How to install laminate flooring in an apartment We figure out how to properly lay a laminate: laying technology, video. Insulating coating and underlay: laying materials under the laminate correctly

In this article, we will tell you in detail how to lay laminate flooring with detailed photo instructions. Having seen the laying process with your own eyes, you can easily complete this work.

Preparing the foundation

So let's start, first of all, check how even the base is (if the base is not even, then voids form under the laminate, and when you press it, it will bend and creak, and eventually break through).

If there is an old wooden floor or concrete is simply poured, then the first step is to make sure that its surface is even. To do this, we use the usual building level. Permissible differences (pits) of 1-3 mm. over a length of 2 meters.

The wooden floor is easy to fix by making a dry screed -1 cement 3 sand, mix (WITHOUT WATER), pour a thin layer on the wooden floor and level with the rule.

On top of the stele, we glue and twist the YUSB plywood.

Or tamp with a special rammer for a semi-dry screed (for this, when preparing the mortar, you will need to add 10-20% of water and knead in a concrete mixer to obtain a wet cement-sand mortar.

If your concrete floor is simply flooded, then you need to set up beacons and make a finishing screed.

Substrate for laminate

We lay the substrate on the finished base (usually foamed polyethylene or cork is used). After laying, we glue them with adhesive tape so that when installing the laminate, the substrate does not move apart.

Starting to install laminate

On top of the prepared base, the first row of panels should be laid (starting from the corner). We take a piece of laminate and cut into squares 5x5 cm, they will serve as spacers, since it is impossible to put a laminate butt against the wall.

How to properly connect the laminate video:

Docking of panels is carried out end to end, while the gap in relation to the wall should be controlled.

Be sure to remember that laying laminate over a wooden floor is done at an angle of 90 ° to the boards!

When laying the next row, it is necessary to ensure that the end seams between the panels in the second row and the end seams in the first row do not match, so that the laminate locks do not break during operation.

To perform the steps described above, you can use the panel fragment left over from trimming the first row. If its length is more than 20 cm, then use to start a new row.

However, if you want to achieve the most accurate and aesthetic offset possible, then you will have to trim the new panel by approximately one-third (this principle is called “one-third board offset”).

The assembly of the second row is carried out in the same way as the first.

When joining the rows, it may be necessary to knock out the locks with a hammer and a special safety bar (any wooden block or a piece of laminate, insert the lamellas into the lock and knock them out).

When the second row is completed, by analogy, assemble the entire coating, while simultaneously monitoring the correct installation and observing the gaps from the laminate panels to the walls (5-10mm).

The last row of panels, most likely, will have to be sawn along the laminate panel, the photo shows how to mark the last row of laminate panels, put the laminate on the penultimate ripple and mark as shown below.

Try to perform these steps with care, however, you should not give too much importance to this, since the cut line will be hidden by the plinth.

After laying the flooring, remove the wedges that separated the laminate from the wall and install the skirting boards.

How to lay laminate flooring on wood floor video

The wooden floor under the laminate can be leveled with plywood. How this is done is shown in the video below.

That's all! If you use the useful recommendations given in this material, then when asked “how to lay a laminate on a wooden floor?” you will feel confident, and will not fall into a stupor.

Video: How to lay a laminate correctly: mistakes and basic rules

In addition, after you have read the above, you are quite capable of laying laminate on a wooden floor on your own!

The economic benefits of laminate flooring are not just the very affordable price. Significantly reduce costs can also be due to self-laying. The developers of the finishing material diligently "polished" its design, trying to alleviate the fate of builders and inexperienced performers, and succeeded in achieving the goal. The technology is extremely simple, but it requires the knowledge of a number of nuances from the home master. Before proceeding with the flooring, you should find out how to properly lay the laminate, so that your own work will please you with a presentable look and long service life.

Selecting a panel layout

Success at the finish line in the field of finishing will ensure an important component of any work - design. We are not talking about a professionally designed floor project with scrupulous calculations, but about a simple drawing with the dimensions of the room to be equipped. It will help to present the final picture and choose the optimal layout of planks that imitate expensive walnut, birch or oak boards. We will start from the location of daylight sources, that is, from windows, since this factor is considered the main one.

