Laminate - very popular flooring, which has good performance qualities, such as wear resistance, practicality, and strength. The material is quite simple to install, which, with care and precision, can be handled even by an unprofessionally untrained person. With a huge selection of colors, patterns and surface textures, laminate flooring is affordable.
However, in order to beautifully lay laminate flooring in a room, you need to know some nuances, which include the direction of laying the material.
Choosing a laminate
Choice of texture, pattern and color laminate is a matter taste, but there is no arguing about tastes. Moreover, designers have long ceased to consider the statement that the floor covering should be darker than the walls as an unshakable truth.
When renovating a room, you should pay attention to the option in which a laminate of one type is used in finishing the walls and floor. color range, but of a different shade. This solution visually enlarges the room.
Important! One of the main criteria when choosing a laminate is whether the material belongs to a certain class. The class determines, first of all, the wear resistance of the coating. Our stores offer laminate of 31, 32 and 33 classes, and material of 34 class has also appeared on sale. All of these classes correspond to the “commercial laminate” category. At the same time, sellers state that laminate of a lower class (classes 22 and 23, this is “household” laminate) is not in demand and therefore is not on sale. It is often added that even class 23 laminate has a short service life.
In fact, it is simply more profitable for both manufacturers and sellers to promote commercial laminate as more expensive. Six years of guaranteed operation of class 23 laminate in any room of the apartment is not enough?! Class 23 coating has two types of connections: adhesive and locking, so you can choose. It's just hard to find it on sale.
Requirements for the base for laying laminate flooring
Before starting work, you need to check the condition of the surface of the base on which the laminate will be laid. The requirements for the foundation come down to three points:
- Be even.
- Be durable.
- Be dry.
When checking with a rack, the permissible height difference is 2 mm. Typically, a building level is used for measurements, the length of which is 2 m.
Laminate flooring is laid on concrete or wooden floors or plywood. OSB boards can be used as the base.
Before installation, an inspection of the wooden floor is carried out. Creaks must be eliminated by fixing the floorboards to the joists in these places. Replacement of boards and joists is carried out if necessary. Wooden floor can be walked on scraping machine, which will provide a smooth surface.
The cracks are sealed with wood putty. Plywood is often used to level a wooden floor. To create a reliable base, sheets of plywood are laid so that four seams do not meet at one point. To do this, the sheets are cut with different configurations. When laying, there should be a distance of about 10 mm between the plywood sheets.
Checking the level of the screed is carried out using a construction or laser level, and inspect the screed for cracks and concrete sagging. Sagging is smoothed out by grinding or knocked down. Deep cracks are opened and sealed with mortar. If there are significant fluctuations in height (within 20 mm), use is used to level the screed. The mixture is poured over the surface concrete screed, level, then roll with a needle roller to remove air bubbles from the mixture.
After the self-leveling floor has dried, the surface is primed. It is better to use a deep penetration primer. For waterproofing, when laying laminate flooring on a screed, it is necessary to use polyethylene film.
Laminate can be laid on old linoleum if the surviving coating is firmly laid on a flat base, has no serious (through) damage, and there are no swellings on the surface of the linoleum. In other cases, the old linoleum needs to be removed.
Preparatory work. Styling tools
The material in packages is brought into the room in which installation will take place. Within 2 days it must adapt to temperature and humidity. Packages are opened immediately before starting work.
Important! Covering must be purchased for the entire room. Remember that the shade will vary in different batches of the same laminate model. Or this model may end up on sale.
For diagonal laying, it will be enough to provide a margin of 10% of the total area of the room, for straight laying - 7%. The area of the room is determined and divided by the footage of laminate in one package. The resulting number of packages is rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Before starting installation, draw a plan of the room (to scale, indicating the dimensions of the panels you purchased). The plan will help you rationally cut the material and avoid unnecessary costs and mistakes.
For installation we will prepare:
A mallet and a block for tamping the panels are needed to install the covering with a Lock-lock.
Choosing the direction of installation
There are several options. Laying diagonally and herringbone will require much more time, and the material consumption will be greater. Diagonal laying visually enlarges the room. It is believed that this method of installation reveals all the beauty of the floor covering.
Important! Traditionally, laminate flooring is installed so that the light shines along the long side of the panel (perpendicular to the window). In this case interpanel seams will be almost invisible.
Laminate flooring is laid parallel to the window in narrow spaces. This method helps to visually expand a narrow room.
