Guide To Installing Laminate Floors

Installing laminate flooring isn't very hard, but steps do need to be taken to make sure it's done right. The installation of laminate flooring always winds up wasting some, so make sure that you purchase at least 10% more square footage than you will use for the job. Then, when the flooring comes in, make sure to unwrap it and pack it into the rooms where it will be installed for three days before the install. By letting the flooring get used to the rooms, it will adjust to the humidity and temperature. If you install the flooring right away without letting it acclimate, it will shrink and expand, ruining the floor prematurely.

Clean the sub-floor before starting the installation of the laminate floor. This sub-floor needs to be cleaned, otherwise the new flooring won't lay flat. Also, check to make sure that anything that is attached to the walls can be removed if the flooring can't slide underneath it. If the laminate flooring you are using is being laid over concrete, ensure that the concrete is cured before you bring the planks into the room to acclimate.

After you get done cleaning the sub-floor you will need to lay down a vapor barrier. This vapor barrier will protect the flooring from moisture changes, especially useful in homes with damp crawl spaces. Read the manufacturer's installation process for the official method of installation, but you'll find that most vapor barriers overlap or butt right up against each other.

If your door jambs have molding attached to them, be sure to trim the jams so that your new flooring will slide right underneath it. Then, place the manufacturer's recommended width of spacers against the starting wall, laying the first row of flooring with the grooved side up against the spacers. The spacers allow the floor to expand and contract, and will be covered by molding when finished.

Now the rest of the laminate flooring should be installed, paying careful attention to making sure each plank's groove is tapped tightly to the tongue of each preceding piece. Also, make sure that each plank flooring end is offset 6 to 8 inches from each neighboring piece. Upon completion of the project, make sure you install the door thresholds and baseboard molding to finish the project.

Todd writes construction and building How-To and Do-It-Yourself articles, as well as building databases of contractors in Washington State. For more information visit http://www.wallawallacontractors.com.