In relation to window openings, laminate can be laid:

perpendicularly, due to which the direction of the long butt joints between the boards will coincide with the direction of the sun's rays, and the joints will become almost invisible;
in parallel, emphasizing the presence of seams due to the resulting shadow;
diagonally or at any priority, according to the owners, angle.

In general, laminated panels can be laid in 50 different ways if they are edged with universal locks that allow you to combine the end sides of the panels with the longitudinal counterparts and vice versa. However, there are doubts that a novice finisher will immediately take on a coating with an impressive cost, and for mastering a rather complex laying method. Therefore, we will consider the most common version of laminated planks with Lock-latches at the ends and Click-locks along the equity lines.

Most buyers of the most popular material prefer the first type of arrangement of laminated panels for understandable reasons. After all, it gives the impression of a monolithic floor without seams. The second type of direction is chosen if there is a desire to visually expand a narrow, elongated room. The third method is used if you want to optically expand small dimensions. A prerequisite for diagonal laying can be a non-standard room configuration or the idea of dividing into functional sectors.

It is no coincidence that we started with the location. It depends on him the amount of material required for the arrangement. You need to decide at the start how to lay the laminate in order to purchase:

for parallel and perpendicular installation of panels 5-7% more material;
for the diagonal and angled version requiring multiple cuts in laminated boards, with a margin of 15%.

On the pack, the manufacturer indicates the quadrature covered by the planks in it. The material must be purchased taking into account the pre-calculated area of \u200b\u200bthe room and with an appropriate margin.

It is necessary to plan in advance the laying of laminate boards for the following reasons:

Laminated strips will need to be cut, as the length of the panels in extremely rare cases is a multiple of the size of the room. In addition, it is necessary to displace the end joints so that the result is a semblance of brickwork. It is unacceptable that the length of the section of the panel used to complement the row be less than 30 cm. True, there are manufacturers that allow 20 cm to be used as an insert.
The multiplicity of the width of the panels to the size of the room can also be safely attributed to the category of pleasant, but rare accidents. The last row in most cases is made up of planks sawn along. According to technological requirements, its width cannot be equal to or narrower than 5 cm. However, if such a situation arises, it will be necessary to increase the width of the last row by reducing the same size of the first strip. That is, both extreme strips of the laminated floor will have to be sawn along the long edge. It is desirable to evenly distribute the covered distance for symmetry.

The offset of the end seams is a prerequisite for a reliable connection. Independent craftsmen, experienced finishers are advised to retreat from the end line of the previous row by at least 1/3 of the length of the board. We managed to find out that in order to get a “brick” or “chessboard” order in the layout of the panels, the boards of the laminated floor will not only have to be sawn, but also alternate rows, starting with a full length and with a panel divided into parts.

You can alternate symmetrically and without observing these rules of geometry:

the symmetrical scheme of laying the slabs repeats the “pattern” of the floor most often through one, less often through two lanes;
an asymmetric scheme does not force the master to adhere to any sequence at all, the offset is formed spontaneously by setting the trimming of the last board in the first row to the beginning of the second and then by analogy.

Laying without symmetry is considered the most economical and simple. However, the master should not forget that there should be no inserts less than 30 cm in the coating he creates. Therefore, it is still necessary to draw and calculate the priority size of the offset. If the drawing reveals a segment that does not meet the technological requirements, it is better to reduce the length of the first plank of the second row.

Note. A gap must be left around the perimeter of the floor to be laid to allow the laminate to change dimensions slightly without creating billowing bumps and without damaging the locks.

When planning, keep in mind that laminate flooring expands and contracts with temperature changes. It is believed that 1 m² of coverage is increased by an average temperature movement of 1.5 mm. Taking into account the average value, depending on the size of the room, the installers leave a compensation indent, which allows the coating to lengthen and shorten, from 0.8 to 1.5 cm.

Preparing for a laminate floor

Both the material itself and the rough basis for its installation are to be prepared. The base needs to be repaired and leveled:

by grinding;
pouring cement or polymer screed;
plywood or GVLV flooring on point supports or logs.

As a result of leveling, the height level differences within a 2 m² floor area should not exceed 2 mm. Before work, the rough base is carefully vacuumed so that due to grains of sand and specks that accidentally fall into the lock joints, the panels do not make straining creaking sounds.