If the base is an old wooden floor, the direction of laying the floorboards must be taken into account. In order to reduce possible deflection of the structure, the coating on the wooden floor is laid perpendicular to the floorboards.
If the old wooden floor is leveled with plywood sheets, it is better to install traditional way- perpendicular to the wall with the window.
Procedure for laying laminate flooring
First, the substrate is laid. There are different types of substrates. Their properties depend on the material from which they are made. They also differ in price:
Despite the fact that some manufacturers claim the ability of the substrate to level out unevenness in the laminate base, this is a serious exaggeration. The purpose of the substrate is to create an additional sound-, hydro- and heat-insulating layer under the material. The underlay can compensate for minimal differences in height, but cannot level the floor with serious differences in height.
Important! The rolled substrate is rolled out so that the strips lie end to end. These joints are glued together with tape. This is done so that the substrate does not move during the installation of the coating.
Laying laminate
The work begins with installing restrictive wedges around the perimeter of the room. They are needed in order to maintain a gap for the expansion joint. Installation begins from the far left corner of the room and proceeds towards the window. The panels of the first row are laid so that the ridge faces the wall. The end sides of the panels are connected. The last panel in the row is cut to size and laid.
Advice! Lay the covering in checkerboard pattern or move the next row by one third of the panel (the seams in adjacent rows should not match). In the first case, the row begins alternately with a whole or half of the panel. When laying a panel offset by a third, the first row starts with a whole panel, the next - with a panel 2/3 of the length, the third - with a panel of 1/3 of the length, then everything is repeated. This way the floor will have a neater appearance and the strength of the structure will be greater.
The second row of panels is assembled and joined to the first. Panels with lock connection Lock needs to be hammered with a mallet. The blow is applied to the block pressed against the panel to ensure that the ridge fits tightly into the groove.
Panels with locking Click connection are applied to those already laid at an angle of 45°, lowered and snap into place with a characteristic sound. The cover with a Click-lock can be disassembled and reassembled 3-4 times.
Usually you can't fit a whole number of panels in a room. Therefore, often the last row has to be dissolved. It may turn out that the dimensions of the room will dictate the width of the last row of 50-70 mm. Panels of the first and last rows of different widths will look very ugly. That's why you need a room plan. In this case, it is worth trimming the panels in both rows. It's more work, but the floor will look much better. Don't worry if the cut is not perfectly straight - it will still be hidden by the baseboard.
After completing the installation of the covering, the wedges must be pulled out. Then you can begin installation.
As a conclusion
If the room does not have any special features (the room is very narrow, the window is off-center), the long sides of the panels are usually laid along the flow of light perpendicular to the window. In this case, the seams between the panels will not be so noticeable. In addition, this method of installation visually increases the length of the room.
Diagonal laying is used to visually increase the width of the room. For the same purpose, you can use laying the laminate parallel to the window.
Modern floor coverings are distinguished by their availability and diversity. Laminate flooring in stores is presented in a wide range: various manufacturers, colors, and a wide price range. The choice is not difficult to make, the main thing is to decide on your capabilities and desires. The difficulty arises later, when it becomes necessary to lay the purchased coating and decide in which direction to lay the laminate.
Laminate board arrangement diagram.
Calling specialists to do the work will cost a lot of money, so you will have to find the time and opportunity to update the floor yourself.
A little about the composition of the laminate
Laminate is a multi-layer floor covering that is resistant to short-term exposure to moisture, sunlight and small physical activity. The thickness of the panels can vary from 6 to 12 mm, the length and width can also be different and are selected depending on the size of the room and the desired pattern.
Laminate installation options.
Protection from external influences is achieved thanks to a durable film that protects the panel from moisture and damage. The quality of the laminate as a whole and its cost depend on the thickness of the coating.
Under the protective layer there is a paper layer with a certain texture or image. The color can imitate any natural surfaces, including stone, wood, sand. The main layer with the greatest thickness is fiberboard and resins.
The thicker and denser the fiberboard, the thicker and better quality the laminate.
Laying laminate flooring yourself - choosing a direction
Before you start self-installation laminate, you need to prepare the base. Preparation includes clearing the room of furniture, removing old coverings and clearing away debris.
When the room is ready, you can purchase the material and leave it in this room for one or two days, during which it completely adapts to the humidity and ambient temperature.
Any surface, including wood and concrete, is covered with a backing made of cork or polyethylene foam, which serves as heat and sound insulation, making the laminate soft and squeak-free when walking.
