Do-it-yourself laminate flooring materials. Laminate flooring: step by step instructions and methods. Substrate preparation for laminate flooring

Among the many floor coverings, laminate is the most popular and practical material, which has a wooden structure and an attractive appearance. Compared to parquet, laminated floor panels have a much lower price. And in terms of their properties, they are not much inferior to the more expensive parquet flooring. Another huge advantage of laminate is the ease of installation, which does not require special skills. Even an inexperienced person can cope with the work if he follows certain rules outlined in the article. So, first you need to buy a laminate and bring it home, after which it will take several days for the material to “acclimatize” to the temperature and humidity of the room where it will be laid. The laminate itself is a panel that has a width of about 20 cm, a length of one to one and a half meters, and a thickness of 6-11 mm. The panels are connected thanks to the locking structure, which is easily fixed and securely fastens the panels together.

What tools are needed to install laminate flooring?

Before you start laying laminate flooring, prepare and assemble all the necessary tools. This is a fairly large list that will be needed to carry out the work. There are 8 tools and materials on the list. Let's take a closer look at each individually to understand where and how to apply them.

• A hammer– no repair can be done without this tool, and laying a laminate is no exception. Moreover, without this tool, it is simply not possible to carry out the installation of laminated panels. The hammer must be selected with a mass of approximately 500-600 grams. This will make it convenient to use. Too heavy can accidentally damage the panels, so this weight is the most optimal.
• square- used to mark the boundaries along which the laminate will be sawn if necessary, in order to fit the required dimensions. It is best to use a metal square, which has a strong base and will not be damaged during the laying of the laminate. The length of the instrument should be about 23-30 cm.
• Pencil- everything is quite simple with this, because without marking the cut lines directly, it will not be possible to cut the material evenly. A special pencil can be purchased at a hardware store, but a regular stationery will do.
• Roulette- measuring the length and width of laminated panels is simply impossible without this tool. When choosing the length of the tape measure, consider the size of the room. Usually a tape measure of 5 meters is enough.
• Tamping block- this tool helps to connect the laminate panels together. Gently knocking with a hammer, the attached bar to the panel engages and fixes the lock. It is better to use a plastic block than a wooden block, as it has a softer structure and will not damage the material.
• Hacksaw- everything is clear with this tool, because you will need to cut laminated panels, so you can’t do without it. It is best to use a hacksaw with fine teeth and a wide blade.
• Restriction wedges- required in order to create a gap between the wall and the laminate panels. This gap should be about 10 mm.
• Scotch- used to connect the edges of the substrate web to each other. It is better to use a special masking tape, but regular clerical tape will do.

Subfloor preparation

Laminate, unlike other floor coverings, has more high requirements for unevenness the surface of the floor on which it will lie down. An uneven floor deforms the material, and the joints may separate. The allowable value per square meter is 0.5 cm. A larger indicator will lead to undesirable consequences in the future and additional costs for correcting the resulting defects. Different floor surfaces require a different approach to laying laminate flooring. Let's look at the three main ones - this is a concrete floor, a wooden floor and a tile or linoleum surface.

Preparing the concrete subfloor

During the repair and installation of the laminate, the old coating is removed and the condition of the concrete floor is checked. It should be smooth and without significant flaws. If there are significant discrepancies, self-levelling mortar. It is not difficult enough - you need to purchase cement, sand and prepare a solution that is evenly distributed over the floor surface. You can buy a special ready-made bulk mixture, which is mixed with water in certain proportions and a solution is obtained. When leveling, a reinforcing mesh is used so that the floor does not crack. After all the leveling work has been completed and the floor has dried well (about 20-30 days), we proceed to the next stage of laying the floor covering. It should be noted that a layer of vapor barrier material must be applied to the concrete surface before laying the laminate. Such material is a polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 200 microns. Joints are fixed with adhesive tape.

Preparing a wooden subfloor

If you decide to lay laminate flooring on an old wooden floor or plank floor, you should make sure that the floor surface is perfectly flat. If there are irregularities somewhere, then they should be corrected. Shaky parquet floorboards to replace or fix, and grind the irregularities, if necessary. Also, the wooden base for laying the laminate should be free of rot and the presence of a biological factor (wood bugs, mold, etc.). This is very important, as it will eventually ruin your new floor and bring significant financial costs. The ideal option to level the old wooden floor surface is to lay plywood or chipboard sheets on top. Laying should be carried out in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, vapor barrier is not required, but sound insulation is necessary. Noise when walking on a laminate floor will be much higher if you put it on a wooden surface. For this, a special soundproofing substrate is used.

Preparation of the base from linoleum or tiles

When laying a laminate on a surface that is made of linoleum or tiles, there are no particular problems. Usually such bases have a flat surface and allow without additional training start work on mounting laminated wooden panels. If it is linoleum, then the surface under it, as a rule, is well leveled initially, the same with tiles. Next, a simple substrate under the laminate is used and the panels themselves are stacked. If, however, uneven floors are present in this case, it is recommended to remove the old coating and level the floor according to building rules.