Laminate flooring cannot be laid on the day of its purchase, it must be given the opportunity to "get used" to the surrounding conditions. Two days should be allocated for the adaptation of the coating. Then we will release the panels from packaging, sort them by shade, if there are some “disagreements” in color. During the construction process, slabs that differ in tone will be evenly distributed so that there are no too large sections of different colors.

Note. The laminated coating should acclimatize at max air humidity 60%, min limit 50%. The optimal temperature for addiction is 18º Celsius.

During the adaptation period, the panels should be laid horizontally, stacked in the center of the room intended for decoration, so that the normal course of adaptation is not affected by the humidity of the walls.

The sequence of actions of the laminate stacker

It remains to figure out how to properly put a laminate on the prepared floor with your own hands, and proceed to implement the idea.

General order of the flooring process

Laminate flooring will be as follows:

We completely cover the concrete base with strips of polyethylene film 200 microns thick. It will protect planks made from moisture-sensitive components from water released by the base. Wooden subfloors do not need waterproofing. We lay the strips with an overlap of about 20 cm, fasten them pointwise with adhesive tape for the convenience of further work.
We lay the substrate of XPS, polyethylene foam or cork. Since the thickness of the substrate is from 2 mm or more, it must be laid end-to-end so that there are no thickenings. Mats or strips of the substrate are also attached with adhesive tape. It is desirable that the components of the multilayer floor system are laid "in a cross" with the previous and subsequent layers. It is recommended to place the underlay strips across the laying direction of the covering panels. This means that the insulating polyethylene for the concrete subfloor is laid perpendicular to the substrate, but in the direction of laying the laminate.
We assemble the starting row of laminated boards, combining the end grooves with the end tongues in the manner indicated by the manufacturer. For a perfect fit, we tap the attached panels on the opposite side with a rubber mallet or an ordinary hammer, but through a damper bar or a piece of laminate, so as not to break the locking system.
Without deviating from the technological course and from the selected layout scheme, we form the second row.
We connect both assembled rows. Together with an assistant, we insert the tongue of the second row at the angle indicated by the manufacturer into the groove of the first strip. Gradually lowering it down, pressing it until it clicks with a characteristic clicking sound.
We expose the assembled part of the floor to the wall, placing expansion wedges with a thickness equal to the expansion gap between it and the wall. You can buy these spacers or make your own from laminate scraps. We also put wedges from the ends.
We form and rally the third row with the assembled part of the floor. We act in the same way until the last row, not forgetting about the spacers.
To form the extreme strip, we measure each panel separately, applying the part turned upside down to the installation site. Piecemeal measurements will help to avoid deviations associated with the unevenness of the walls, traditional for domestic construction. Not forgetting about the deformation indent, we draw a line on the wrong side with a pencil. We'll cut off on it.
To attach and adjust the panels of the extreme row, we use a bracket. Craftsmen, who are looking for their own ways, how it is more convenient and cheaper to lay a laminate on the floor with their own hands, use a hammer or a nail puller instead of a clamp-clamp.

Laying near pipes, radiators, doors

In the process of laying a laminate floor, there are specific moments, such as laying panels around pipes crossing the ceiling, decorating a doorway and inserting slats under low-mounted radiators:

If the heating battery prevents the board placed under it from snapping into place, cut off part of the ridge and fasten the panel with glue.
To install the coating around the pipes on the panel, we draw their location with maximum accuracy, then we drill holes, the diameter of which should be greater than the diameter of the pipes. Next, we cut off a drilled bar along the diagonal line parallel to the end and lay its main part in the usual way, and put the insert that goes behind the pipe on glue. The remaining gaps are masked with sealant or plastic lining.
We begin the arrangement of the doorway with sawing the jambs to the thickness of the laid coating - a laminate with a substrate. In general, with a door frame in the opening, it is advised to trim the jambs before starting work so as not to pollute the floor and locks of the planks with dust and sawdust. Then you need to accurately measure and draw the actual configuration on the panels laid next to the jambs. We take into account that there should be a gap between the wall and the plates, but this indent must be closed with a box, that is, bring the board almost tightly under the jamb beam.

In a doorway with a threshold, we associate the boundary line with it, without a threshold, with the line located under the closed leaf. By the way, the canvas must also be “shortened”, but the height of the plastic or aluminum transitional profile that masks the seam must also be added to the height of the coating. Similar end profiles close the expansion joints dividing the laminate floor into segments if the covered area exceeds 10.0 m in length and 8.0 m in width.

