves every sector of the construction industry, that’s why patents for the manufacture of remodeling, interior and exterior decorating products, and for construction in general, are so often registered.

These days, it is difficult to find a glue-based laminate.  Although it is cheaper, when you count the cost of the glue, the price is comparable to the type with an interlocking attachment.  On the edges and end-faces of the laminate planks you will notice the attachment elements.  Often, the manufacturing company even patents its own method for their design (QUICK-STEP – Uniclick, CLASSEN-Megalock).  But in general, laminate attachment systems are divided into two types – Click-locks and tongue-and-groove.

Installing laminate with the tongue-and-groove system requires physical strength and skill, so it is necessary to use a special tamping device to drive the tongue into the groove, overcoming the resistance of the retaining edge. Caution: not all manufacturers allow tamping of the laminate during assembly. With removal of this type of laminate there is a good chance of failure in the locks, as well as in the expansion joints as, under pressure, the mechanism deforms over time, the ridge wears away, and it forms cracks. But the Belgian QUICK-STEP lock is so strong and reliable that you have nothing to worry about. You can tamp the laminated board from all sides.

The Click-lock is as simple as it is ingenious. The two boards are joined at an angle of 45 degrees, then the tongue is introduced into the groove and the panels snap together. To lay this type of laminate only requires getting acquainted with the instructions. Disassembly is also extremely simple, and damage is minimal. In addition, Click-locks redistribute pressure and maintain a constant tension, preventing gaps from forming.

To enhance the waterproof qualities of the laminate, it is recommended to use a special impregnation solution during installation, which is also especially effective with Click-locks. This recommendation does not apply to CLASSEN laminate. The locking mechanisms on their boards are already waxed at the factory, preventing moisture from getting into the joints between the boards.

It is worth mentioning that, in comparison with this elegant simplicity, the installation of parquet seems excessively complicated.

HARDWOOD FLOORING

First, a concrete lining is laid down, which takes a few weeks to dry out, so it is not worth making it thicker than five centimeters.  Then, the concrete is cleaned.  Next comes the waterproofing material.  It is sold in rolls, with a thickness of about three mm.   The material is installed with a small margin along the walls, which is then driven under the baseboard.  If desired, a soundproofing layer may be installed (this may be a sheet of cork).  After that comes the substrate, made from particle board or high quality plywood.  This wooden material is cut into squares of about 40 cm per side, which are laid out in a brickwork fashion – the corner of one unit is lined up on the center of another.  Cutting up a single piece of particle board or plywood in the described manner serves to relieve internal mechanical stress.  The pieces are laid with a gap of 3 - 4 mm between them, and 10 mm from the wall, and fastened with screws.

Then, once again, there must be a technical pause for 2 to 3 days, which is conveniently used for placing the hardwood flooring in the prepared room so that it can adapt to the ambient temperature and humidity conditions (which you must regulate – temperature not lower than 18 degrees Celsius, humidity from 30 to 60 percent).  Only now can you can you remove the hardwood flooring pieces from the factory packaging and set them out to “get accustomed” for 2-3 days.

You can only start to lay the hardwood flooring after this.  Note that, had you chosen laminate, you would already forget about all this maintenance work – any flat surface other than carpeting is suitable as base layer for laminate.

The hardwood flooring boards are fastened to one another with glue.  After that, there is a technical pause for a week, after which comes the sanding of the hardwood flooring from dirt and unevenness that came about during installation, then – coating with varnish.

Is it even worth mentioning that you will have to cut down the door to the room by at least a few millimeters?  You won’t just have to manage the new floor.  There are also the complications of upkeep and the requirement to seal with varnish… But, on the other hand, if you are getting it anyway, a new hardwood floor will serve as the reason for a pilgrimage by countless relatives, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.  Don’t worry, they won’t wipe out your treasure – with the proper materials and completion of the installation on a professional level, your hardwood floor will serve you for a very long time.