Laminate laying technology

After preparing the base of the floor, leveling it and, if necessary, conducting vapor barrier, sound insulation, you can proceed directly to laying the laminate. So, the installation of the laminate begins with the installation of spacer wedges in the corner of the room, where the installation of wooden floor panels will begin. This is done in order to leave a gap of 10 mm between the wall and the laminate panel. Since the material tends to expand under the influence of ambient temperature and humidity, the gap will not allow the panel to deform. After laying the floor, the expansion wedges are removed. Laying can be started from any corner of the room, but as experts advise, it is better to lay the laminate along the sunlight that will shine from the window. Panel joints will be less noticeable.

First of all, the first panel of the first row is laid, then the first panel of the second row is laid, but at the same time it is cut in half. This is done in order to lay the laminate in the form of a checkerboard, which will give an even distribution of the load during the operation of the flooring. Next, the second panel in the first row is laid, and then the second panel in the second row. This happens until you cover the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room with panels. The last stage of laying is installation, for which holes are pre-drilled in the wall. There are two types of laying - it is lock and glue. Let's take a closer look at both.

This method involves laying wooden laminated panels without the use of fasteners. Joints between laminate panels made in the form of locks, which are joined together and form a strong system. Mounting the panels is quite simple, it does not require special knowledge, and even a beginner can do the job. There are two types of locks for fastening laminated parts together, let's take a closer look at each separately. This option is used for apartments and small rooms where additional fastening is not required.

• Click-lock- This is the most common type of lock, which has designs in the form of a "thorn" and "groove". It practically supplanted other types for its simplicity and reliability. Docking occurs at an angle of 30 degrees until the lock snaps into place, and then it is driven in with a tamping bar until the two laminate panels are completely connected.
• Lock-lock- with this type of locking, the panels lie horizontally to each other, and the groove of one panel is inserted into the groove of the other. After that, there is a padding with a bar and the lock snaps into place.

Adhesive laying laminate

The only difference between the adhesive laying of the laminate and the castle is additional bonding of joints special glue. This gives greater reliability of the joint, as a result of which the service life of the wooden flooring is significantly extended. In addition, the joints are protected from moisture, which will also favorably affect the operational properties of the laminate. Adhesive laying requires good drying of glued joints, therefore it is recommended to use the coating for its intended purpose after 10 hours. Glue is used with water-repellent property. It is better not to save on glue, as some do, and not to use plain PVA. A special adhesive can be purchased at any building supermarket. This option is used more often in large areas where additional bonding is required, since the laminate can disperse in this case.

When should laminate flooring not be installed?

Laminate is not a universal flooring and you should know when it is not recommended to install it. Do not lay laminated wood panels on carpet. Also, you can not glue the laminate and fix it in other ways to the floor surface. In rooms with high humidity, such as a bathtub, a bathhouse and other similar places, it is also not recommended to do this, because the material is afraid of water and quickly deforms under the influence of intense moisture. Not everyone is on cable or "matte". Laying laminate in the kitchen or hallway should be with a high wear resistance class. In this case, it is imperative to seal the lock systems with an adhesive.

Laminate is a great invention that allows you to decorate the floors in the rooms as simply and quickly as possible. The shape of the slats and their configuration are carefully thought out, so even a beginner will not be difficult to mount it.

Since laminate flooring elements are easy to cut and match, this flooring can be installed quickly even in complex layouts.

If you are interested in how to lay a laminate on your own, then our article will help you, guided by simple rules, to do this job quickly and correctly.

Basic rules for the operation of laminate

Before you start laying laminate flooring, check if it is suitable for your conditions.

1. Laying work is carried out in a well-heated dry room. To extend the life of the laminate, you should maintain a constant temperature in the room from 15 to 30 degrees, and a humidity of 40-70%.
2. The base for the laminate must be absolutely flat, that is, wooden or, the maximum differences of which should not be more than 2 mm per 1 sq.m., and the slopes should not exceed 4 mm per 2 m. Significant irregularities should be leveled by forming a floor screed, or using a flooring system.
3. Do not install the laminate on: this will lead to drying out and deformation of the elements. The laminate should not heat up from below by more than 27 degrees. In this case, it is allowed to use hydraulic heating systems that evenly distribute heat without overheating. Consider the required distance between the bottom of the laminate and the surface of the warm floor - at least 3 cm.

So, you have taken into account all the features and requirements, prepared the basis of the floor. It's time to stock up on the necessary materials and tools.

Materials and tools for laying laminate

Laminate flooring installation is simple. First, the laying of the substrate for the laminate (the material is polyethylene foam) is carried out on the prepared base, and then the elements of the floor covering itself are assembled. This option is suitable for . On a concrete base under the substrate, waterproofing will be required. A simple 200 micron polyethylene film is suitable for it.

In order for the job to be done correctly, you will need the following:

• Laminate;
• Polyethylene film;
• Primer;
• Foamed polyethylene;
• Glue;
• Wedges for technological gaps;
• plinth;
• Fixings for plinth;
• A hammer;
• Pencil;
• Roulette and building corner;
• Hacksaw (jigsaw);
• Construction knife;
• Wooden block.

Wedges can be purchased at the store, along with laminate, or you can make it yourself by cutting laminate, drywall or lining trim into pegs 10-15 mm wide.

Glue will be needed to secure the laminate elements where it is not enough to use edges and hooks.