Note. The plinth installed at the end of the flooring is attached to the walls, not to the floor.

Despite the presence of some features, the process of laying a laminate floor cannot be called complicated. All the moments that arise with independent stackers are thoroughly thought out by the manufacturers of the material. It remains only to make an effort and show patience.

Laminate is considered to be a reliable, beautiful and high-quality material that produces an attractive and durable flooring. Often, homeowners prefer to do the finishing work on their own, but you need to know how to lay the laminate with your own hands, step-by-step instructions for all the work are presented below. This work can be performed throughout the apartment or in one room. It is allowed to lay the laminate on a concrete floor or other types of base, previously properly prepared for this. It is not difficult to lay a laminate on your own, but it is important to carefully study all the nuances of the process in advance in order to prevent mistakes that are simply impossible to correct.

It is impossible to single out any clear and strict rules for choosing the method of laying the material; it is laid by any method preferred by the owner of the premises. The property owner must take into account his preferences, it is important to assess in advance the features of the premises intended for the work.

Different laying of laminate with your own hands, the step-by-step video instructions of which are presented below, can be performed in the following ways:

along the room - in another way, this method is called in the direction of the light coming from the window. This technology of laying laminate is a classic. In the course of work all material is used as much as possible therefore the remains are minimized. This laminate laying scheme assumes the installation of each panel in one direction. Due to the direction of natural light from the window, an interesting type of coating is provided, in which the joints are practically invisible;
perpendicular to natural light - this laminate laying technology is considered the most popular. Due to its use, a long coating period is guaranteed, as well as the laid laminated material withstands various mechanical influences well. Here, the joints are formed with an offset, however, the coating is laid in this way only in large rooms, since if this laminate laying technology is used in a small room, then the space will visually decrease even more;
laying laminate diagonally - this work is considered the most difficult, so it is often impossible for a beginner to complete this process. This is due to the need to cut the first and last panel in each row at a specific angle. Therefore, laying the laminate diagonally is certainly accompanied by the appearance of a large number of residues.

Laminate laying patterns

Thus, the types of laying laminate have significant differences, so it is important to decide in advance how to properly lay the laminate. To do this, the features of the premises, the preferences of the owners, as well as the need to create a unique design are taken into account. It is possible to lay laminate along or across the room, and in which direction to lay the laminate is up to the worker. If you choose the right way to lay the laminate yourself, then the limited space visually increases or important defects are hidden. Therefore, it is impossible to say exactly how to lay the laminate correctly: along or across, since everything depends on the existing conditions.

Foundation Requirements

Before laying the laminate with your own hands, it is important to assess the condition and parameters of the existing base. In this case, there may be different types of bases that differ in characteristics and material of creation. The most common options are:

concrete base - most often there is a need to learn how to lay a laminate on a concrete floor. This process is considered quite simple, but the ideal evenness of the screed is considered an important point. Therefore, quite often you first have to pay attention to its alignment. Laying the laminate on the screed is allowed only after its final drying. If the old screed is even, then it is important to make sure that the base does not contain various defects, which include all kinds of cracks or chips. They must be removed before laying the laminate. Minor defects are eliminated by creating a thin coating of special self-leveling mixtures;
wooden base - it can be represented not only by boards, but also by other coatings. For example, many people wonder if it is possible to lay laminate on parquet. This work can only be carried out if the base is even, of high quality, dry and reliable. It is important to check the quality of the wooden base, as there should be no rotten boards or other significant problems. It is allowed to lay laminate in the apartment even on plywood or other wood-based panels. It is important to make sure that there are no creaking boards on the wooden base, as they must be replaced, and often the entire flooring has to be redone. Often you need to process the surface with a grinder;
laying laminate on video on other coatings - the question often arises whether it is possible to lay laminate on linoleum or on tiles and other coatings. It is allowed to perform this work, but the base must be even and reliable. Be sure to install a suitable substrate in advance. The tile should be not only even, but also with a complete absence of breakaway areas.