In which direction to lay the laminate is a rather controversial and ambiguous question. For example, if the room has one window facing sunny side at home, then installation begins from the window towards the opposite side of the room, that is, along sun rays. This method of working allows you to reduce the visibility of joints and make the floor almost seamless by reducing the shadow strip.
It is necessary to lay the laminate in the direction of light falling from the window so that the joints of the panels are not noticeable.
Also, the direction may depend on the method of fastening the laminate panels.
A snap-lock connection is the interlocking of panels by clicking into place. This type requires careful preparation and measurement; if you make a mistake, it will be almost impossible to separate the panels.
It is advisable to start work from the far corner of the room in relation to the door, regardless of the location of the windows. Any type of coating is laid with a gap of 1 - 1.5 cm so that when temperature and humidity change, the material can freely increase and decrease in size.
- First, the first board is placed on the floor, then the second one is snapped to the end of the previous one, and so on until the end of the wall towards the door.
- Subsequent rows are mounted with a shift of half a board. That is, if the first row was intact, then at the beginning of the second row a laminate board sawn in half is laid. The second row of panels is connected again with the end side. This creates two long panels.
- Only when the boards are interlocked along their entire length can they be joined into one whole. The first row rises slightly, connects to the second along its entire length and snaps into place. It is better to carry out the work with two or three people, this way it will be convenient to lift the entire row at once, and you can achieve a minimum gap.
- So, row after row is laid in a checkerboard pattern until the floor surface is finished. There may be difficulties in the last row if the board does not fit in width. In this case, you will have to saw all the panels lengthwise, which is unprofitable economic point vision.
Some features of laying laminate
Layout of symmetrical laminate flooring.
If necessary, the tongue-and-groove fastening can be disassembled and moved to a new location. The connection of the elements occurs with the help of milk, with which they break through to each other for strength and tightness of fastening.
Adhesive locks are connected using glue and have an undeniable advantage: moisture resistance due to the glue getting into the seam. Disadvantages include the length of work and extra costs. Disassembling adhesive locks is impossible, so you need to carefully check your actions and think about every step.
If you have a heated floor, then using such an adhesive composition on top of it is unacceptable, as it can emit a pungent odor when heated. The laying technology is simple: the ends of two boards are coated with glue and connected to each other. Special glue is required without moisture in the composition. Apply in small quantities along the long and short sides of the panel, which will be combined with the previous ones.
It is better to start laying the laminate from the window in the direction of the sun's rays. This way, the joints will not stand out against the background of the floor, and with adhesive joints, the seams can turn out to be quite large, especially if there is no experience in this field.
The direction of laying the laminate can be absolutely any, including from a corner. Your idea or the thoughts of a designer have the right to be realized. The diagonal direction can increasingly be found in modern houses and an apartment. This technique is used to give the room a visually changed shape or to expand the space. Laying laminate flooring from corner to corner is a complex process, and it is better to entrust it to professionals.
In any case, the main criterion when carrying out work is to connect the boards together as tightly as possible. Whatever direction you decide to lay the laminate, during long-term use of the floor covering, even with careful cleaning, debris and moisture get into the cracks, which further expand the joint and spoil the appearance of the room. The denser the panels are placed, the longer the coating will last.
Laying vapor barrier and underlayment under laminate
Scheme of asymmetrical laminate laying.
Vapor barrier is a special film that is breathable, but reliably protects against moisture and dust. If it is not possible to purchase it, then you can use the most common film used on the farm, for example, to cover greenhouses and greenhouses.
As for the substrate, it cannot be found from scrap materials; you will still have to fork out the cash and purchase it in specialized stores.
Most often, the substrate is produced in strips in rolls 1 m wide and has a thickness of more than 1 mm.
When installing the substrate there should be no overlaps, and the joints should be made as precise as possible, without breaks. To prevent overlaps from forming in the future, the joints can be taped along the entire length of the strips.
If you have to lay the laminate alone, then connecting several strips of backing at once will be very, very difficult. But there is a way out: first, one strip is laid in the same direction as the future floor covering, and then several strips of laminate are mounted on this strip of substrate, then next strip substrate and laminate, etc.
In which direction you lay the laminate does not play a significant role in the life of the floor. The choice of quality material is much more important, correct installation and subflooring, using quality tools.
Tools you may need:
- wooden hammer;
- regular hammer;
- hacksaw;
- roulette;
- marker.
