In the course of construction and repair, sooner or later the question arises of choosing a floor covering. There are several options. Many people prefer laying laminate flooring. It is beautiful, reliable and inexpensive. However, you should know how to properly lay the laminate in the doorway. Photos and features of the process - further in our article.
Material Features
First you need to get acquainted with the features of the flooring itself. So, the laminate is a lamella made of MDF material. On top, it is covered with a decorative layer that mimics the structure of natural wood, and also has a protective film. The latter prevents scratches and scuffs on the decorative film.
Laminate is distinguished by castle joints, which can be of different types. Mounting such slats is very simple. But you need to know that the basis of the material is wood fiber. Laminate is afraid of high humidity. If it is more than 70 percent, experts recommend performing additional waterproofing (mastic is used). Also provides space (clearance) for movement. This is necessary so that the floor does not swell at different humidity and temperature.
Requirements
In order for the flooring to serve for a long time, it is necessary to properly prepare the base. These recommendations are relevant for all rooms where repairs will be carried out:
- The old coating is removed. Experts do not recommend leaving the old carpet, broken tiles and linoleum. Laminate on such a surface will not last long.
- Waterproofing is in progress. As we said earlier, you can use bitumen mastic. But some use plastic wrap. It works no worse.
- The surface is leveled. There should be no hollows, bumps or bulges on the floor. Only slight inclination of the surface is allowed. For one square meter, this figure should not exceed two millimeters. How can I level the surface? Usually screed is used. A self-leveling solution is poured.
- Cushioning cushioning substrate. It is relevant in any room with any humidity. This substrate allows you to hide partially minor irregularities. Also, when laying a laminate in a doorway without a threshold, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of material displacement under the influence of a microclimate. Therefore, technological clearance is always provided. Its dimensions will depend on the width of the opening. If you need to hide the joints, the threshold is set necessarily. This element is fixed to the base of the floor. The threshold allows not only to hide the gap, but also to make the transition between the coatings in the rooms more smooth.
Materials and Tools
Before putting the laminate in the doorway, we need to prepare the following tools:
- Roulette.
- Meter metal ruler.
- Metal square (for laying off right angles).
- Protractor (if it is assumed that the laminate is curly laid).
- Pencil (for marking).
Since the lamellas need to be cut, we need:
- Electric jigsaw. They can easily and quickly perform cropping on pre-made marks. A jigsaw is easier to work than a hacksaw. The power of the unit must be at least 500 watts.
- Hacksaw. Undercuts can not always be done with a jigsaw. Therefore, it is better to keep a hacksaw with a wide blade and a small tooth. Usually a tool is needed to trim the door frame trim.
- Miter box and angle cutter. These tools allow you to make an even cut at the right angle.
In addition, we will need feather drills. They are needed in order to cut holes in the boards for pipes and other communications. Drills should have a slightly larger diameter than the pipes themselves that are in the room.
To lay the laminate, we need to have:
- Hammer (for tapping boards).
- Lining bar. We will substitute it to protect the lamella from damage. If you hammer directly on the laminate, there will definitely be dents and other defects. Experts advise using a plastic bar weighing at least one and a half kilograms.
- Restrictive wedges. They are installed in order to create a gap between the wall and the floor around the entire perimeter of the room. This gap will eliminate the deformation of the coating. After laying the laminate, this gap will be closed with a plinth.
- Metal bracket. It is needed in order to latch the last lamella in a row. The metal bracket is a hook, which lead into the last board. Then, with a hammer blow, the panel spike is driven into the groove.
Styling methods
Experts distinguish several ways of laying laminate in the doorway:
- The device of special grooves. In order for the lamella to freely enter under the duct, the suction is cut off at the bottom. Further, the laminate goes into the formed cut without any problems.
- Laying before mounting the door frame. This is only possible with major repairs. This option is more correct. First, the laminate is mounted, and then the slopes are sized.
- Pre-cutting laminate. What is the essence of the work? Before laying those panels that are adjacent to the suction, a little cut. This allows the installation of slats close to the door frame.
Also note that there are several options for laying the laminate in the doorway in the direction: along or across. The first method allows you to perfectly dock panels of the same size. If transverse styling is used, a slight difference between the planks can be hidden by the baseboard.
Technological features
Before laying the laminate in the doorway, you need to properly prepare:
- The gap between the surface of the lamellas and the lower edge of the door should be determined. It should be borne in mind that the gap between the floor and the door should not exceed one centimeter. This takes into account the thickness of the substrate, as well as the laminate panels themselves.
- Determine the humidity level. So we will understand whether the coating needs additional waterproofing or not. If the humidity level is less than 65 percent, you can do without insulation.
- Check the evenness of the base. As we said earlier, one meter has a difference of no more than two millimeters.
- Assess the condition of the base. It must be solid and free from defects. It is possible to lay a laminate not only on a concrete screed, but also on a wooden floor.
About deformation clearances
When laying the laminate in the doorway (with or without a threshold), you must always provide for technological clearance. It is needed in case of thermal expansion of the material. This is also true for other sites on the floor. If deformation clearance is not provided, the coating may swell. What should be the size of the gap? There are several options:
- Between the slopes and the board, a gap of one and a half to two millimeters is made.
- If there are pipes for heating near the slopes, this gap increases to three millimeters. In such a situation there will be a large linear expansion of the panels.
Features of pruning slopes
If you are laying the laminate in the doorway according to the first method, you need to cut a small part of the slopes. The main thing is not to trim the excess. How is the cut height determined:
- The laminate is installed on the substrate and pushed to the jamb.
- The desired level is marked on the slope with a pencil.
- For an even cut, a hacksaw is used for metal.
The groove is made to the entire depth of the slope. When the laying of the lamellas is completed in the doorway, proceed to mount the threshold. After that, the flooring is considered completed.
Features of cutting lamels
Before proceeding with installation, you need to make grooves in the slats that are adjacent to the slopes. For this:
- The length and width of the slope should be changed.
- In the future place of joining the strap with the jamb, the obtained values should be noted.
- Increase the depth of the groove by two millimeters (this will be our technological gap).
As a result, we get a U-shaped groove, working with a hacksaw for metal. The next step is the installation of a door sill or aluminum strip. The latter is used in such cases more often, since the bar is easier to set.
note
Laying the laminate in the doorway, where there are also water pipes or other protrusions nearby, has some difficulties. Since the material tends to taper and expand, it is not recommended to mount the lamella closely. There should always be a gap.
So, we found out how to properly lay the laminate in the doorways. As you can see, this operation requires certain knowledge. But even a novice can cope with laying lamellas with a minimum of tools.