Most often you have to deal with a concrete base that does not have perfect evenness. In this case, laying the laminate with your own hands is only allowed after optimal alignment.
Concrete
Wooden
On linoleum
On the parquet
On tiles

Surface leveling

Laminate can only be laid down qualitatively on a perfectly flat floor. Therefore, it is often necessary to pre-perform certain actions related to leveling the base.

An unevenness of up to 2 mm per 2 sq m is allowed. If you lay the material with your own hands on a concrete floor with numerous irregularities, the coating will warp, so it will not last too long.

The very process of leveling the base in the room is considered not too complicated, and it is implemented taking into account the recommendations:

if there are cracks and seams, then they need to be expanded, after which they are completely filled with cement mortar or self-leveling mixtures, and after they dry, the floor is polished;
final leveling involves pouring a full-fledged screed, and the concrete floor will be flat and ideal for the planned work;
leveling a wooden floor consists in replacing damaged boards, and flooring can also be created over the entire surface of the room using plywood or other plates, and laying laminate on plywood is simple.

A high-quality floor on which the laminate flooring will be laid is considered the main one for obtaining a high-quality result.
alignment
Grinding

Substrate and insulating layer

Laminate laying rules indicate the need to use special insulation and underlay before creating the floor itself. The explanation for this rule is quite simple. The fact is that the laminate is afraid of constant exposure to moisture, so it is important to prevent it from coming into contact with the concrete base.

A diffusion membrane or standard polyethylene is ideal for the insulating layer, however, its thickness must be greater than 5 mm, otherwise it will be easily damaged. What needs to be done with these films? They are spread over the entire surface of the floor, and all joints are glued with adhesive tape. It is recommended that the film go a little on the walls of the room.

In addition to insulation, you need to put a substrate that performs the most important functions:

increase the soundproofing parameters of the coating;
static floor is guaranteed;
small flaws in the base are leveled;
the coating is protected from moisture.

Laying a laminate on a concrete floor with an underlay is the right solution, and for the underlay, products made of polystyrene foam or cork can be chosen. Plates or rolls are simply laid out on the surface in an even layer with the obligatory gluing of the joints. If you need to lay a laminate on a floor that already has a linoleum coating, then there is no need for a substrate.

Experts assure that the floor material should be laid with the indispensable use of soundproof boards, which increase the comfort of walking on the floor. They are usually represented by thin panels laid out around the entire perimeter of the base.
Combined
Styrofoam Polyethylene
Cork

Do-it-yourself laminate laying process

It is important to know how to properly lay a laminate? This process should be carried out only in a certain sequence of actions, where each action is an important step in obtaining the ideal result. If laying the laminate with your own hands is done for the first time, then it is advisable to watch a detailed video tutorial in advance so as not to miss the most important nuances of the process.

Material calculation

Initially, it is important to decide how much material needs to be prepared so that the finishing of the room with laminate is carried out without stops and problems. During the calculation, the following features are taken into account:

which method will be used, with all the methods of laying the laminate indicated above, and the lowest consumption is available when using the standard orientation;
what is the area of the room that needs to be laid with a laminate;
how much area each panel of the material has.

The calculation itself lies in the fact that the area of \u200b\u200bthe room is divided by the area of one panel.

In order to lay the laminate on the floor without any interruptions, it is recommended to purchase material with a margin of 10 percent. You need to buy tiles from the same batch, because then all the elements will have the same appearance, so there will be no excellent panels on the floor. Required measurements

Tools

How to lay a laminate with your own hands, a step-by-step instruction involves the initial preparation of the necessary tools for this work. These include the following equipment:

a level or tape measure, as well as a corner, so that each tile of the coating is laid evenly and correctly;
an electric jigsaw or a sharp construction knife, which ensures even and high-quality cutting of elements;
a hammer that guarantees reliable fastening of all tiles;
sealant for laying laminate flooring.

As soon as all the tools are ready, the direct laying of the laminate begins with or without sealant.
Required Tools

Material laying

How to lay laminate flooring correctly? This process is carried out in ways that depend on the interlocks that all panels are equipped with during production. It is impossible to say how best to fix the tiles, since each method has its own characteristics:

Lock locks are represented by special latches. Here, do-it-yourself laminate flooring is laid in such a way that the crest of one panel enters the groove of the previous one. It is important to perform the process strictly in a vertical or horizontal position. To get a good joint, it is recommended to tap the tile, and it is also allowed to process the seams with silicone or glue. The use of sealant for laying laminate will protect the seams from various kinds of harmful effects;
Click locks are used in such a way that the comb is not only inserted into the groove of the previous panel, but also snapped into place, for which it is important to apply significant force for this. If you figure out how to lay a laminate with your own hands using such locks, you will ensure a high-quality and reliable result that does not require additional fixation with glue or silicone.

