During the repair in the apartment or house, attention is paid to the choice of high-quality flooring. A laminate flooring with an interesting appearance, high quality and other positive parameters is considered a great solution. The process of its installation is considered quite simple, so often citizens independently decide to cope with this task. It is important to know how to properly lay the laminate, which method is appropriate for this, and how the process is implemented in the most specific places.
Process rules
Although a laminate is considered a popular coating that can be easily installed on its own, some rules must be taken into account that can prevent various serious errors. These rules include the following:
- It is not allowed to carry out the process in a room with a high humidity indicator, since under such conditions the coating will quickly become worthless.
- You can create a coating on the balcony, but you will have to pay a lot of attention to high-quality waterproofing and insulation.
- Laying can be carried out both on a wooden and on a concrete base, but in any case, serious preparation will have to be carried out in advance.
- First, it is necessary to correctly carry out the calculation in order to determine exactly how much material will be needed to work, since all the lamellas should be from the same batch, since otherwise they may differ slightly in appearance, therefore it is not allowed that during the installation it is necessary to buy material.
If you correctly understand how to properly lay a laminate in a room, then this process will not be too complicated. At the same time, minimum waste and perfect evenness of the coating are guaranteed.
Tool preparation
Before direct work, it is recommended to prepare all the tools that are useful in the process. This will allow you to perform the procedure non-stop. To work with the laminate, you need:
- an electric jigsaw, which can be replaced with a file, but it is a jigsaw that ensures even cutting of the panels;
- a wooden plank that allows you to customize the boards to each other;
- a rubber hammer, due to which the presence of noticeable joints is prevented, and since it is made of rubber, significant damage will not be caused to the material;
- Roulette and pencil necessary for marking.
In addition, it is important to determine whether alignment of the base is required. Often this is a necessary process, which means that additional tools and materials are needed. A substrate is also selected, and it is desirable to acquire a material that has good thermal insulation properties and at the same time becomes an excellent shock absorber.
Layout selection
It is important to understand not only which method will be used for this process, but also which scheme will be used. In this case, you need to focus on the location of the window in the room and the selected laminate. How to lay correctly: along or across? This issue is solved on the basis of the assessment of the material itself and the angle of incidence of sunlight from the window.
It is advisable to place the strips in advance without fixing in a different order around the room in order to visually see at which scheme the most attractive option will be obtained. A scheme is selected from several methods:
- Classical With such a system, the amount of waste is minimized. For this, the first row is formed, and that lamella, which is the last, is adjusted to the size of the room, for which it must be cut off. The remaining item is used to start the next row. With this method, it is not allowed to use parts that do not exceed 30 cm. The seams will be messy, so the coating that is not always created looks attractive.
- Chess. Such a scheme is considered attractive and easy to create. With its help, a coating is obtained that resembles parquet in appearance. How to lay the laminate on the floor in this way? First, the first row is done standardly. The next one starts so that the edge of the first panel falls in the middle of the board from the previous row.
- Diagonal. This method is considered complex and requires preliminary calculations. Significantly increases the amount of waste when using this method. The pluses include the ability to visually increase the size of the room. How to lay laminate in this way? The process starts from the corner of the room, after which you need to move diagonally from the door and window of the room. It is advisable to pre-stretch a rope from one corner to another, which can be oriented in the process of work.
Thus, the installation can be carried out in different ways and according to different schemes. After selecting the necessary parameters, preparation of the base begins.
Choosing a styling method
The material can be mounted in different ways, so the owners of the premises must first decide which method will be used. You have to choose from three options:
- Glue technology. It is used if slats are purchased that are not equipped with any locking systems. It is important to figure out how to properly lay the laminate in this way to prevent possible errors. Work should be carried out on a perfectly even base and use exclusively special glue for the named material. Before using each lamella, it must be checked for dust. Glue is applied directly to the edges of the boards. It is advisable to degrease the surfaces in advance, as well as walk on them with sandpaper for a better connection. Glue is applied on both surfaces to be glued. Then they are tightly applied to each other and keep in this state for at least 5 minutes. It is considered optimal to use the straps. If surplus emerges, then they are promptly removed, since the solution must not be allowed to dry on the front surface.
- Using the Click system. Such a system assumes that the spike of one board is inserted into the groove of another lamella. To fit the elements well, you need to use a wooden block and a rubber mallet. The process is considered prompt and simple if you know how to properly lay the laminate with this method. If one element breaks in the coating, you can disassemble the structure and replace the lamella.
