How to properly lay laminate?

The question of how to properly lay laminate flooring, worries the minds of all newly-made domestic craftsmen who want to avoid embezzlement on the construction team. Of course, this desire may be justified for other reasons, but it does not remove the need to get into all the nuances of the process.

First you need to fully understand what laminate is . This flooring material is a sort of sandwich consisting of the following layers:

1. A protective film that prevents the appearance of defects due to sunlight, water, or mechanical damage.
2. Paper that mimics the drawing of wood , stone, tile or sand.
3. The basis, which is a high density fiberboard.
4. Paper that protects the substrate from moisture.

How to prepare the base?

Before you lay the laminate, the purchased material must adapt to the climate of the room. The obtained free time should be spent on preliminary preparation of the floor. If the repair of wooden floors is meant, it is necessary to establish the presence of differences on such a surface, which can be done using the usual level. If those are not more than 2-3 mm. On every 2 meters, then you can not worry. If the differences are more significant, they will have to be eliminated by means of a grinding machine. In the event that the floor boards do not have stiffness, they stagger and bend, there is a need for fixation or complete replacement. The concrete floors are also checked for the presence of swings, the presence of which must be eliminated by the screed.

The next step is the flooring with a waterproofing material, which can be a conventional film or a special substrate. Lay it must be strictly perpendicular to the direction of laying the laminate. In order to prevent the insulation from shifting, it can be fixed with adhesive tape. Increase the heat-saving properties of the floor is possible with the help of plywood or cork substrate, laid under the laminate.

How to lay a laminate floor?

Before the beginning of the work on laying this flooring, you must precisely determine the direction of the boards. If the windows in the room are on the same wall, then it is logical to arrange the material in the direction of the incoming natural light. Perpendicular or diagonal placement of panels in relation to lighting will show all joints, which will greatly worsen the overall appearance of the floor.

Depending on what kind of construction is at the boards, glued and lockable panels are possible. The last option is the most popular because of its simple and quick installation. The lock on the laminate can be of two types, namely "Click" and "Lock". The "Click" connection is still called double, so it guarantees the strength of the entire floor construction and a small amount of damage to the material during the installation process. Laminate with lock "Lock" is characterized by a lower cost, but this does not have the best effect on the strength of the boards in terms of adhesion.

If it was decided to lay glue laminate, then you need to prepare for a long process of work and additional costs. However, this option ensures that there is no damage to the floor covering from moisture ingress. The structure assembled in this way can be put into use not earlier than 10 hours after the end of the work. The used material can no longer be collected back after dismantling, as well as there is no possibility to cover the system of "warm floor" with glue laminate.

Experienced masters advise beginners, before laying the laminate floor, try simply to lay out the boards on the surface and estimate their optimal location. This will make it possible to rationally use the material and obtain an excellent result.