Tip: when buying laminate, make sure you have a small margin, as no one is immune from mistakes, especially in the places where the wall bends. Do not forget that the size and number of lamellas in the package may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

After you have purchased everything you need, put the laminate in the room where it is planned to lay it for two days. This is necessary in order for the material to “get used” to humidity and temperature.

Laminate laying technology

First of all, thoroughly clean the floor surface from dust and debris. A construction vacuum cleaner will help you with this. After that, prime the base, both wooden and concrete. Wooden floors are also subject to antiseptic treatment.

1. Lay a waterproofing film on the cleaned concrete surface, keeping an overlap of 20 cm between the strips of material, and gluing the joints with adhesive tape. Lay polyethylene foam on top - a substrate.
2. Laying the laminate starts from the window, as a source of natural light.
3. The substrate can be laid on the entire floor, or you can only on a small area that you are covering at the moment, and then report as you progress. This way you keep it whole and clean as you work.
4. Make sure that the substrate is on the walls by 2-3 cm, thus forming a cushioning strip. Apply the following strips of material to the previous one end-to-end and secure with adhesive tape.
5. The first lamella is laid in the corner of the room from the side of the window. Pegs are inserted between it and the wall, as well as from the end. Now add solid stripes to the end of the row, controlling the correct connection of the elements.
6. At the end of the lamella there are grooves that allow you to bring the next element evenly at a slight angle, and firmly insert it into the previous one. This will not require much effort.
7. The missing distance, in which the whole lamella did not fit, can be filled with a segment. Turn the lamella element over along the short end and place it on the already mounted area, resting it against the wall. On the inside you will see a cut line. Do not forget to leave a gap to the wall when marking, at least 10 mm. Cut the lamella of the required length with a hacksaw or jigsaw and insert into the general row.
8. The second row should be laid without snapping the lock with the first row, but touching it over the edge of the end. Dock the entire row in the same way as the first, and when you fully assemble it, lift it up and put it into the lock until it stops, snapping along the entire length. If in some places the lock is not fully latched, attach a wooden block and tap with a hammer.

For your information: a laminate with a soundproofing underlay is available for sale. Polyethylene foam should not be laid under it, only a waterproofing layer on the concrete pavement.

According to this scheme, fill the entire space of the floor. Any special work will be required in places where there are heating pipes, wall bends.

Rules for laying laminate diagonally

It turns out that this installation option is also quite simple. In addition, it visually increases the space of the room. The disadvantage of this method is the additional consumption of material. To approximately calculate the required amount, add 7-8% to the area of ​​​​the room.

Preparation is no different from that which is carried out before the usual installation.

1. Choose a corner near the window and extend a fishing line from it with a 45 degree slope relative to the walls. It is along this line that you will subsequently navigate in order to align the laying of the lamellas.
2. Trim the edges of the first strip at a 45 degree angle. Lay the first strip in a corner, setting the wedges to form a thermal gap.
3. The next step: take two strips of lamella and measure them so that their joint is in the center of the first row, and the edges pre-cut at 45 degrees are flush with the wall, taking into account the gap.

Thus, fill the entire floor. You can first lay out all the whole elements of the laminate, focusing on the joints and fishing line, and at the end of the work, fill in the areas near the walls with scraps. This option is preferable for a beginner in such work, since it allows you to avoid run-up at the junctions of rows due to uneven walls.

Ways of laying laminate in non-standard situations

Rooms with perfectly flat surfaces, without any protrusions or communications outlets, are rare. Therefore, we are faced with the need to cut curly elements from lamellae. For this you will need:

• Pencil;
• building corner;
• Construction knife;
• Jigsaw.

Here are a few options to help you deal with laminate flooring in rooms with specific challenges.

• 1. To get around, you need to trim the lamellas. Turn the element over in length, attach it to the stacked ones, and use a corner to mark the location of the pipes in width.
  2. After that, attach the lamella to the side of the pipe and rest against the wall through the peg. Mark in this position the second mark with a building level (distance from the wall to the pipe). This way you will get the intersections of the lines that determine the location of the holes for the pipe.
  3. Drill holes in the lamellas using special drills - "ballerinas". The diameter must be greater than the diameter of the pipes, the gaps can be closed with special inserts for laminate floors.
  4. Now cut the lamella into two pieces across the middle of the hole. Attach one part to the rest of the floor up to the pipe, and attach the second from the pipe to the wall. To make the mount stronger, apply glue to the ends and press them together.

Tip: If the cutouts are messy and too conspicuous, hide them behind decorative elements, such as pipe lines.

If the walls of your room have ledges, cut the required shape with a jigsaw right along the lamella. In cases where the barrier is under the heating radiators, cut the bottom of the sheathing and bring the laminate board to the base of the wall, observing the gaps.

In order for the end of the lamella to be correctly inserted under the radiator or casing, you need to slightly tweak the lock of the adjacent lamella. To do this, carefully cut off the protruding edge from the bottom of the end. So that the strength of the joint does not suffer, coat the joints of the lamellas with glue and press firmly against each other.

What else is useful to know about laying laminate flooring?

If you are the lucky owner of a living space with a large area, more than 8x8 meters, then laying a laminate floor will have certain features. You will need the formation of expansion joints. For this, use special profiles that are mounted on the floor between two sections of the mounted laminate that are not connected to each other.