Interlock options

It is allowed to assemble in separate rows or tiles. It is important to understand carefully how to lay the laminate with your own hands, so that this process is carried out automatically and quickly, so your floor will be laid quickly and correctly.

The installation process itself is divided into stages:

it is important to lay the first tile with the ridge against the wall, and it is important to leave a small distance between the coating and the walls, for which wedges are laid;
another laminating element is attached to the first panel, after which this work continues until the end of the row;
in order to know how to properly lay the material, it is important to prevent a difference in height or the occurrence of gaps;
if continuous installation is carried out, then the laminate is laid without thresholds.

Thus, correctly laid material will provide a durable and reliable coating that is pleasant and comfortable to walk on. It does not matter whether a transverse or longitudinal laying method was chosen. For additional fixation, it is allowed to treat each seam with a sealant. It is advisable to watch the video of laying the laminate in advance in order to avoid any mistakes.
Laminate step by step
Panels must fit snugly together.

Step-by-step instructions for working in difficult places

Often you need to figure out how to properly lay a laminate in unusual and difficult areas. In this case, a smooth and beautiful coating is guaranteed.

Around the pipes

Properly placed near the pipes, the material will be resistant to high temperatures, and no ugly effect will be created. The whole process is carried out in stages:

the distance from the pipe to the wall is determined, after which a mark is placed in the area where the hole will be located;
the diameter of the pipe is measured, after which it is necessary to take a tile in which the desired hole is created, and it should be slightly larger than the measured diameter;
standard laying of material is carried out, which ensures that the pipe is bypassed.

Skirting board installation

After the flooring process is completed, the installation of skirting boards begins. They must be selected in accordance with the color and parameters of the laid material. It is best to choose designs with internal fasteners, as they are really attractive, and also they do not have fasteners.

Different types of skirting boards require different types of fastening to the wall, so you should first read the instructions. If the wall is not too smooth, then it is better to opt for plastic skirting boards. Wooden models are suitable only for perfectly flat walls.

When installing skirting boards, it is attached to special grooves, while you need to make sure that they are not on the same level with the gap between the laminate and the wall.

Thus, if you understand well how to lay a laminate, this process will not cause difficulties. Each person who has completed this work will leave only a positive comment about its complexity, since in fact it is simple and efficient. This allows you to save on the wages of employees, and also guarantees an excellent result, which will provide the required material.

Since its appearance on the free market, laminate flooring has gained a lot of supporters. Indeed, well-chosen material and properly executed laying immediately gives the floor a very neat look with an imitation of natural wood flooring. And although the laminate also has a lot of shortcomings, and very serious ones, its popularity is high, and, apparently, it has taken its “niche” seriously and for a long time.

The pronounced advantages of laminate include quite affordable cost (compared to the natural coatings imitated by it) and relatively simple, most often intuitive laying technology. So when purchasing such material, it is quite possible to save money by not inviting specialists for installation work, but by doing the work yourself. Even the owner of an apartment or house, who is quite far from construction and finishing work, in theory, should be able to cope with the task. Naturally, having received the necessary instruction for this. This is precisely the goal of this publication - laying a laminate with your own hands step by step instructions.

Of course, the process of laying the coating itself is inextricably linked with other stages - from the choice of material to the comprehensive preparation of the floor for the installation of the laminate. However, in this article, many questions will be omitted. Simply for the reason that separate detailed publications are devoted to them. Therefore, in the course of the presentation, the reader will be offered links to open the corresponding pages of the portal.

Basic requirements for high-quality laying of laminate

In order for the laid laminated floor covering to show the durability expected from it, not to lose its original fresh appearance, not to deform, not to annoy the owners with an unpleasant creak, it is necessary to comply with a number of important requirements. Their implementation, in fact, turns into stages of preparatory measures before, in fact, the installation of the laminate. Let's go through them briefly:

Competent choice of material

Laminate should be selected not only for its decorative qualities. It is mandatory to take into account the features of the room in which it is planned to lay it. The intensity of movement on the surface is taken into account, whether it will experience loads from street shoes (from which the abrasive effect is incomparably higher), or be located exclusively in living rooms.