For high-quality cutting of laminate, you can purchase a jigsaw, which will speed up installation work.
Fulfilling all simple requirements is the key long-term operation the resulting coating without changing it appearance and basic characteristics.
Laying laminate flooring can be turned from a mundane task into a work of art. To do this, you will have to choose an original pattern according to which the planks will be located. But in most cases, it is necessary to choose such an arrangement of laminate joint lines in order to visually expand or, conversely, reduce the room. The light falling from the window helps to achieve this. What is the best way to lay laminate flooring in relation to the window? This article, as well as the choice of laminate for the room, will be discussed in the article.
Preparatory work
The successful installation of laminate flooring largely depends on how the preparatory work is carried out. These include preparation of the base, tools and calculation of the required material. These three steps are the ones that take the most time. Each of them will be described in detail below.
What should be the basis
Laminate flooring can only be laid on a flat floor or other surface. In this case, an error of more than 2 mm per linear meter. In this case, it will not be possible to implement the required contour. That is why the following requirements are imposed on the foundation:
- level consistency;
- strength;
- minimum humidity.
Substrate preparation will depend on which laminate installation method was chosen. A room with a wooden floor may require minimal intervention. To determine this, you need to carefully inspect the floor for imperfections. It is important to identify creaks and deflections that occur when walking. It is advisable to evaluate the condition of the joists and support beams on which the plane is supported. If several need to be replaced, then you might want to consider keeping the wood floor. In cases where extensive intervention is required, it is better to perform complete dismantling. The reason is that the affected tree will deteriorate further.
Damaged joists are removed and eliminated. If mold or mildew has appeared under the floor, it must be thoroughly cleaned and the affected areas treated with an antiseptic. It is important to determine what caused the mold to appear. All paths for moisture penetration must be blocked, since it will certainly condense or leak out again. The shingles, which hold together when walked, are strengthened. It is better to go over the surface with a sanding machine so that it becomes perfectly flat. To bring the floor to the required level, linings are made from blocks of wood. After sanding, the wood is coated with an antiseptic compound.
Advice! The easiest way to check the difference in the floor plane is with a laser level. The best one is one that can project a beam with an angle of 360°. The main points are selected and a tape measure is taken from the beam to the floor plane. The difference in values will indicate a difference.
Concrete foundations sometimes require longer preparation. The floor must be carefully inspected for damage. It is also important to identify hidden weaknesses. To do this, you can gently tap it with a hammer. If there is a dull sound in some places, then over time they may peel off, which will bring unpleasant consequences with it. All potholes are sealed with tile adhesive or another similar solution. After this, you can proceed to identifying surface level differences in the manner described above.
If the difference in floor level is no more than three centimeters, then it can be compensated using a self-leveling mixture. Before starting work, it is necessary to remove dust and dirt from the floor surface and treat it with a deeply penetrating primer. If it is quickly absorbed, then the procedure can be repeated twice. After the primer has completely dried, the dry composition of the mixture is obtained. It is diluted with water in the proportions specified by the manufacturer and filled to the marked line. The next step is to remove any air bubbles from the solution. If this is not done, they can weaken the strength of the entire plane. For the procedure, you will need a needle roller, which must be passed over the thickness of the poured solution several times.
Advice! If the difference in floor level is greater, it may be necessary to fill a full screed.
Instead of pouring the screed, you can apply leveling using plywood or OSB sheets. Before starting work, the floor surface is cleared of debris and treated with a primer. All potholes are sealed with glue. The next step is to lay the waterproofing film. It should protect the wood from swelling and mold. The film must be laid with an overlap of 10 cm between the individual sheets, the joints are taped. The film is also laid overlapping on the wall. The next step is to adjust and lay the logs. They are attached to concrete base by using anchor bolts. In this case, the bolt heads must be recessed into wooden beams so that it is possible to lay the flooring.
All logs must be leveled. After adjustment, sheets of plywood or OSB are laid on them. In this case, the material must be selected so that it does not contain harmful impurities that may be released during operation. The bedding sheets are laid with staggered seams to ensure they are intertwined. The heads of the screws should not protrude beyond the sheet, so they must be recessed. A gap of 5 mm must be left from the walls to the sheets. This gap serves as a thermal seal that compensates for expansion with changes in temperature and humidity.
Pay attention! Plywood can also be used to level a wooden floor.