In this case, the upper section of the dividing profile will be the same lining as in the "pies" for doorways. The reason for this is the thermal expansion of the material and the need to limit the maximum bonded area of ​​the laminate floor in order to reduce the overall deformation. The same profile must be installed along the boundaries of the separation of excellent loops of a warm water floor installed in the same room.

After you have completely filled the floor space and installed the laminate in difficult places, remove any wedges installed around the perimeter and trim the edges of the underlay that protrude too much from under the surface. Leave only a couple of inches of wall entry so that they provide a shock-absorbing belt. Now it remains only to install the plinth, and the work will be completed.

The peculiarity of installing skirting boards on a laminate floor is that there are no fasteners to the laminate and the floor, as such. The plinth strip is attached directly to the wall. There are several types of skirting boards and their mounting options, so use the manufacturer's instructions for installation.

• Wooden skirting boards are only suitable for absolutely flat walls due to their hardness;
• If the wall surface is uneven, plastic skirting boards are optimal.
• If wires are laid under, fix it in special grooves so that communications do not fall into the gap between the laminate and the wall.
• Place felt pads on the legs of all furniture in a room with a laminate floor.

In order for the laminate to serve you for a long time, protect it from moisture and temperature extremes. There are types of laminate coatings that are not afraid of external mechanical damage, but still such a floor requires careful handling: try to avoid scratches and chipped areas, they will harm not only the appearance, but also the quality of the material.

Video on how to install laminate flooring

If the final decision is made to cover the floors in an apartment or a separate room with a laminate, first you should carefully familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the technological process of laying it. First, it is necessary to accurately determine the the type of material that will need to be purchased. Secondly, it is necessary to learn how to lay laminate on the floor in order to really appreciate own strength. The process itself, although it requires increased care and accuracy, still cannot be considered extremely difficult, and calling a team of builders-finishers can be a waste of money. Why not try it yourself?

No matter how much you want to do everything as soon as possible, you should remember the "golden rule" - laying flooring, and laminate - in particular, never tolerates unnecessary haste. Everything will pass in a fairly short time without that, but in order for the floor to really serve for a long time and not cause quick disappointments, it is simply impossible to do without careful preliminary preparation for work.

To begin with, a thorough preparation of the floor surface

A good owner will assess the condition of the floor in the room and bring it to the proper look for laying, probably even before going to the store to buy a laminated board. So, the first step is to revise the existing foundation.

The essential advantage of laminate flooring is that it can be laid on almost any subfloor. Of course, the "rough floor" must meet a number of important requirements.

• He must leveled horizontally. Level differences are allowed within no more than 2 mm per 1 linear meter of surface.
• The surface must be even - even the slightest tubercles or pits are unacceptable. Such defects violate the integrity of the laminated coating or subsequently respond with unpleasant squeaks.
• The floor must be durable - no dynamic loads should cause "games" of the surface.

1. If the laminate is planned to be laid out on a concrete base, then it must be carefully repaired. Wide cracks, potholes, and even more so - areas of crumbling or delamination of the surface are unacceptable. If the damage is too extensive, then you will probably have to put the laminate aside for the time being and start updating the screed - with an ordinary concrete mortar or, which, apparently, is more convenient, with a self-leveling fill. It will be possible to return to the laminate flooring only after the floors have gained the desired strength.

pouring the floor

2. Laminate flooring is allowed on old linoleum. At the same time, the coating must necessarily maintain its integrity and evenness - divergencies of welds, wear of linoleum to the base are unacceptable, especially if there is still a violation of the concrete base in these places. The presence of protruding bumps or noticeable pits is not allowed. Sometimes you just have to remove the old linoleum and prepare the base for the laminate in the usual way, as described above.

3. Laminate on a tree can be laid if there are no rotten, creaking boards on the floor, if there are no areas of instability - deflection under the weight of the leg. Such fragments are subject to mandatory replacement with simultaneous amplification of the lag. Stable areas are checked for cracks, dents, etc. - you need to putty, and then level with a common surface with a grinder. Minor level differences between the boards can be removed with a planer.

Many issues will be resolved much easier if you spare no expense to cover the entire base of the floor with plywood, or even better - OSB sheets with a thickness of about 10 ÷ 12 mm. In addition to the required evenness, this measure also provides additional thermal and soundproofing effects. Under the stacked sheets, a waterproofing layer of dense polyethylene film must be laid.

What is required for work

When the laminate is purchased and delivered to the place of laying, it is advised to free it from plastic and cardboard packaging, place it in the room for which it is intended for several days. This will allow you to completely equalize both the humidity and the temperature of the material, and as a result, laying will be easier, and the likelihood of deformation of the laid coating will be eliminated.

While the panels are going through the "adaptation course", we do not waste time - we are preparing the necessary tools and drawing up a plan for future work

• To cut a laminate board to the desired size, you will need a hacksaw with a fine tooth or an electric jigsaw. If there are vertical pipe risers in the room, then you can’t do without a jigsaw at all.

  electric jigsaw

• It is clear that at the disposal of the master should be a quality drawing- measuring tool - tape measure, ruler, metal square, marker, etc. .
• A hammer is often required to join the seams of the laminate. It’s good if you have a rubber or wooden one at your disposal. You can also use the usual one, but only with the laying of a special bar - they are in stores, but it will not be difficult to make it yourself. In this case, it will be more convenient to make a groove in the bar for the locking part of the laminate - it cannot be hushed up with too strong a blow.

