HGTV explains how to easily install snap-together laminate floors to give a room a beautiful new look.Installing laminate flooring is a big job to tackle. Whether you are doing it yourself, or. How to install laminate flooring. Tips for laying glue- less click together floors. When you install laminate flooring, two of the most important things to get right are where you choose to start laying the first boards, and which tools you use to cut laminate flooring with. Laying the first row. There are two things I generally consider before I decide on laying the first row to start the installation. Which is the straightest wall, and which is the trickiest area to deal with? There's a bit of a judgement call to make. Ideally, in a normal square room I start laying the floor on the longest, straightest wall if it's parallel to the direction I want the floor to run (I generally lay the floor to run in the same direction as the light coming in). Once you have two or three straight rows clicked together it's usually plain sailing after that. However, sometimes I start to install laminate flooring at the most difficult side of the room instead. That could be the area that has four doorways in, that are much quicker and easier to manage now at the beginning of the installation when you can still slide the floor backwards and forwards a bit than it would be at the end, when you have much less room to manoeuvre (much more detail about doorways further down the page). If you need to know the tools I use to cut and install laminate flooring with, have a look at my laminate flooring tools list. Those tools gets used on pretty much every floor I lay. Once you've got everything together you are ready to start laying the laminate wood floor. Laminate flooring how to install video. Lowe's stores laminate flooring by Pergo, Armstrong, Project Source, Allen + Roth, Swift Lock and Style Selection. AcoustiCork products provide the thinnest profile, most effective and lowest installed cost per sq. Need to know how to install hardwood floors? Learn everything you need to know about hardwood flooring installation in step-by-step instructions by Armstrong Flooring. How to install laminate flooring step by step. Step 1: Prepare the flooring. Before you can install laminate flooring, you will need to acclimatize the boards by leaving them in the room where you are laying for at least two days. Step 2: Prepare the room. When I install laminate flooring on a timber floor I make sure all nail heads are punched down or screws countersunk first. Concrete sub- floors will need to be level and may need Latexing or another leveling compound applied in the worst cases till the floor is flat enough. A waterproof membrane will need to be laid before you can install laminate flooring on top of the concrete oversight too. Cut the skirting round temporarily and once it is fitted remove and put to one side for later. This reduces the time you spend working on the floor after it is laid, when you’ll be more likely to damage it. I scrape clean, sweep the floor, and keep it really tidy throughout the day. Any grit on the floor will scratch it so set the saw up at the opposite end to where you will be starting the first rows. Half way through the job, use the cardboard packaging from the flooring to cover and protect a large section of the floor already laid, then swap and set up on that side of the room for the second half. Step 3: Prepare the linings. Unless you are laying the wood flooring continuously between two or more rooms, you need to work out at each doorway where the floor will finish and the thresholds will be. They need to be fitted so they are under the center of the door when it is closed. Cut it to length, so it fits tightly between the legs of the lining. The threshold will have a line underneath to indicate where to stop the floor. Transfer this line onto the door frame, then get some of the underlay and a floor board. Lay the board upside down and place it on the underlay against the architrave. Using a thin, fine- cut handsaw cut the bottom of the architrave and lining off so the flooring can slide neatly underneath it and up to the line, as shown below. I use a chisel to clean it up underneath if it needs it. As mentioned before often the easiest place to start to install laminate flooring is at the doorways, because they're trickier when you do them last. Mark the door in both it's open and closed positions in case the floor or frame are out of level and cut/plane to whichever line means taking the most off. Every time I install laminate flooring I remove the doors and cut the bottoms first, then leave them off so they are well out the way. Step 4: Choose which direction to install. Laminate flooring should either be laid in the same direction that the light shines into the room, or if there are windows all around along the longest wall. Step 5: Underlay. Grab the right underlay, it will either be in a roll or square tiles. If it's square tiles just lay enough to get the first few rows down, and lay the tiles in the opposite direction to which the floor boards will go down. Underlay is easy to trip over and sometimes harder to sweep dust off than the floor underneath so just put down all you need to to start. Also, stagger the underlay tiles like brickwork so that you don't just lay a grid of tiles. This helps them stay put and adds strength by spreading loads. If you have a roll of underlay it again needs to be laid the opposite direction to the floor and you should tape the joints to stop it either from moving apart or from overlapping under the floor. Step 6: Start laying Laying from left to right and with the tongue facing the wall get the first boards clicked together end to end. Use 8- 1. 