How to Install a Laminate Floor

Laminate flooring has the look of hardwood and the strength of modern materials. Here are some tips for easy installation.

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Laminate flooring is composed of an inner core and an outer layer of wood or plastic veneer that can simulate wood, marble or granite. Laminate floor installation will require intermediate-level skills. The cost of covering a 144-square-foot room is approximately $1,300.

Materials

Straight edge
Measuring tape
Pencil
Marker
Speed square
Scissors
Hammer
Coping saw
Circular saw with fine-tooth blade
Safety goggles
Clamps
Laminate flooring

You can install laminate flooring on top of an existing floor as long as the floor is flat and solid. The foam pad will make up for irregularities and help keep the floor quiet.
Check any door clearances before you install laminate flooring on top of an existing floor.
If you plan to cover an entire floor, keep the edges 1/4" away from walls to allow for expansion and contraction. You can hide the exposed edges with trim or molding .

Figure A

Install Underlayment:

Measure the area of the floor you plan to cover, and add 10 percent to allow for waste.
Remove the shoe molding from around the baseboard. Remove any doors from the area to be covered.
The flooring planks will need additional clearance to fit under doorframes. Place a piece of underlayment and laminate flooring next to the jamb to determine the appropriate height, and cut out the desired area of the frame with a handsaw (figure A).

Figure B

Install the floor underlayment. Make sure the edges don't overlap, and tape the pieces together to prevent them from shifting. Create an expansion gap between the underlayment and the walls by using spacers (figure B).

* In addition to reducing noise, the underlayment cushions the laminate flooring to make it more comfortable to walk on. Underlayment comes in large rolls or as separate pieces that can be taped together.

* If you're placing a laminate floor on top of a concrete slab , apply a polyethylene plastic vapor barrier before installing the underlayment.

Install the flooring

Before you install the laminate flooring, store it inside your house to acclimate it to room temperature. This will help prevent the flooring from accumulating moisture , and it will reduce expansion and contraction during installation.

Check for damage on each plank before installing it. Individual planks can be very difficult to remove after they're set in place.

Your beginning wall (the wall where you start installing the new floor) should be more visible than your ending wall. Plan your installation so that any irregularities in the ending wall will be hidden by appliances or furniture.

Figure C

Plan your installation so that the flooring helps emphasize the focal point of the room.

The planks along the edges should be at least 2" wide. Check your measurements before you begin to make sure the planks along your ending wall won't be too narrow .

Dry fit the first three rows of planks. If your beginning wall is uneven or has contours, you'll need to trace a pattern in order to cut the laminate flooring to size (figure C). This will help keep the rest of the floor square. If your beginning wall isn't parallel to your ending wall, don't worry; you can make a few cuts to compensate. When you're finished, the irregularity probably won't show.

Figure D

When you're ready to install the floor, apply glue to the edges of each plank (figure D). Glue all the way along the long and short edges. Slide the plank into position, and use a tapping block to make the joints as tight as possible. Don 't strike the tongue of the plank with the hammer; you could damage it. Install the first three rows first, and allow them to dry for an hour before you install the remaining planks.

When you get to the end of a run and need to make a cut, you may be able to use a scrap piece of flooring. If you have to cut an irregular angle, measure the short and long sides and the point at which the angle begins. Transfer the measurements to the back of the plank, and use a saber saw to make the cuts.

Figure E

Stagger the joints within each run so that they are at least 8" away from the joints of the preceding run.

As you get to the ends of the runs, use a pry bar to tighten the joints (figure E).

Figure F

You can also use a strap clamp (figure F) to hold the planks in place as the glue dries.

Figure G

Finishing touches

Install quarter-round shoe molding to cover the expansion gap around the edge of the flooring (figure G). The quarter-round will add a finished look to the floor and help hide irregularities.

Measure each wall, and cut each piece to length. Use a miter saw to make 45-degree cuts for inside and outside corners.

Figure H

Nail the quarter-round into place, making sure you don't nail through the laminate flooring. You may want to use a pneumatic nailer to speed up the process (figure H).

Figure I

Use a reducer strip (figure I) to make a visual transition between the laminate floor and another type of floor covering such as carpet.

Figure J

Cut the metal mounting strip to the appropriate length, and secure it to the floor with screws (figure J). Then cut the reducer strip to length, and snap it into the mounting strip.

Resources

Products
- Pergo flooring from Pergo Inc.
Guests
- Tim Makarius
  Representative
  107 Edinburgh South Dr.
  Cary, NC 27511
  Phone: 919-303-5600
  Fax: 919-303-5602
  Email: pergo@express.com
  URL: www.pergousa.com