Calculation work
After preparatory work Before laying the laminate, it is necessary to carry out calculations that will be the key to rational use of the budget. It is necessary to determine the area that will be covered with laminate. If it is only one room, then it is enough to multiply the width by the length. In the case of several rooms, you will need to calculate the area of each and the numbers are summed up. After this, you need to accurately determine the type and size of the laminate that will be used for installation. It is important to know the size of one laminate plank. This will allow you to calculate its area. The next step is to calculate the number of strips required. For this total area premises is divided by the area of one plank. Next, the total number of planks is divided by that contained in one package.
After defining total number packages, you need to make a reserve of 10%. It will help out if the laminate planks are damaged or something goes wrong. After purchasing laminate flooring, it cannot be installed immediately. It is important that the laminate is acclimatized. This usually takes one day, but it may take more. During this time, it acquires the temperature and humidity of the room in which it will be installed.
Tool
Everyone lays laminate flooring using their own tools; if this is a one-time procedure, then there is no need to purchase expensive power tools and you can get by with the following units:
- mallet;
- styling hook;
- roulette;
- fine-tooth hacksaw;
- spacer pegs;
- marking tool.
If installation will be carried out constantly, then you can additionally acquire miter saw. It will allow you to cut the laminate at a precisely specified angle and with minimal damage to the surface.
Laying methods
When purchasing a laminate, it is important to choose the right class. Those that start with 2 are intended for rooms with a small load, so for passage rooms such as hallways and corridors it is better to take class 33; for the bedroom and guest room you can stop at class 31. Everything will depend on the price. The next step is to choose the direction of laying the laminate relative to the window and correctly implement the project.
Choosing a direction
The choice of direction for laying the laminate is determined by several factors:
- number of windows;
- location of windows;
- room parameters;
- laminate design.
If laying laminate flooring is being done for the first time, then it is better to choose the method of laying perpendicular to the window. The advantage of this type of laminate installation is that the light from the window falls on the slats parallel to the seams of the laminate. This allows you to hide their presence. Thanks to this approach, the laminate floor appears monolithic. This also allows you to hide some flaws that may be made when laying the laminate. At the same time, the laminate boards look monolithic, which creates a certain charm. If the laminate is embossed, then this incidence of light will further emphasize the texture of the laminate board. However, it is better not to use this installation method for low-class laminate. The reason is that it wears out at the joints, which will ruin its appearance.
Pay attention! When choosing this method of laying laminate flooring, you should pay attention to the configuration of the room. If the window is on larger wall, and on a smaller one, then this approach will lengthen the room even more.
The next option for laying the laminate in relation to the window would be a parallel arrangement of the slats. The reason for its choice may be the location of the window in the room, as discussed above. This installation method is also chosen in narrow rooms where light comes from next room. This method of laying laminate allows you to emphasize the texture of the planks in a special way. This creates a feeling uneven surface. This option for arranging laminate boards is also suitable for laying mixed lamellas. Some may be glossy, while others may be matte.
Advice! For walk-through rooms in the best possible way Laying the laminate will be laid according to the direction of movement. In this way, it will be possible to achieve a long service life due to minimal abrasion of the laminate planks at the seams.
If the windows are arranged in a mixed manner, then you can lay the laminate diagonally. At the same time, the room acquires elusive lines. The gaze goes along the laminate not up or down, but to the corner of the room. To further accentuate the corner, a table or fireplace is placed in it. The angle of laying laminate in this way is within 40-60 degrees. Diagonal laying of laminate flooring is considered the most uneconomical, since a lot of waste remains from the laminate planks.
Installation process
The installation process requires due attention and skill, which is acquired as the work progresses. It is better to start from the far corner of the room and move towards the exit. Most often, laminate flooring is laid from left to right. The prepared surface is covered with a lining. If the laminate is laid on a concrete floor, then additional waterproofing in the form of a film is required, which is laid according to the pattern as described above. The lining can be made of foamed polyethylene or cork. An overlap is made between its individual sheets, and the joints are taped. The tenon of the first laminate strip is cut off to make it easier to place parallel to the wall.
A gap of 5 mm is made between the wall and the plank. To make it easier to store, plastic pegs are used. The first row is completely assembled and placed in its designated place. If it becomes obvious that the last plank will need to be cut by more than half, then it makes sense not to start with the whole part, but to divide the size of the final plank in half and lay the short one. The size of the first laminate strip in the second row should be selected in such a way as to ensure interlocking seams. After laying each plank, it must be tapped with a rubber mallet using a metal bracket. To get around pipes and other protrusions, you will need to make a hole with a jigsaw. A video about the installation technology can be viewed below.