0mm spacers to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter. The last board will need cutting to length. To do this turn it back to front, keep it 1. You can use a tape instead, measure from the wall to the end of the row and subtract 1. Just remember that if you are fitting to a groove always measure the next board starting from the tongue end, and vice versa. Square the line over with a combination or Tri- Square. A good way of setting out boards when you come up against an obstacle or corner is like in the picture below, by clicking the next row / board in temporarily. This gives you something to measure from in case the wall isn't perfectly 9. You just need to remember to allow for the expansion gap. Step 7: Clicking the boards together. When I first learned to install laminate flooring I would get a few boards clicked together, get to the end of a row and when fitting the last board in the first in that row would pop out! It can get frustrating if you let it. Spend five minutes at the beginning getting the hang of clicking the tongue and groove together. With one board flat on the floor, the next should be up at around 3. As you push the tongue into the groove wobble the board up and down as you lower it down flat and it should slide into the groove. Every type of flooring is different but once you find the right angle to hold the board as you push it in you will get the hang of it and start to pick up speed. If I'm working on my own sometimes I put full packs of flooring on the boards already laid so the joints can't lift up and pop out. Step 8: Cutting boards All types of man made board like MDF, plywood and laminates that contain glues and resins will take the edge off saw blades much more quickly than natural timber. I only cut laminate flooring using either a Hard point handsaw specifically designed for laminated materials or more often with a downward cutting laminate specific jigsaw blade. If you don't have downward cutting blades you'll need to mark and cut the board face down. Once fitted use the off- cut to start the next row, unless it is less than 1. Continue like this and also stagger the joints so that no obvious pattern is repeated, make sure the boards always stagger by at least 1. Step 9: Cutting round pipes. When you install laminate flooring unless the radiator pipes come out the wall the pipes are probably sticking out of the floor. If you don't want to go to the hassle of taking them off you will need know how to drill or cut the laminate flooring around the pipes. There are two ways to do this. The first is to start the row at the pipe and join the ends of the boards either side of it. For this you can join the two boards end to end and put them on a scrap piece of timber. Mark the position of and drill the hole for the pipe (slightly larger to allow for expansion) and then detach them and install. The second way is to drill the hole for the pipe and then cut a keyhole shape behind it towards the wall with a thin hack saw blade, like in the second picture. Because you cut a keyhole shape when you refit the small piece can slide closer to the pipe and close up the gaps made by the saw blade. You will need a larger hole than the size of the pipe so you can manoeuvre the board up and down to click it in and to allow for expansion. Pipes expand and contract and will creak if you install laminate flooring boards too tightly around them. Don't worry about the expansion gap around the pipes, I just buy some neat little radiator pipe collars to clip on to cover the gap. Finally, get the last board in. To get the last laminate floor board in I rip it down so it is 1. Then, I use an old chisel to lever it in off the wall like in the picture below. This can sometimes be tricky you have to wiggle the board up and down until you feel it locate. If there's a long run left I usually join all the rips together end to end and fit them as one piece, working my way along and tapping it in with the special bar. Make sure you put a piece of scrap timber against the wall to protect it when levering especially if the walls are stud- work, otherwise you could make a nice big hole in the plasterboard. Whats next? Once the floor is laid you can cut and fix the skirting boards round the room (if laying beading it's done the same way) or click here to go back to the main laminate page. Have a comment or question about how to install laminate flooring? RV Laminate Flooring . If that’s YOU, click the “I Did This Mod!” button. See the FAQ for more information on this very cool feature! You've “Done the Mod”. You should see your gravatar displayed in all it's glory over in the sidebar. Don't have a gravatar? Visit www. gravatar. It's free and once you do, your new gravatar. See the FAQ for more information. Hardwood is not practical to install in an RV because of anchoring and flexing issues. Laminate flooring (commonly referred to as “Pergo”), on the other hand is straightforward to install because it requires no anchoring per se. The laminate “floats” on the sub- flooring surface, allowing the flex and small movement necessary in an RV environment. Mod Difficulty: To effectively install laminate flooring in your RV requires some planning and a bit of patience. It is somewhat of a challenge to get the professional look the manufacturers can with a factory install, but if you have the right tools and handyman know- how, this mod is a snap, literally. You first need to determine where you want the flooring. This may seem obvious but in an RV, you may have to deal with slide- outs, furniture, and odd angles. And if you have a class A or C, consider how you will work around the captains chairs, foot wells, and stairs. Once you have decided where you want the flooring, it’s time to figure out how much flooring you actually need. This is where the fun begins. One way to closely determine the amount of flooring is to make a cardboard template of the area(s) where you want the laminate. You may have to do this using several pieces of cardboard if the area is large. Cut the cardboard to size. You don’t have to be exact, but get as close to the shape of the areas as practical. Remember, 1. 2 inches by 1. You will need to determine the total square footage of all the cardboard areas. Once you know the total, you can go buy the laminate. Add about 1. 