• Of particular difficulty are often sections along walls or in other hard-to-reach places. To apply the required force to connect the panels, you will need ∫ - shaped lever. It can also be purchased at a hardware store, but it will probably be more profitable to make it yourself from a metal strip for a one-time installation at home, taking into account the height of the lever that is convenient for the master and protrudes upward to transfer the impact force.

You can, if necessary, use a conventional mount, but there is a possibility of damaging the wall at the same time - be sure to lay the stop with a wide piece of wood.

• It is worth preparing in advance the required number of wooden wedges-spacers to fix the laminate at the required (10 ÷ 12 mm) distance from the walls of the room, to compensate for temperature or other expansions.

The entire surface of the floor must be covered with a substrate. It is unacceptable to ignore this - the quality of the laid laminate floor will be low. The substrate is polymeric - made of polyethylene foam, may have a foil layer (lay out) or be without it. Most often, the substrate is produced in rolls, although a panel version can also be purchased. The most optimal, although not cheap An option would be to use a cork backing.

The material is spread over the entire surface of the floor exclusively end-to-end, without leaving gaps or overlaps. The resulting seams can be fixed to the floor surface with double-sided tape or glued with adhesive tape from above.

Everything, the preparatory activities are almost completed, it remains to think over the scheme of work in order to avoid typical mistakes.

floor underlay

We think over the laying scheme

In order for the laying work to proceed measuredly and quickly, a carefully thought-out and graphically executed scheme should always be in front of the eyes of the home master. What you need to consider in order to avoid those mistakes that often lie in wait for beginners in this business:

• Installation direction. Longitudinal, long joints should be oriented along the direction of the rays of light from its natural source - the window. Otherwise, the joints can stand out strongly on the surface.

• Work is planned from the far, most often - the left corner. The laying is done in order. The panel of the first row parallel to the wall is laid with a groove outward, and the spike is cut off in advance so that a flat end remains.
• If a hand saw or a jigsaw is enough for a cross cut, then for longitudinal cuts it is better to use a manual or stationary circular saw - it will be smoother and faster.
• Each subsequent row should go with an offset (by half the length of the panels, or “along the deck”, by 300 ÷ 400 mm).
• When planning, it must be taken into account that the finish row of laminate panels should not be narrower than 100 mm. If it turns out less, it is worth narrowing the first row a little. Laying is similarly thought out if there are internal corners in the room.
• Particular attention is the places where vertical risers pass. If they cannot be temporarily dismantled, then it is worth considering the scheme in such a way that they fall at the junction of the panels - then cutting a figured hole and installing the cover will not be a problem.
• Although the laminate does not have too much thickness, it can sometimes become an obstacle to the movement of doors. It makes sense to immediately evaluate this and, if necessary, shorten the door tights.

Now, only when everything is ready, you can go directly to the installation.

Features of laying laminated panels of different types

Laminated panels of different models are by no means the same in terms of their interfacing with each other. So, there is an option when the required solidity of the surface is provided by gluing the joints. Panels with locks can also vary - there are two main types of them - "Lock" or "Click". You can also find more complex ones, for example, 5G options, but they are, to one degree or another, a modification of click locks.

Laminate floor installation with click locks

The peculiarity of such a lock connection is that it is made only at a certain angle between the mating panels, the specific value of which can vary significantly for different models. But the essence of this does not change - the mounted panel at the required angle is inserted with a spike into the groove already laid. Then, when it is turned into a single plane, the slots of the lock snap into place with a characteristic sound, providing a very reliable connection. With all this, dismantling the panel is also not difficult - when it is raised to the same angle, it will come out of their engagement.

Schematic diagram of the "Click" lock

• Installation is carried out from the first row. The entire strip is assembled completely, laid along the wall and wedged from it both along the long and along the end side.

Panel mounting with "Click" lock

• The next row is also completely assembled at first - this is the main feature of installation with a similar lock. Of course, this takes into account the displacement of the panels - this has already been mentioned above. Only after the complete assembly of the entire strip of the next row is it connected to the previous one. It can be very difficult to do this on your own, so it's best to work together.

Each row after laying wedged from the walls.

• All subsequent rows of laminate are laid in the same order, to the end of the room.
• Before each assembly of the lock part, the cleanliness of its grooves must be checked - even the smallest fragments of debris or sawdust are not allowed in it.

High-quality laminate with locks does not need to adjust the joints with the help of impact forces - the joints themselves are strong and almost invisible. This advantage determines its greatest popularity among all other types of laminated panels.

How panels with Locks are installed

It seems that such a fastening system is rapidly losing popularity and is gradually being replaced by more modern models. However, such a laminate is relatively inexpensive, and therefore still in demand.

This is how the lock system works

The spikes and grooves of the interlock in this case are located in the same horizontal plane and have peculiar protrusions and grooves for fixing when a certain force is applied. In terms of strength, such joints are significantly inferior to the Click laminate. At the same time, dismantling, if necessary, the panel is quite difficult - very often the spike is deformed or even breaks off.

• The panels of the first row are interconnected along the end side by tapping with a hammer through a wooden or rubber gasket. Wedging is carried out from the walls of the room.