Resume
As you can see, the choice of direction for laying the laminate is determined by many factors. According to the designer's idea, the styling pattern may contradict generally accepted rules. This is required to achieve a certain effect or to match the arrangement of furniture, which will compensate for the dimensions of the room.
Laminate flooring has become one of the most popular thanks to beautiful view, ease of installation and completely affordable price. Varied color solutions and the ways of arranging the slats along, across and diagonally in the room give scope for design solutions.
At independently conducting For repairs, this coating can be considered the most convenient for installation. The individual elements are connected to each other using special latches-locks on the edges. If you carefully follow the technology, it will take very little time, but the result will please you.
Ways to arrange laminate
Depending on the type, color of the coating and the designer’s ideas, they can be used various ways placement of lamellas. The visual effect largely depends on the angle at which the light coming from the windows falls. If it is necessary to ensure that the coating appears monolithic, the lamellas are placed along the direction of the light.
This makes the joints less noticeable. Some types of laminate have a special chamfer that creates the appearance of individual boards. When using them, it is advisable, on the contrary, to emphasize the joints by placing them perpendicular to the line of light.
It is also important to consider the shape of the room. By setting the direction of the lamellas, you can visually change the proportions of the room:
- In the right room rectangular shape It is customary to lay laminate along long wall, from window to door.
- In a long, elongated room, it is better to lay the laminate crosswise, since the transverse stripes visually expand the space.
- If the room irregular shape, laying the flooring diagonally will help hide this drawback. This method is somewhat more complicated - it will require more time and the consumption of materials will increase.
Advice! The direction of laying the laminate is especially important if a large area of the floor will be open: there will be no furniture or carpeting on it. In small rooms, the free floor area is usually small, so you should choose the most economical way installation that will result in a minimum amount of waste.
Laying laminate along or across
Having decided on the direction of installation, you can count the materials. This is easy to do using online calculator on the manufacturer's or seller's website. When buying laminate, pay attention to the instructions on each package.
Modern locks have a more advanced design, which greatly facilitates and speeds up installation. In addition, the service life of such a coating will be longer, so you should not skimp on quality. After purchasing a package of lamellas, you should lie in the room for several days so that the humidity level stabilizes. This will help avoid deformation of the coating.
The most important step is preparing the subfloor. It should be dry and smooth. The deviation should not be more than 2 mm per meter. Any bump or depression will put stress on the joints, which can cause the lock to creak or even break.
To properly prepare a concrete floor, a self-leveling screed may be required, which will make the floor level and smooth without special effort. A wooden floor is usually leveled using 10 mm thick plywood sheets, which are secured to the base with self-tapping screws.
A special underlay for the laminate must be laid on a flat floor base. Its quality determines how comfortable and long the use of your flooring will be.
Selecting a substrate
The choice of material on which you will lay the laminate depends on:
- will the floor creak?
- how long will it last;
- how loud the footsteps will be heard;
- will your feet be warm?
- Will there be any dents from the furniture?
Same as laminate various types substrates differ in quality and price. Often, flooring manufacturers insist on using a specific underlay, and the validity of the warranty depends on this. This often requires the use certain material with a given thickness.
As a rule, the more quality material, the higher its cost. For economy class laminate, it makes no sense to purchase an expensive underlay, since it will last longer than the coating itself. You will have to determine the golden mean yourself.
Let's look at the different types of substrates available for sale:
- Foamed polyethylene in rolls, having different thicknesses, is most often offered as the most available option. It does not allow moisture to pass through, is quite elastic, and has certain heat-insulating and noise-absorbing properties. Its main drawback is its short service life; after 5 years it becomes unusable.
Laying order
When the base of the floor is properly prepared, the materials are purchased and kept in the room, the flooring can be laid:
Advice! If you are installing flooring yourself, study not only the instructions, but also several video tutorials. This will help you avoid common mistakes.
Laying laminate – quick way transform the flooring in the room. It can be laid both lengthwise and crosswise, depending on the effect you want to achieve. If you want to save money, you can do it yourself by following the manufacturer's instructions.
If you decide to install laminate flooring with my own hands, then quite often a dilemma arises - how to lay the laminate along or across the room. There are several methods for laying laminate flooring, including on uneven floors.
