How to put laminate floor by yourself?

The floor covering made with the help of a laminate is considered quite beautiful and practical, and there are practically no special problems during the installation. You can do laying by yourself, the main thing is to understand in detail how to put the laminate yourself to get a high-quality result. In this article, we'll look at the step-by-step instructions, learn the basic steps of doing this work and get acquainted with the recommendations of professionals.

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How to choose a laminate and calculate the required amount of material?

First you need to decide on the material. It all depends on exactly where you will make the installation, in what conditions it will be used.

For different purposes, materials of several classes are produced, which are designated by indices from 31 to 33. In addition, laminate panels can differ in their overall dimensions, and more specifically in length and thickness. The texture and color scale are also very diverse, and it is thanks to this that you can choose the material for any type of interior.

Important! When buying, be sure to make sure that all the material was from the same lot, so that there was no difference in color.

To determine the required number of panels, you need to make a simple calculation. How to make? Laminate will cover the entire floor surface of the room, so you must first calculate its area, or rather - multiply the width and length of the room.

Important! When calculating, it is necessary to consider exactly how you will make the laying, because this determines the amount of material that must be added to the total number. For example:

• to put a laminate in a straight line, you need to add 5-7% of the material;
• if you put on a diagonal, then 10-14%.

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How to prepare a surface for laying a laminate?

To perform the preparatory work you will need polyethylene film, construction tape and material for the cushioning substrate. This process consists of the following stages.

Evaluation of the state of the floor and laying of the substrate

If the laminate is to be laid on concrete, then:

1. It must be checked that it is strong - without pits, unevenness, clean, even and dry.
2. Then a layer of waterproofing is laid on it. To do this, take a thick polyethylene, fold it into two layers and lay across the direction of laying the laminate. The film spreads around the perimeter of the entire room with a filling of 3-5 cm on the walls.

Important! To ensure that the coating is more reliable, the sheets are laid on each other overlapping to secure the joints with adhesive tape.

Laying the substrate on the layer of waterproofing

Used for this extruded polystyrene, whose thickness is 2-3 mm, or a sheet of natural cork.

Important! Put the laminate, in principle, you can and on the old coating, for example, on linoleum. The main thing is that it should be smooth, without swelling, tears and wrinkles. The surface must be strictly horizontal.

Before laying it, it must be thoroughly washed and allowed to dry completely. And only after this, in order to protect the coating from moisture, a waterproofing layer is laid on it. Used for this polyethylene film with polystyrene coating. Then a substrate with a thickness of no more than 4 mm is installed.

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How to produce laminate flooring by yourself?

Before you independently lay the laminate, buy in the store or check if you have such materials and tools at home:

• Laminate.
• Hammer.
• Roulette.
• Clamp.
• Wedges.
• Electric fret saw.

Important! During the installation, it must not be forgotten that the laminate is not suitable for use in rooms with a very high humidity level. Before working, the material should be allowed to lie down a little in unopened form at room temperature for about two to three days.

After this, you can begin laying, following the following recommendations:

• It is recommended to start the installation perpendicular to the window opening from the far corner of the room. To adhere to this rule is necessary in order to make the joints between the panels invisible.
• The first two boards are stacked by fastening with the end faces along the wall. At the same time, you need to make sure that the first board is necessarily whole, and the last one in the series is adjusted to the size of toolboxes.
• When laying the first two boards, it is necessary to install special wedges as spacers that will provide a clearance between the wall and panels of 1.5 cm. And these gaps are needed to ensure that in future the material does not rise and can expand and contract freely.

Important! To make it easier to snap the panels, mount them better with a lock to yourself.

• The next row will begin with the board, previously cut in half. Then the laminate is staggered. As a result, a beautiful texture will be formed on the floor, and the base is resistant to high loads and reliable. In the second row, each panel is inserted into the groove of the panel from the previous row at an angle of 20 degrees and snaps into place.
• The remaining series are stacked by analogy. The last row near the wall is installed using a clamp. This tool allows you to easily connect the panels together. To make the coating more durable and durable, it is necessary to grease the joints between the boards with special glue. For this, the glue is applied to the joints of the panels, and then they are snapped. In this position, they need to be held for a few seconds.
• If there are any obstacles in the way of laying, for example pipes, then they can be bent by means of an electric jigsaw. Once the entire laminate has been laid, you can begin to mount the plinth.

So we learned how to properly lay the laminate yourself without involving professionals. As it turned out, it's very simple to do, the main thing is to observe the general rules of packing and follow the recommendations of specialists.

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How to properly care for laminate?

If you want a floor covering made by you with your own hand to last as long as possible and looks always attractive and beautiful, you need to know how to properly care for it:

• If during the laying on the floor there were some damages, then eliminate themcan be applied with the same shade.
• If there is linoleum under the laminate, it must be protected from moisture penetration. For this, all joints should be periodically smeared with a sealant based on wax.
• Be sure not to get water on the laminate.
• It is recommended to attach felt pads to the furniture legs to protect the floor from scratches.
• The floor covering from a laminate can be quietly vacuumed and wipe with a damp rag. But you can not polish or clean it with the help of abrasive particles.

Now you know how to make laminate floors with your own hands, how to properly care for them so that you can enjoy the result of your work for many years. We hope you managed to create an interesting flooring decor in your house, and now nothing prevents you from enjoying the comfort and comfort of your home.