0% to the total to be sure you buy enough. So what is this stuff made of? Laminate flooring consists of planks made from a durable laminate surface, a wood based core and a balancing backing. The planks are clicked together to form a long lasting, easy- to- maintain surface. Like almost all materials in your RV, laminate flooring expands and contracts due to changes in temperature and humidity. Before installing laminate flooring, you will need to acclimate the planks to the environment they will be installed in. This means that for 4. PRIOR to installation, you will need to put the planks, while still in their boxes, in to your RV. Set the temperature to a minimum of 6. If your floor has linoleum, is in good shape , is smooth with no tears, then you can lay the laminate over the top of it as the lino adds very little thickness to the overall flooring height. If you are replacing carpet, you must remove both the carpet and the padding. Ensure that the sub- floor is is good condition and free of bumps, protruding screws or nails, and has no moisture damage. Make any repairs necessary before proceeding. Next, lay down the foam underlayment. This step may not be necessary if the laminate you buy already has the foam attached to each plank. If it does, this can be a real time saver. If not, cut the underlayment to fit, leaving a little extra around the edges. You will trim this after laying the planks. After the acclimation period, open the boxes of laminate, put your cardboard template(s) on the lawn or driveway, and lay out the laminate on the cardboard. This will give you a feel for how the laminate will look. You can experiment with different layouts like angling the laminate, and validate you have enough for the job. Now it’s time to start laying down the laminate. This involves a lot of measuring, cutting, re- cutting, re- measuring, etc. In other words, it’s not an exact science. A mistake or two is common and entirely appropriate if you are not a professional installer. You don’t have to be perfect. The quarter rounds you will use to trim out the edges of the flooring will hide most gaps or rough cuts. Start by determining where the first plank will go. A good starting point is the most square edge of the floor/wall. Use a framing square to check the corner where you want to start. The idea is to work your way towards the non- square walls/cabinets. Once there, you can then measure the remaining area and cut a custom piece of laminate to fit. Some RV’s are made better than others in terms of plumb cabinetry and flooring. Once you find the right starting point, be sure you leave a 1/4. This is required so the flooring can “float”, or contact and expand as the temperature and humidity varies. A good technique for a nice look is to stagger the planks so that no ends line up with each other. Use a full size plank to start. When you get to the next row, cut the starting plank to 2/3 its length, and then cut a plank to 1/3 size for the third row. It should be noted at this point that some laminate requires the tongue and groove attachment of the planks to be glued. This is really a personal preference but does result in a more durable “one- piece” floor. Now it’s just a matter of laying (and gluing if necessary) the planks and cutting them to fit. You can use a jigsaw with a fine blade or a small circular saw with a fine straight- toothed blade. Use a pencil to mark cutting lines. It wipes off easily and won’t mar the surface. Be sure to account for heater floor registers. Installing laminate on stairs is done a little differently. Once you remove any carpet and padding, rubber tread, and/or flashing, you can glue laminate directly to the stair surface and stair well sides. Use a multi- surface glue that can bond differing materials. This stuff usually sets up pretty quickly so you can use the stairs a few hours after gluing. Next up is to install the floor trim, or quarter rounds, thresholds, and/or stair well bull nose trim. We’re going to take the high road here and be conservative by sealing all the edges with a pliable sealant. Since an RV is subject to high humidity in a small place, you need to ensure that any edges where moisture can get in are sealed, especially the bathroom area. Trim the excess foam underlayment that protrudes from the edges of the laminate. Apply sealant in an 1/8. This is a very important step to ensuring no water can get underneath the laminate and destroy it. For edges that run along carpet, a special carpet- to- laminate trim piece is available from the laminate manufacturer. Sealant can and should still be used here as well. Apply sealant and slide in the trim per the manufacturers instructions. This makes for a very nice transition from the carpet to the flooring and is thin enough that you won’t trip over it. For the stairs, use bull nose or flat trim. All laminate flooring manufacturers have all sorts of trim pieces to suit almost any need, so be sure and look through the maker’s catalog to see what’s available. Most any home improvement store will have samples on display as well. This will give the entry way a nice clean look while still being durable to foot traffic. Now you just need to put the RV interior back together and enjoy your beautiful new floor! If you put down laminate under a chair or other piece of furniture that is bolted to the sub- floor, drill holes 1/8. Use a thin felt pad between the furniture and the laminate so that when the furniture is bolted down, there is less friction in between the flooring and the anchor points, providing easier movement of the floor as it expands and contracts. On glued floors, you may notice swelling along the joints of your floor during the first 6 to 8 weeks after installation. THIS IS NORMAL. In fact, it is a good sign that an adequate amount of glue has been used. It is caused by the absorption of glue in the core material and will disappear as the glue fully cures. Mod. My. RV recommends these parts for this mod: Laminate Flooring. Best quality laminate flooring at discount prices: Free samples! Balta, Rustic Elegance, Old Homestead Floors. Du. Pont - Flooring through the miracle of science. There’s only one Pergo. Flooring Sealant. Quick- step laminate flooring sealant kit. Installation Tools. Laminate Flooring Tools. General Reference. How to install Pergo Flooring.
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