A Definitive Guide to Laying Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring can change the look of your room. So what is stopping you? Learn to install new laminate flooring.

Materials Required:

• Laminate flooring
• A shoe molding.
• Finishing putty to match
• Self-stick rubber base, black color.
• Transition strips a.k.a thresholds
• Miter saw with laminate blade
• Foam underlayment if there is not a pre-attached tape.
• Brad gun/ hammer and brad nails
• 90 degree/right angle square
• A compressor
• Hammer
• Crowbar (small and flat)
• Chalk line
• Jigsaw
• Knife
• Pencil
• Rubber mallet

Benefits from Lamination Flooring

Laminate flooring is a composite material which is similar to plastic, so it is scratch-resistant. Also, it does not wear and tears like hardwood lasting nearly for decades. The Flooring has a click and locks together system, making it simpler to install. You should use light-colored laminate flooring in small rooms. The light-color would create a spatial illusion making the room look larger and feel warmer. Another plus point is that you can install laminate flooring over existing flooring.

Here is a tip. Always buy more carpet than you require, in case you make a bad cut you will not need to run back to store for some more.

Steps/Procedure:

1. Clear the whole room. Use a hammer and chisel or a small crowbar to remove present shoe moldings, and rubber base from beneath the toe kick. Remember, while removing the shoe molding try not to damage the wall and existing base molding.
2. Remove the flanges on radiator pipes only if it is necessary. After doing so, vacuum thoroughly and clean the floor.
3. Follow the instructions of the manufacturer to lay out the foam underlayment correctly. You can save time on installation by buying flooring with pre-attached underlayment. Thus, you will not need to buy new carpet.
4. Commence hardwood flooring along the most noticeable and prominent wall in the room at all times. Accordingly, if the place is not of perfect square shape, the crooked cut will be concealed under the cabinet's toe kick. To keep the floors' remain straight and square, lay the laminate away from the wall because the wall might be not straight. Measure the width of one piece of flooring away from the wall. Add 1/4 inch to it. Make a line by the chalk across the room. Start the first set of flooring from the chalk line and line up everything after it.
5. Install the laminate flooring according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use the jigsaw to wedge any corner or pipe and Miter saw to cut the pieces in length. Set the height of the flooring in agreement with the height of the door.
6. Use the miter saw to cut the shoe molding. Nail the molding to the baseboard along the room with a brad gun. Fill any remaining holes with finishing putty.
7. Install rubber base under toe kicks. Cut the rubber base with the knife and stick it using an adhesive.
8. Install the transition strips wherever the floor meets to carpet or the tile. Cut the pieces to fit and install them with a tube of glue.