Attention is drawn to the environmental component of the issue - a laminate for residential premises should give a minimum emission of formaldehyde (E1) or even be completely clean in this respect (E0.5; E0 or ECO).

If the coating is planned for flooring on the “warm floor” system, then a laminate is selected in which such a possibility is specifically stipulated.

There are a number of criteria for choosing a laminated coating that are recommended to be taken into account by the consumer.

But there is an exception to all rules. The flooring market has been enriched with an advanced SPC (Stone Polymer Composite) luxury flooring, ideal for any room.

Refloor Fargo Quartz Laminate combines the strength of stone, the aesthetics of natural wood and has a number of significant advantages over other floor coverings:

choosing is easy. Without thinking about the types, categories, types of interlocks and other characteristics, you can safely purchase a quartz laminate for an apartment and an office, a kindergarten and a medical institution, a cafe and a warehouse, a bathroom and a dressing room.
Refloor Fargo is compatible with all types of floor heating systems. The scope is very extensive, it remains only to choose one of thirty-two fashionable shades for the style of the interior (today, the collection includes 27 options that imitate precious woods, and 5 - natural stone, and by the end of 2019 it is planned to replenish the range);

Synchronous embossing exactly in the register emphasizes the noble texture of wood, adds realism visually and tactilely
safety is the main thing. Quartz laminate does not absorb or exude odors. There is no emission even when heated. The coating is classified as low combustible and flame retardant. In addition, Refloor Fargo is not slippery and has a unique "anti-breaking effect", especially relevant in the kitchen, where the probability of dropping a fragile cup from your hands is quite high. An expensive service will not suffer, and the hostess will not have to remove sharp fragments from the floor.
It is important to pay attention to the antistatic effect of the quartz laminate. A coating that does not accumulate static electricity is the best solution both for the home and for specialized premises that house electronics (physiotherapy rooms, diagnostic centers, recording studios, server rooms, etc.);
quartz laminate - a long-term investment in your own comfort and coziness. Equipping a personal space, you always want the repair to remain fresh as long as possible, despite possible force majeure. Thanks to the 100% water resistance of the material and the adhesive laying method, the coating will remain intact if you accidentally spill a bucket of water, and if the hot water pipe breaks through. While conventional laminate will swell and become unrepairable, quartz will only need to be wiped dry. Water resistance of quartz laminate is one of the main advantages
Do not forget about the mechanical stress that the flooring experiences daily. Thin hairpins, furniture legs, pet claws, office chair wheels - items that significantly reduce the life of a conventional laminate, but not quartz-vinyl. An additional plus to high wear resistance is the sound absorption of impact noise up to twenty decibels (a nice bonus for residents of multi-storey buildings).

Eco-friendly, waterproof, wear-resistant and beautiful flooring for only 1490 rubles/m²

The quality of Refloor Fargo is confirmed by laboratory test reports, fire certificate KM 2, certificates of conformity.

A laminate is purchased, including quartz-vinyl, immediately for the entire floor area planned for such a coating. The laying technology implies a certain number of trimmings, that is, a certain margin should also be set. The amount of the “reserve” created also depends on the type of laying - it will also be the usual arrangement of boards, parallel-perpendicular to the walls, or there is a desire to mount the coating diagonally (in which case the amount of waste inevitably increases).

The online calculator below will help you calculate the required amount of material. It contained almost all the variety of sizes of laminated boards encountered in practice. The calculation is made immediately, taking into account the required margin, depending on the type of laying.

Laminate is a wood flooring that is often used for renovations in residential and non-residential premises. Reliable, practical, aesthetically pleasing, budget-friendly - the product range is able to satisfy the needs of any consumer.

And for those who make repairs on their own, accessibility and ease of operation are important.

The lack of special construction skills will not be an obstacle in the way of a purposeful person - a photo of the correct laying of the laminate will clarify all the difficult moments for you.

What floor can laminate be used for?

Those who have already held laminate panels in their hands know that they are not uniform in structure, they have several layers, and on the sides there are special locks for fastening.