• The installation of the next row begins with the first panel from the wall. Its spike is inserted into the groove of the laid row, tapping ensures a complete connection (usually accompanied by a characteristic sound and is well defined visually). The panel is immediately wedged from the wall surface.

• The next panel will require a consistent application of impact forces from both sides, to connect the lock on both the end and the long side.

Here you will need the mentioned lever, with which you can tap the panel, or you can apply force with a mount.

• Laying continues in this order in order (some masters prefer a “stepped scheme”, but the essence does not change).
• Laying the final row, after careful measurement and cutting to the required size, is also done with a lever.

During operation, the impact force should be controlled - so that the lock works, and so as not to accidentally damage the grooves or spikes of the connection in the places where the forces are applied.

Features of mounting a laminate on glue

Laminate, designed for laying with gluing joints, it has good indicators of strength, solidity, water resistance of the resulting surface. Cons - the work is quite laborious, and dismantling the panels while maintaining their integrity will not work at all. Installation will require glue specially designed for this purpose, and professionals strongly do not recommend simplifying their task by purchasing ordinary PVA.

glue for laminate

There are also spikes and grooves on such panels, but their purpose is only to align the laminate in one plane, and the lock part as such no.

• The laying system itself largely repeats the described technology with locks "Lock" - both the sequence and tapping of the connections are similar. The main feature is that the grooves are smeared with glue before assembly in an amount determined by the material manufacturer.
• Coming to the surface laminate after joining the panels excess glue removed immediately with a clean soft damp cloth.
• When the first 3 rows are laid, a technological break is necessarily made for 2 ÷ 3 hours - this time is necessary for the glue to polymerize it. Further work continues in the same way, with the alternation of laying and pauses.

Shutdown

After laying the last row (in the case of adhesive laminate - after 3 hours), you can remove the expansion wedges around the perimeter of the room. Now it remains to attach the skirting boards (only to the wall, in no case to the laminated surface), and cover the junctions of the laminated panels with other floor coverings with special decorative overlays.

Video: laminate laying master class

Beautiful and high-quality flooring is the key to getting positive emotions. In this article, we will take a closer look at how laminate flooring is done by hand, from preparatory work and tips when choosing tools, to tips on “bypassing” obstacles during installation.

We save on the work of the master!

Laminate - although a noble coating, its installation can be done without much difficulty with your own hands. In this article, we will explain in detail what's what.

If the floor surface is uneven, then the laminate laid on it will be subject to unwanted deflections. This can lead to failure of the coating, which will be especially noticeable on the butt surfaces. Therefore, before laying, an audit of the surface to be covered is carried out in order to identify its irregularities. For these purposes, use a conventional level. With significant differences in floor height, it must be leveled. In addition, wooden floors are carefully examined to identify boards that have become unusable. Rotten elements are removed, and new ones are installed in their place. A wooden floor can be leveled by lining wooden blocks under the boards, which regulate the position of the boards. At the same time, the thickness of the floor covering does not increase, which is especially critical for rooms with low ceilings. If it is not possible to adjust the position of the boards, then you can build another layer of plywood or OSB sheets directly on the existing one. At the same time, it must be carefully aligned with the help of all the same linings.

In addition to boards, plywood sheets or special fibreboard floorboards can be used on the floor. These materials also need to be leveled.

Is the floor even?

Leveling the floor with plywood or OSB boards is a mandatory step. Laminate is a rather fragile coating, demanding on the base.

In some types of residential buildings, wooden floors have ventilation holes that protect them from the harmful effects of various organisms and dampness. When laying an additional leveling layer on such a surface, care must be taken that these holes remain open. After laying the leveling layer, it is necessary to treat it with an antiseptic. The concrete surface is leveled with a screed. Before pouring, level beacons are mounted. Their height is calculated based on the minimum height from floor to ceiling of the room. The more beacons are installed, the more even the surface will be after pouring. To reduce thermal conductivity, you can cover the concrete floor with plywood, after laying a layer of waterproofing under it.

If the concrete pier has only small irregularities, then it will be sufficient to make the so-called "self-leveling" screed.

Used materials and tools

In addition to the actual laminated board, for work you will need the following materials:

• Polyethylene foam backing;
• Waterproofing film for concrete pavement;
• Wedges to ensure gaps;
• Construction pencil;
• Plinth and fastenings for it;
• Glue;
• Masking tape.

Of the tools you will need the following:

• Wood saw or electric jigsaw;
• Measuring devices (tape measure, square);
• mallet;
• A hammer.

The list of everything you need is not so great, all the tools are ordinary and will probably be available from the home master. Instead of wedges, you can use wooden blocks or trimmings of the same laminated board if you do not want to purchase special devices.

Material selection and technology

Before starting work, you should calculate the number of boards needed. The calculation is carried out based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. Wherein you need to take a reserve of about 10% for unforeseen expenses, especially if the laminate flooring is being done for the first time. If the floor is installed diagonally, the number of slats increases by another 20%. The underlayment, laid under the board, provides the necessary sound insulation. In addition, for concrete coatings, a substrate with increased thermal insulation properties should be purchased, as well as a waterproofing layer should be provided. It can be made from ordinary polyethylene film, overlapping it by at least 20 centimeters.
Before laying the substrate, it is necessary to carefully prepare the floor surface, cleaning it from dirt and dust. The substrate is not laid immediately on the entire surface, but on the area on which the board is directly lined, thus it is protected from excessive pollution. When laying, it is necessary to apply a substrate to the walls to a height of about 2 - 3 cm. Separate strips of material are butted together and fastened with adhesive tape.

