Laminate is a common decoration material that is used in apartments and houses. Cope with styling yourself is not easy, but possible. The result is a beautiful and environmentally friendly coating. Not everyone knows how to lay a laminate. But referring to a team of professionals is sometimes expensive. Having knowledge, even a beginner will cope with the work of laying floors.
Types of installation work
Laying laminate has several technologies. The choice will affect the lead time. In order for the laminate board to lie down neatly, you will have to delve into the technique and understand the nuances of the process. In total, there are three commonly used techniques:
- Traditional.
- Christmas tree.
- Diagonal.
Each method has its own characteristics and nuances. It is difficult to make Christmas tree laying without experience. A beginner should turn to the traditional or diagonal method. If the area in the room is small, then visual expansion will be obtained by laying the laminate diagonally. There is a minus: a lot of edged board appears. It is rarely used where. To remove visible joints, the traditional method is used. You also need to do the flooring parallel to the wall with the window. Otherwise, all the bumps will be visible.
We maintain the right angle
How to lay a laminate? Laying boards diagonally, the masters adhere to a direction at 45 degrees relative to the wall. Streams of sunlight will correctly lay down, and the joints will become invisible. Basically, two types of connection are used - glue and castle. The latter option is convenient and suitable for people without experience (because there are grooves and latches that stand together and are securely fixed).
Can glue be used?
Glue during the assembly period is always an increase in installation time. There is a plus: this is an increase in moisture resistance. The grooves receive additional protection and if water gets in, it will not go under the laminate board. Masters recommend using an adhesive base in the kitchen space.
Then you have to choose which laminate to lay. Experts say that the wooden type is the ideal choice for the kitchen. It works great as a budget imitation of an expensive tree. Such a coating looks no worse than the original flooring.
How to calculate the material?
No one wants to overpay. For this reason, the amount of laminate board is pre-calculated. So that you do not have to buy material during installation. The method is simple: measure the exact area of the room for decoration, taking into account all the protrusions. If the repair is done by a novice, then you need to take into account errors and take with a small margin. You need to find out what size the laminate itself is, in order to calculate the number of boards by dividing. Rounding is performed upwards.
Most often, a laminate is sold in a package of eight to ten pieces. Calculating the number of packs is not difficult. So select the desired source material, if impose the material by the traditional method. With the right approach, everything turns out smoothly, reliably and for a long time.
With various methods, experts say that there should be a supply of boards. Because even professionals can be wrong. To completely eliminate all risks, the volume increases to fifteen percent. If the calculations are difficult, then in every hardware store there are consultants ready to help and answer questions.
What do you need for work?
Before starting work, the question arises: is it possible to lay a laminate on a wooden floor? Everyone who starts work is interested in this. Can I lay laminate on linoleum? Such cases occur, but experts do not recommend doing so. Coverage will be uneven. However, the decision always remains with the owner.
Beginners need to take care of everything in advance and prepare the tools. Here's what should be at hand:
- Jigsaw for cutting laminate (electric).
- Roulette.
- Pencil.
- Large scissors.
- Wooden block.
- Hammer or rubber mallet.
How to lay a laminate? For high-quality laying, pre-designed floor decoration schemes are used. When buying a laminate board, do not forget about the substrate, it performs a protective function. The sealant in the process will need no less. If there is linoleum on the floor, then it may well act as a substrate. Sealant helps to lay boards correctly taking into account joints.
Everyone will be able to cope with the selection of everything necessary himself or ask the master with experience.
How to lay a laminate in an apartment or house?
Before the floor takes on a new look, it is worthwhile to withstand building material in the house. This is necessary so that it adapts to temperature. This issue is especially relevant in the winter. Sometimes the question arises, how to lay a laminate on a wooden uneven floor? The instructions state that all work must be performed on a flat surface. So if there are errors, you will have to eliminate this before starting the procedure.
Many solve the problem with irregularities by installing a concrete coating or using putty. The wooden floor lends itself well to grinding, after this procedure the laminate is better laid down. Linoleum is used if its surface is intact. It doesn't matter what type of coating is used. The main thing before starting work is leveling the floor.
When the surface is concrete, you need to prepare it too. Remove dust, apply primer. What plywood to lay under the laminate? Masters of construction believe that too thin will not last long and will not perform the desired function. To make sure that all conditions are met, it is worth going through the level throughout the floor.
The temperature in the room should not drop below +18, with little importance. A critical threshold is a value of 15 degrees. But what if there is no heating in the room and work is done in the winter? In this case, it is possible to forcefully heat the air using a building heat gun.