Basic views on laminate flooring installations
- The main points that must be taken into account when installing laminate flooring are as follows: laminate flooring should only be installed on a flat surface.
- The difference in height of the laid laminate should not exceed 5 millimeters, as indicated in the price list.
- In some cases, a laminate floor must have an additional waterproofing layer consisting of a waterproof film. The cost of the material in this case increases several times;
- Before installing the laminate, the floor surface must be completely dry and clean;
- When installing laminate flooring with your own hands, do not forget about laying a special substrate under the covering.
Important! Depending on the class of the laminated coating, the substrate for the laminate is also selected. The thickness of the substrate should not exceed 5 mm.
Connecting floor panels
Laminate flooring has several different types panel fastening:
- Click - locks;
- Lock- locks;
- Adhesive method of laying laminate.
Before laying the laminate, it is necessary to decide on the direction in which the entire process will proceed; installation is carried out towards the source of daylight, that is, towards a window or other lighting element.
Special attention is given to rooms where there is no constant daylight - corridors, hallways and storage rooms.
These requirements are due to the fact that when hit perpendicularly, the light is reflected from the surface and makes the joints of the laminated coating noticeable. Because of this specificity, all types of laminate are laid towards the light source.
CLICK panel locks - installation features
It is worth noting that the laminate panel snapping system itself is characterized by quite reliable design connections and resistance to mechanical damage. The above-mentioned connection system is quite simple to install and reliable, despite its simplicity.
This method of interlocking laminate panels creates a small gap between the panels, called a seam. It can be made invisible due to the visual effect of the play of shadows (if the laminate is laid under right angle to the light source).
Installation sequence
First, the area of the room is measured and the width of the panel in the outer row is calculated, which, according to the rules, is laid out along the wall. If you have lost the floor plan, you can find out the width of the room using a tape measure.
The question arises, in which direction to lay the laminate? The laminate lays perpendicular to the angle of incidence of light.
Advice! When making calculations, leave a small gap of 8 - 10 mm near the wall around the perimeter of the room. In the future, this gap will play an important role - it will provide space for the movement of the laminated coating (as you know, laminate is considered a “moving” coating).
For rooms larger than 12 square meters, the gap between the walls and floor panels is calculated according to the formula: one and a half millimeters for every meter. It is better to start installing panels from the far left corner of the room.
Useful information ! The panels are always laid out along the room and held together using the lock method from the end of the panel.
The seam of each subsequent row of panels, as required by the instructions, is shifted by 30 - 40 cm. This is necessary in order to achieve a uniform mechanical load on the floor plane. Each panel is mounted at an angle of 45 degrees.
In this case, each element is evenly lowered until a peculiar click is heard, which means that the lamellas have come together. The light source should always be directed at the end of the laminate, this is fundamental. Further installation of the panels is carried out in a checkerboard pattern, maintaining a step of 40 cm.
Useful information! You can speed up the process of laying panels by using a cut-out template, with which the likelihood of making a mistake is reduced to zero.
Lock-locks of laminate panels - installation features
It is worth noting that the installation of the Lock-system laminate is not at all different from the above-mentioned click-fastening system. The only way it differs is that the panels must be placed synchronously with each other during installation.
The seam of the panels is secured with special grooves at the ends of the plates. Despite the similarity of the installation system, a logical question arises: is it better to lay laminate along or across the floor? And should you pay attention to the light source? Can it show all the seams when dropped at a certain angle or when painting the laminate?
Adhesive laminate fastening method
Laminate floors using an adhesive installation system are particularly difficult to install. Experienced people advise not to start styling with your own hands and turn to professionals. Laminate floors with this type of fastening system cannot be dismantled after installation, so turning to laminate installation specialists is the right decision.
The laminate is laid along the light source. In some cases, this method of laying laminate flooring is not important in rooms such as a corridor where there are no windows. In these rooms, it is advisable to lay laminate flooring parallel to each other.
To get a clear idea in your head of how to properly lay laminate flooring, you can watch a video on the Internet. However, first of all, it should be noted that the choice of direction for laying panels along or across depends on the type of building. The interior of the room also influences the final decision.
Main What you need to remember: the light source (window, gallery, backlight) under no circumstances should cast a shadow on the joints.
When installing laminate flooring, it is necessary to accurately determine the end result. For example, laminate laid across the width of the room gives a visual increase in area, while in length - the effect of elongated walls appears.