Do-it-yourself laminate flooring

Thanks to our step-by-step instructions, you will be able to install the coating yourself without any problems. There are two main types of laminate locks − lock" and " Click". The first type has a tenon on one board and a groove on the other, which are joined together by hammering or hammering. The second type is easier to install, since the boards are connected by inserting a hook on one side of the panel into the groove on the other at an angle and lowering the inserted board to a horizontal position with a characteristic sound, from which the name of the type of connection came from. " Click” refers to modern laminate assembly technology.
Regardless of the type of lock, the installation of a laminate floor starts from the first row. It starts from the window. Wedges are installed at the walls, which provide the necessary clearance. Before laying a row its length is measured to calculate the size of the last board. If it is less than 5 cm, then the first board is cut so that its length and the length of the last approximately coincide. Then a row is laid out, connecting the ends of adjacent boards, depending on the type of connection - driving with a mallet or hammer with a bar, or snapping.
The second row is marked in such a way that the ends of the boards do not coincide with the ends of the boards of the first row. For example, if the first row started with a whole board, then the second row starts with a cut one. not less than 30 - 40 centimeters. Thus, a staggered order of the lamellas is obtained, which ensures the uniformity of the load on the panels. Laminate cutting is done with a hacksaw or an electric jigsaw, which greatly speeds up the process.
Connecting rows when using " Click» - the castle can be produced in two ways. You can first lay out the second row completely without connecting it to the first. Then lift it up a little and insert the hooks into the grooves and snap the whole row into place. You can also insert the first board of the second row into the lock with the boards of the first, and insert the subsequent panels at a certain distance from the end of each other, then driving them into the lock with a mallet. In the same way we connect lock" - locks. We connect the last panel of the row with the penultimate one using a clamp, having previously measured its length, taking into account the gap to the wall.
The last row of cover may need to be trimmed on the long side. If the lock is being laid Cry» in the first way, then no additional tricks are needed. When assembling the Lok locks with the second method, you will have to use the clamp again, as well as when laying the last lamellas of the row. Laying adhesive laminate stands apart. Its main advantage is the use in rooms with increased complexity (for example, in the kitchen) and increased reliability and longer service life compared to conventional laminate floors. The installation of such a floor is based on the same principles and methods as the assembly of the laminate in the “Lock” lock, only the surfaces to be joined are additionally covered with a special adhesive. The assembly of the laminate is carried out in stages - every 3 rows there is a break to dry the glue. It is recommended to use such floors after complete drying, after about 10 hours. The disadvantage of such a coating is the impossibility of subsequent disassembly without destroying the structural elements.

Avoid obstacles when paving

The main obstacles when laying laminate flooring are heating pipes and various wall protrusions and depressions. The geometric frills of the walls are managed by cutting the boards, taking into account the necessary technological gaps.

When bypassing heating pipes, you have to use additional tools.

To begin with, the position of the passage of the pipe on the board is located. Then, using a special drill, for example, a feather or Forstner, a hole is made in the board, which should be slightly larger in diameter than the pipe. After that, in the transverse direction, the board is cut in the center of the hole into two halves. One half is installed from the side of the wall to the pipe, and the second to the rest of the row.

Diagonal stacking

This installation option of a laminated floor visually expands the area of ​​​​the room. Its only significant drawback is the increased consumption of material. Laying is carried out from the corner near the window. The first board of the first row is cut from the end against the wall at an angle of 45 degrees. Next, the entire row is laid out, running diagonally across the room. Then two rows are attached to it on each side. The starting and ending boards are cut along the wall with the required geometry for laying and with the calculation of gaps.

To simplify the task, a diagonal of fishing line is first stretched, which serves as a guide. You can lay out whole boards first, and only then do trimming near the wall panels. This way things will go much faster.

After installation is completed, all wedges are dismantled. The protruding edges of the substrate are cut off, leaving the necessary entry to the wall. A plinth is installed around the perimeter of the room. Its elements are attached to the walls, in no case to the laminate. Doorways are equipped with thresholds, for example, made of metal. In order for the laminate to last longer, should be kept away from water. Such a floor is washed with a damp cloth, after which it is desirable to wipe its surface dry. To protect the material from the harmful effects of water, joints can be treated with sealant when laying. If heavy furniture is installed in a room with a laminate flooring, then care must be taken to ensure that the outer layer of the floor does not collapse when it is moved. Also, contact of the laminate with sharp, heavy objects should also be avoided. Damaged boards lose their aesthetic appeal and their technological properties.
It is not recommended to mount the laminated board on a warm electric floor. The maximum temperature of the bottom surface of the laminate is 27 degrees Celsius. If it is exceeded, the panels will begin to dry out and the floor will deform. Installation work on the equipment of the laminated floor is carried out in rooms with a temperature not higher than 30 and not lower than 15 degrees. Relative humidity should be in the range of 40 - 70%. When calculating thermal gaps, it is necessary to proceed from the following calculation formula: for each meter of the length of the coating, the technological distance to the wall is 1.5 mm.

