Installing Laminate Flooring
After my first flooring project, I had a stock answer. “It’s no fun.” But after working with it for some time, and seeing better and quicker results with each job, I have changed my answers to the laminate flooring question. “Once you know the tricks, it’s quite simple.” Trouble is, some instructions I’ve seen don’t tell all of them, leaving too much to learn from experience. And that can lead to more time spent, wasted material, and frustration.
The following tips are not intended to replace the instructions. By all means, read them. By combining the instructions on the package and these handy tips learned from experience, you should have little trouble creating a floor you’ll be proud of.
Buy a little more material than your measurements indicate. Each package of flooring tells you the square foot coverage. But, as you’ll soon discover, it’s doesn’t paint an accurate picture. There will be some waste. And a leftover piece can’t be placed just anywhere, because of the tongue and groove pattern. It’s a good idea to figure in at least an extra 10%. The padding underneath is pretty straightforward. Leftover pieces can be put anywhere, so figuring the square foot coverage is fairly simple.
Tools you’ll need are a tape measure, hammer, electric saber saw, power stapler (optional), and the installation tool kit. If you have a power miter saw, radial, or table saw handy, so much the better. But you can use the saber saw for all cutting. It’s rather tough to get a perfectly straight cut with the saber saw, but it doesn’t matter. Your end cuts are all going to be covered with molding. Make sure you use a fine (and sharp) saw blade. Fine-tipped blades are a little slower, but they’ll do a much neater job.
Let’s get back to the installation tool kit. What is it? Well, it consists of two strange-looking but very vital little gadgets. Take my word for it and buy them. They’re used to tap and lock floor sections into place, and you won’t be able to get along without them.
Begin by preparing the sub floor. If you’re removing carpet and padding, you’re going to have plenty of nails in the way. Be extremely careful of the wooden carpet strips along the wall. Those nails are like little razors. Once they’re removed and discarded, give the room a good sweep. Then slide the head of a hammer back and forth across the entire floor. Do a small section at a time. This will permit you to discover any nails or staples that are popping up. Don’t worry about removing them – simply pounding them in is fine. Staple the new padding smoothly and evenly over the entire floor. Once that’s taken care of, you’re ready to begin.
Unlike floor tile, it’s best to begin this project along a wall instead of in the middle of the room. Don’t jam the new floor up against the wall. There should be at least a Ã?¼” inch gap – Ã?½ inch is even better. Your molding will cover the gaps. Decide which wall you’ll be starting at, and begin laying the floor. Before you do, though, examine the area where your first row will be laid. If the walls at each end of your row are straight, you can start at either end. It doesn’t matter which way you work.
However – and this is a big however – if one of the ends has an irregular shape, such as a door trim or other item that will require cutting and fitting the piece, start at that end. If you start at the straight-wall end and work toward the irregular shape, you’re going to have problems. Trace the contour by using a contour gauge or a piece of cardboard, cutting it as you go. Then trace the shape onto the laminate flooring piece and cut it. The piece can then be easily slid into the irregular end. If it’s a fairly complex cut, test it on a piece of cardboard first to make sure it fits. No point in wasting any more flooring than you have to.
Why is it so important to start at that end? Quite simple. Your last piece in every row will have to be locked into the piece preceding it. This forces it back slightly, away from the wall, leaving a gap at the end. If that gap is against a straight wall, it’s not a problem, since the molding will cover it. Not true around door trim. If that’s your last piece, it’s virtually impossible to properly lock it into place without leaving a gap. By starting at that end and fitting it fairly tight, you’ll work the other way, leaving the larger gap at the flat wall to be covered by molding.
Using the special installation tools and your hammer, tap the ends of each piece together as you go, locking them together. There should be no gaps between pieces – not even little ones. They must press tightly together. When you reach the end wall, carefully measure the last piece. Be extra careful how you cut the last piece! If you cut the wrong end, you’ll lose the tongue or groove and will be unable to lock the piece in place. Unfortunately, most people will learn this the hard way. But it’s not a disaster. Save the bad piece. You can probably put it to use somewhere else.
Make sure your rows are straight. Do all your adjusting early – after a couple of rows. Once you get farther along in the project, you won’t be able to adjust them. Check each row as you go to make sure no gaps exist between pieces.
Stagger each succeeding row. Never line up two or more ends together. If you started the first row with a full piece, begin the second row at least a foot and a half out from the wall. You can cut a small piece to fit. Beginning with the second row, you will (except for the first piece) tilt each piece into the adjacent row to lock it in place, lay it flat, and tap it into the preceding piece.
Lay it as close as possible to the preceding piece, and then tap it back to lock it in. If both pieces are not perfectly flat and lined up, you won’t be able to tap them in place. Excessive tapping won’t help, and in fact, can damage the laminate pieces. Here’s another trick: You can line up each piece by either placing a heavy object on the high piece or sliding a wedge under the low piece. They will then lock together easily. Make sure to remove the wedge after they’re in place. Then press both pieces down flat against the floor. Wedges can be made out of just about anything, such as folded paper or cardboard.
Make absolutely certain there are no objects under the floor as you lay it. It’s very easy to kick a pencil or scrap wood piece underneath the floor without realizing it. And if you do, and discover it later . . . let me assure you, it’s no fun trying to go back and retrieve it.
When you finish a row, you’ll undoubtedly have a small piece left over from cutting. If it’s the proper size, use it for the end piece of the next row at the opposite end of the room. If you must cut it, make sure to cut the end that has already been cut. Try to make a point of using as many of these extra pieces as possible. If you fail to do this, you’ll end up cutting too may full-size pieces, and you’ll definitely run out before you finish. If there’s a closet, continue laying the flooring right into the closet and up to the wall. Cut around any projections such as door hardware, etc.
Should you damage a portion of the tongue and groove on a piece while trying to fit it, it’s a good bet that you won’t be able to repair it. Once they get damaged, it’s nearly impossible to get a perfect fit. All is not lost, however. Save the piece – you may be able to cut a portion of it for future use.
When you reach the last row, unless you’re very lucky, you’ll have to rip (cut the pieces lengthwise) to get them to fit. Remember, the goal is to leave a gap between the floor and the wall.
If you really begin to run low on material and need every last inch, try to save the scrap pieces for use inside the closet. If one or two are missing their tongues and grooves, you won’t be able to make a perfect joint, but it’s less noticeable in the closet, and probably beats having to buy a whole new box of material.
Don’t be careless when working in an area that will be concealed with furniture. Never assume that “nobody’s going to see it anyway.” You may re-arrange the furniture someday and that glaring error will be there for all to see.
Once you’re done, sweep everything up, add the molding, door threshold, and any other final touches. Then stand back and admire!