Work with a background
Once the base is ready, the substrate is laid out. It should be located around the perimeter under the laminate board. Do not overlap, carefully dock each sheet. The joints are fixed with construction tape. After that, the laminate itself is already laid. What is the substrate for?
- Soundproofing.
- Final floor leveling in front of the laminate flooring.
- Protection against heat.
Depending on the lock on the boards of the main coating, the laying method is selected. Sometimes a collection is made, and then the entire stove is placed on the floor. This procedure is laborious and one person will not be able to perform it. If something is done wrong, then an offset will occur. In the end, everything will be ruined. Each package always has detailed information on the execution of work, it is worth familiarizing yourself with it. Next, we will present accessible and understandable information about the sequence of all actions.
Easy styling
How to lay a laminate? For a beginner to be able to make repairs, you should turn to the traditional method. The process starts from the wall, perpendicular to the window. How to lay a laminate flooring step by step:
- The first boards are laid tight against the wall. It will be necessary to place skirting boards, so small wooden pegs are installed. Grooves - to a vertical surface.
- From the front side, the second row is laid. In order to avoid errors, the construction level is used in the process. He checks every row. The laying side can not be changed.
- The last board will have to be cut. But several times to measure everything, so as not to spoil it. This is not excluded, therefore, a laminate with a margin is taken. The clearance is small. Measurements are made with a pencil.
- A mallet and a block help to join the laminate close and tightly. In order not to break the board, you need to apply a bar and only after that hit it. In this way, any gap is removed. Further covering is spread over the entire floor area.
It’s easy to create a beautiful layout using a simple method, but with a drawing it’s not accessible to everyone. In order not to spoil the entire laminate, do not immediately start with chess.
Diagonal board layout
Performing the technique diagonally is not as difficult as staggering. The first board is laid out from the far corner. It is worth making the markup. For this, a square with an indicator of 45 degrees is used. Here are the features in this process:
- In the initial row, there is one laminate board.
- In the second row increases to two.
The main thing is to make the ends stand in the center of the first board. The work uses the same set of tools. But to cut a wooden coating will be required more often and at an angle of 45 degrees. It is clear that the consumption of material will increase, compared with a simple way of laying out.
Laying a laminate board is a simple process. But only on condition that all instructions and recommendations are followed. How long will the work take? A man himself, even a novice, having received recommendations, will be able to lay the floor in about a day. The most reliable option available on the market is a deck board, but its installation is complex. Do not start with something complicated and expensive. Let it be a simple laminate.
Choose a direction
How to lay a laminate flooring in an apartment? The main nuance is to choose the right direction. According to experts, it is worth guiding the source of natural light from a house or apartment. If there is no window, then this is a supply from an artificial lighting device. When the laminate is laid perpendicularly, an incorrect hit of light rays will lead to a damaged appearance.
How to lay a laminate: along or across? It is better if the boards lie parallel to the light source in a room or any other room. Professional craftsmen know this and adjust their work in this way. There is another nuance - this is the color of the laminate board. Much depends on her. If there is no experience in this, do not give preference to too extraordinary color schemes.
About the background
It is clear that there will be a start and finish of the entire floor covering. Be sure to use a backing. Without it, you can’t make the coating neat and attractive. The cost of materials will depend on the area of the room and the chosen laminate. You need to choose a product coated with classic wood. According to the masters, this is the best solution, since the material will last a long period of time and is easy to care for.
Since the laminate is made of wood material, such floors cannot be too wet. Spilled water should be removed immediately so as not to fall into the grooves and under the laminate boards themselves. In this situation, swelling will occur and you will have to change the gender. Otherwise, it will not be possible to restore the evenness of the floor. Sometimes they use an additional coating (for example, varnish or something like that). This improves performance. Color may become lighter or vice versa.
Summary
It is easy to cover the floors with a laminate yourself. But there are certain rules that should not be violated during the work. When shopping, you need to pay attention not only to the color scheme, compliance with the design of the room, but also to the type of lock on the boards and the manufacturer.
If this is a Click castle system, then a beginner can easily cope and make repairs in the apartment with his own hands. Before starting, the tool and the layout are prepared, namely the laying scheme. Without it, a decent result will not work. The diagonal or chess method requires experience. You should not risk it - in this case it is better to trust the professionals. With direct laying, there should be a flat surface, as well as a successfully laid first row. If there is a skew, then it will not work to eliminate it. Continuing to carry out work, it will only increase. Sometimes it’s worth thinking well and calculating how to break and start all over again.