If you are unsure about making a floor covering with a laminate with your own hands, you can entrust this work to professionals. The cost of specialist services is approximately 200 - 250 rubles per square meter.

Laminate has long and firmly gained popularity in the market of finishing materials. It has its pros and cons, but the main advantages are: low cost, wear resistance, easy installation and a striking resemblance to natural wood. At the same time, the price of a parquet board exceeds the cost of a laminate by 2-3 times. Those who want to have wooden floors at home, but for some reason cannot afford an array, choose a laminate. This material is easier to care for. In addition, laminate can imitate the texture of any type of wood, even the rarest, most valuable and expensive. So, if it is decided to lay a laminate, then it remains to deal with the nuances of its installation. We will talk about how to produce laminate flooring in this article.

Laying laminate does not require special knowledge and skills - just follow the instructions that the manufacturer attaches to each package of material. In the same place, on the information sheet, the basic information about the material is indicated, the main of which is the product class. For residential premises, it is recommended to choose a laminate of class 32, 33.

When choosing a laminate, it is necessary to take into account not only its appearance and color scheme, but also the humidity of the room, operating conditions, the presence of sudden temperature changes, and the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. So, for the bathroom and hallway, it is recommended to choose a waterproof laminate.

Before laying laminate flooring, you need to know about the following nuances:

1. The purchased material is left indoors in a closed package at a temperature of 14 to 22 degrees and a humidity of not more than 60% for 48 hours.
2. After opening the package, it is recommended to check all the lamellas in good light conditions for the same shade in order to exclude discrepancies in the color of the panels from different packs.
3. You will also need to sort out damaged items. They can be left for trimming the extreme short lamellas. It is carefully recommended to check the quality and integrity of the lock elements.
4. Since the shade of the panels from different packs may not match, during the installation process I stack them one by one from each package. The floor covering will not turn out to be monophonic, but the distribution of several shades over the floor surface will be uniform.
5. Modern material is equipped with a functional locking system located at all ends of the lamella, which simplifies and speeds up the installation process of the coating.
6. In any room, humidity changes depending on the time of year and the coating experiences temperature deformation - it either shrinks or expands. This phenomenon must be foreseen and a gap between the laminate and the wall of 1-1.2 cm should be left along the perimeter. It will be necessary to retreat from all protruding elements of the room - the door frame, riser, pipes.
7. When using the technology of laying a laminate on an adhesive solution, no gap is left. But it should be borne in mind that such a floor cannot be repaired and cannot be dismantled and taken with you when moving, as laid by the floating method, modern coatings, the locking systems of which require repeated installation and dismantling of lamellas.

Laminate modern floors have excellent moisture resistance, due to the density and special structure of the interlocks, however, they will not be able to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture on their surface. For rooms where liquid can stand on the floor surface for a long time - melt water from shoes in the hallway or in the bathroom, it is better to use a waterproof PVC laminate, which is absolutely not afraid of direct contact with water.

PVC laminate is environmentally friendly and safe for humans and the environment. You can find a detailed list of the advantages of PVC panels.

Kronospan laminate prices

Kronospan laminate

Types of bases

Laminate flooring is laid on a wooden or concrete base, which is most often found in apartments and country houses. At the same time, the quality of the base plays a decisive role in the durability of the coating and its aesthetics.

The coating consists of lamellas having a multilayer structure. At all ends of the panels there are locking joints that are closed by snapping the panels to each other - the laying process is accelerated, and its laboriousness is simplified, but the quality of the result will depend on the thoroughness of the work on preparing the base.

If the floor level difference exceeds 2 mm per 2 m², then during the operation of such a coating, the lamella locks will be subjected to serious stress and they will soon break, gaps will form between the panels and the solidity of the coating will begin to be broken. The curvature of the base can lead to problems with the stability of furniture and cabinet doors. These troubles can occur even with acceptable values ​​​​of a uniform slope. Therefore, it is better to spend a little more time and qualitatively level the base.

concrete base

Before leveling, the old concrete screed is repaired - the cracks are expanded and filled with a mortar from a cement-sand mixture. If there are large damages in the screed, then self-leveling mixtures are used to seal them. When the repair layer dries, it must be sanded and filled with a finishing layer of screed. The screed must be treated with a primer before laying the laminate to prevent dust formation on its surface.

Having a concrete base, consider the following features before laying the laminate:

1. When pouring a new concrete screed, you must wait for it to dry completely. Usually this period is at least 28 days and can be calculated based on the thickness of the screed: 1 week to dry 1 cm of thickness.
2. It is necessary to achieve evenness of the base, the differences should not exceed 2 mm per m².
3. When installing the “warm floor” system, the laminate is purchased with the appropriate marking indicated by the manufacturer, and during the operation of the coating, it is ensured that its heating does not exceed 29 degrees.
4. Be sure to lay a vapor barrier material on the base before laying the laminate, the thickness of which should be more than 150 microns.

If there is an old coating in the room that is not protected from moisture, then it must be removed. If it is linoleum, PVC panels or vinyl tiles, then it is enough to lay the substrate on top.

Video - Laminate Laying Technology