Laminate flooring is a functional floor covering that is offered by many modern manufacturers in a wide variety of colors and textures. If you want to change the flooring, then you will probably have a question about what should be the direction of laying the laminate, if this material is preferred for you.
The main ways
The technology provides for transverse or longitudinal installation of the finish. The choice of method will depend on several factors. Another, but less common, is the diagonal arrangement of the lamellas. Cross and longitudinal options are a direct laying. The most difficult installation method is diagonal. If you prefer the transverse option, you should keep in mind that the room should not be lined with furniture, this applies to cabinet and soft interior items.
The hardest way
Diagonal laying is best used in rooms according to the type of hallways and corridors. The most common way is direct. In this case, the elements should be parallel to the walls. Work should begin in the direction from the door.
When to use longitudinal laying
The laying direction of the laminate may be longitudinal. This technology is recommended by specialists for any room. At the same time, the amount of waste will be minimal, the work will not require much time. In addition, the master should not have special skills. The finished flooring in this case will look neat and beautiful.
If the window is located on a short wall, then the question is not even worth it. Installation is carried out relative to the long wall of the room. In this case, the seams at the joints will not be visible, because the shadow is not cast. Cloths will create a perfectly smooth surface. If the windows are located on two opposite or adjacent walls, this effect cannot be achieved.
Cross laying
The laying direction of the laminate may be transverse. The location is not perfect. A plus here is the ability to visually expand the space. You can use the transverse method of installing the finish in elongated rooms or narrow corridors. The process is accompanied by large cash and time costs, because the lamellas will have to be cut more often.
Conclusions on the choice of laying method
Before choosing the direction of laying the laminate, you must choose its texture, as well as determine the color scheme and manufacturer. In choosing the direction of the arrangement of elements, several factors must be taken into account. For example, a window will affect your decision. It is necessary to start installation work from the far corner, moving perpendicularly to the light opening. In this case, the sun's rays will hide the seams, and the coating will turn out even.
If the room has two windows on different walls, you should focus on the window that gives more light. Before choosing the direction of laying the laminate in the apartment, you should stand with your back to the front door and imagine the arrangement of furniture. If floor installation is planned in the whole apartment, you must imagine how the finished picture will look. All features of the design of the room should be taken into account. The light source sometimes becomes not a window, but spotlights, floor lamps, chandeliers and wall sconces. Their light must be taken into account when choosing the laying direction.
The choice of direction depending on the size and shape of the room
The correct laying direction of the laminate will determine the appearance of the floor covering. It is necessary to take into account the size and shape of the room. If the proportions of the room are correct, then laying must be carried out along a long wall, placing the slats in the direction from the window. If the room is narrow and long, it is advisable to use the transverse direction, which will expand the space visually.
Irregular shapes and complex proportions will please designers, but they will significantly complicate the work. In this case, it is better to prefer the diagonal direction. It will not be easy to do such work without special preparation. If you have doubts about your abilities, it is better to trust professionals.
Other things being equal, in rooms with low ceilings, it is better to resort to longitudinal installation, while high ceilings are best combined with transverse installation. But before you choose the direction of laying the laminate, you should consider that this factor will not affect the quality of the coating. To give the appearance of individual boards on the laminate, a special chamfer is sometimes made. If you have acquired this type of coating, then the joints should be emphasized by mounting perpendicular to the window.
The choice of direction depending on the design features
This factor should also be taken into account, as is the presence of furniture in the room. If space is crammed with objects and the floor is carpeted, styling can be made more economical. Such technology is the longitudinal arrangement of the elements.
When the new floor is laid on wooden boards, and there is no plywood on top of them, it is better to arrange the lamellas perpendicular to the direction of the boards in order to exclude deflection. Plywood on top of the boards will allow you to choose the direction that is preferable for you.
Preparation for laying the laminate: instructions for the work and installation procedure
Step-by-step instructions for laying a laminate will allow you to cope with the work yourself. But first you have to prepare the tools, among them:
- electric jigsaw;
- scissors;
- fasteners;
- wooden blocks;
- square;
- drawing tool;
- rope;
- self-tapping screws;
- knife.
Instead of an electric jigsaw, you can use a hacksaw for metal. It is necessary to refuse the saw, as its large teeth will only spoil the decorative layer on the laminated panels. If there is no cord, you can use a fishing line or rope. You will replace wood bars with wedges if necessary.