Working with such a fixation system is not difficult, but you need to know and observe the technological features of laying.

The lock type varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. With rare exceptions, the instructions for laying laminate do not require the use of glue.

Laminate is laid on any floor - concrete, wood, with tiles, parquet, linoleum, the main thing is that it be hard, dry and even.

If these conditions are not met, the duration of the operation of the laminate will be significantly less than the manufacturers of this product guarantee.

Horizontal irregularities, slope should be eliminated. Depending on the type of floor, leveling can be carried out for concrete floors using a cement screed, primer.

For wood - repair, replacement of damaged elements, surface treatment with a grinder.

What you need to know the home master when working with laminate

Before laying the laminate with your own hands, leave the material brought from the store in the room being repaired for two days: for multilayer plates, it is important to adapt to the microclimate of your home.

Do not allow direct contact of the laminate with concrete surfaces - they easily moisten themselves and transfer moisture to their "neighbors".

With high humidity, the laminate panels delaminate and lose their consumer properties. Therefore, a vapor barrier layer must be placed between the new coating and the concrete floor.

The most suitable material is polyethylene (thickness 200 microns). A diffuse membrane is less commonly used for these purposes. For moisture protection to be effective, there should be no gaps, bare spots - lay the sheets overlapping with a margin of more than 15 cm.

Polyethylene insulation is not required for non-concrete floors.

What is the underlayment for?

An obligatory part of the preparatory work is to send out the substrate. It is needed to ensure better operation and installation of the laminate: sound insulation, thermal insulation, smoothing minor floor irregularities, additional protection against moisture.

The substrate can be linoleum, polystyrene foam, air bubble wrap or other specialized materials.

Note!

The thickness of the layer is on average 3-5 mm depending on the type of laminate (pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations).

When covering the floor, place the sheets of the substrate without overlap, fix the joints with adhesive tape.

How to plan the optimal layout of laminate flooring

Laminate planks are distributed in shifting rows, cross joints are not allowed. The offset is preferably half the panel. But at home, many people prefer not to adjust in the center (like a brick when laying), but to focus on the size of the segment that fits well with the previously laid row.

Choose the most suitable option for the direction of the rows - longitudinal, transverse or diagonal. In most cases, they are oriented parallel to the flow of daylight.

Note!

Transverse and diagonal laying is chosen if they want to change the visual perception of the shape and size of the room.

Put a plan for future work on paper - this will help you rationally use your working time and materials. Calculate how many solid and cut panels are needed for each full or partial row.

Need to take into account:

Dimensions, ledges, openings, architectural features of the room. If there is a large fireplace in the room, it is advisable to start the rows from its central axis.

Be sure to mark a 1 cm technological gap around the perimeter of the room.

Remember that the protruding part of the fastening part - the comb of the panel - for the first row from the wall is cut off beforehand.

Note!

It is not allowed to lay a sawn panel with a width of less than 6 cm.

If preliminary calculations show that the last row is 5 cm or less, then the width of the plates of the first and last row is adjusted simultaneously to approximately the same size.

In the hands of the laminate panel - how to proceed

The preparatory work has been successfully done, you can proceed with the installation of panels.

To install laminate flooring, you need a minimum of tools. The main ones are a miter saw (can be replaced with a jigsaw) and a hammer.

Work begins on the left side, choose the far corner. You can build up the laminated canvas gradually, attaching one element to the row.

Another way is to assemble the row freely and only then transfer it and fix it in a permanent place. In order for the lock to click tightly, it is allowed to lightly tap on the panels with a hammer.

To avoid damage to the laminate, it is pre-covered with unnecessary trim.

Let's go to the first row. We saw off the comb at the panels, if necessary, we adjust the width of the row, the length of the extreme panels. The side with the already missing scallop adjoins the wall.

We start the second row, shifting the panels by 1/2 or 1/3 part, we follow the length of the extreme elements.

Along the perimeter of the room being repaired, we set spacer wedges at a distance of about 25 cm. As a result, a deformation gap of 8-10 mm should be obtained (less than the width of the plinth).

The subsequent rows are stacked similarly to the second, taking into account the spacers.

To carefully place the laminate on the floor near the doorway, it is necessary to eliminate the gap between the floor and the jambs. To do this, shorten the box rack with a saw to the thickness of the plate and fix the new coating.