You will need a light or rubberized hammer. The first one can be used exclusively with a rubber gasket so that when you strike the panels you will not damage the material. At risk of deformation, end lock joints for fastening panels to each other.
Surface preparation
Before laying the laminate, it is necessary to prepare the floor. Permissible roughness should not be more than 2 mm for every 2 m2 of area. If the slope is 4 mm per 2 m 2 , then this floor is not suitable for the installation of furniture and other interior items. If you start working with an uneven floor, there will be a skew, due to which the cabinet doors may not close.
When preparing the floor, the leveling method will depend on the material that underlies. Old concrete pavement must be repaired. Cracks should be expanded and filled with mortar, and large cavities are immediately filled with a mixture, for example, self-leveling. At the end, the floor must be sanded or poured with a screed. Failed boards are changing on the wooden floor . You can align the plywood.
If a cement screed is available, it must be coated with a primer. The board or plywood coating is sanded with special equipment for small irregularities. Before installing the laminate, all types of floors must be washed and vacuumed. When choosing the best option for the preparation method, it is necessary to focus on financial expenses and the amount of effort spent.
Preparatory work may be accompanied by the installation of the substrate and the insulation layer. The flooring must not come in contact with a surface that gives off moisture. An additional installation of special layers is needed that will absorb water and prevent steam condensation. These layers may be a diffusion membrane or a layer of plastic film. The overlap should be 20 cm. The cloths are interconnected by tape.
Instructions for the work
A step-by-step instruction for laying the laminate provides for measuring the width of the room at the first stage. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the compensation gap between the wall and the flooring. Its width should be 1 cm. This will create a floating floor covering, it will not deform when the temperature rises and the panels expand. If the area of the room is more than 12 m 2 , then the thickness of the compensation gap should be greater. The value is 1.50 mm per meter of room length.
The next step will be to calculate the width of the row panels, which will be stacked last. After you can start laying the material. You should start from the left corner of the room. The first row should be located to the wall of the protruding part.
In the previous steps, you had to choose the direction of laying the laminate in the room. The main rule is the location of the panels parallel to natural light. Each next row is mounted with an offset of 40 cm from the previous one. This will allow you to distribute the load evenly.
The lamels are interconnected at an angle of 45 °. After the top board is lowered, and you can hear a characteristic click. This will allow you to understand that the element is fixed. In the future, the algorithm should be repeated. In the last row, panels of the desired width will be cut. The board can be cut in length.
Instructions for the work. Lock lamellas
Regardless of the direction in which the laminate is laid in the corridor, you can choose panels with different locks and joints. If we are talking about what is mentioned in the subtitle, then the installation is carried out on the same principle as in the previous section, but here you will need to observe one nuance - the panels are knocked down by a spike in a groove system. Do not forget about which way to lay the laminate, because there are seams between the panels with this method of installation.
Laying may be adhesive. It, in comparison with the floating method, has some disadvantages, among them:
- excess spending on glue;
- increased complexity of installation;
- the inability to dismantle the coating after installation;
- intolerance to heating glue.
This suggests that the laminate can not be laid on top of a warm floor. Now you know how to choose the direction of laying the laminate, but for a successful result, you must also read the instructions for the work. If you chose the adhesive method, you will need to remove the liquid mixture with a dampened rag from the surface of the lamellas.
After it was possible to lay out three rows, it should be interrupted for several hours until the glue completely dries. If the coating has not shifted, styling can be completed. The last row is mounted with a crowbar to lay the material between the flooring and the wall.
Reverse stacking
After reading the instructions, you can understand that the laminate is stacked from the wall. The tongue will then be directed at itself. But some masters set themselves the task of installing a threshold at the entrance to the room. In this case, it will be necessary to lay the laminate in the opposite direction. The material will be placed backwards on a small piece of floor. Some difficulties may arise here.
The “castle”, however, allows you to lay out the lamellas in the reverse order. But you may experience some inconvenience. Sometimes there is a need to raise the stacked row. When choosing a nut in the store, you should pay attention to the quality of the material. Some products are completely unsuitable for prolonged use. If you are doing a modern repair from a doorstep and it’s even better to refuse, some experts advise resorting to this method only in extreme cases. In this case, according to the rules of laying the laminate, the direction will be one, and there will be no transition between the rooms.