- Using the Lok system. Parts of the castle system are located at the ends of the lamellas. To connect them, you need to place the strips in the same plane. Additionally, a special overhead block is used, with which elements are knocked together. Often the density of such a compound increases with glue.
Each method has its own characteristics, but in any case it is important to figure out how to properly lay the laminate in the room to get the perfect result.
Concrete foundation preparation
The base may be concrete or wood. Before laying the flooring, it is important to make sure that the floor is firm, dry, even and reliable. To properly lay the laminate on the concrete floor, as required by the instructions, it is necessary to prepare the base. To do this, consider the following:
- If there are slight differences on the surface, then you can use a self-leveling mixture, with the help of which a not too thick coating is created.
- If the transitions and irregularities are considered significant, then it is advisable to make a full concrete screed.
- To implement the process, it is necessary to mix cement with the optimal amount of water, after which the mixture is stirred with a perforator with a special nozzle.
- The distribution of the solution is made on the basis of the available.
- It is advisable to check the coating for the absence of additional drops by the laser level.
You can start laying the substrate only after the solution has dried, so it is advisable to wait at least two weeks.
Preparing a wooden base
Often it is necessary to perform work on a base made of wood, which is represented by different boards or plates. How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor? The process begins with the proper preparation of the foundation, for which such actions are implemented:
- First you need to make sure the quality of all available wooden elements.
- If there are dry, rotten or damaged boards, then they must be replaced.
- If the floor is represented by a construction on the logs, it is advisable to raise the boards to make sure that the logs are in good condition. Squeak or significant transitions are not allowed.
- The entire floor must be treated with a grinder, which will eliminate small bumps from it.
- Leveling of the surface is carried out, for which it is optimal to use sheets of plywood or chipboard, which are evenly laid and fixed with screws.
Thus, it is important to properly prepare the foundation to ensure optimal laying of the coating.
What to do if a wooden base is unsuitable for further work?
Often the base is of poor quality, so you need to replace it. Before properly laying the floor under the laminate, the old structure is dismantled. Next, new lags are installed. Boards of plywood or chipboard are attached to them.
Having figured out how to properly lay a laminate on a wooden floor, you can prevent various negative consequences of a poor-quality process.
Backing
As soon as the base is smooth and of high quality, the creation of the substrate begins. To properly lay the laminate with your own hands, as required by the instructions, it is advisable to lay a high-quality diffusion membrane under the coating, and if you need to save money, ordinary polyethylene, the thickness of which should exceed 5 mm, is suitable.
The material is laid in such a way that it goes onto the walls of the room. All joints are glued with tape.
With the competent performance of this work, an increase in the soundproofing and thermal insulation parameters of the room is guaranteed. The elimination of small transitions is provided, and also the coating will be protected from moisture.
Calculation of the required amount of material
Next, you need to determine how much laminate you need to purchase for installation. In this case, various factors are taken into account:
- selected styling method;
- area of the room;
- the dimensions of one lamella.
For the calculation, it is advisable to use special online calculators that allow you to quickly obtain the desired values.
Styling technology
Once all the preparatory steps are completed, you should figure out how to properly lay the laminate. Most often, owners of premises prefer to choose lamellas equipped with locks, since laying is considered quick and easy:
- The first lamella is laid, with which the next part is connected, for which the spike is inserted into the groove.
- For a better fit of the elements, they should be well adjusted to each other, for which they are tapped with a rubber mallet, and fixed with a wooden block.
- For a good connection, the joints can be treated with a special adhesive solution.
- Adjacent rows are fixed to each other in the same way.
- To prevent dirt and various liquids from entering the joints, it is recommended to treat them with a special transparent sealant.
- A small distance is left between the walls and the coating, so it is advisable to use wedges for this.
- During operation, you must constantly use the level to prevent the appearance of various transitions and other problems.
- Thresholds are laid in the right places.
- At the end of the work, a floor plinth is installed.
As you can see, the installation process is simple and straightforward. Therefore, if it is good to understand how to properly lay the laminate in the apartment, then it will not be difficult to carry out the procedure yourself.
Laying in difficult areas
Particular attention should be paid to installation on complex areas of the room. These include:
- Places near the pipes. Here, the distance from the pipe to the wall is first determined. Measure the diameter of the pipe, and then make the necessary cuts in the laminate. Next, a standard installation with a bypass of the pipe is performed.
- In the doorways. The width of the room and the size of the last lamella are measured. The panel is trimmed and then evenly laid. The joint can be formed by a nut or filled with silicone.
Correct cuts need to be given a lot of attention.
Conclusion
Thus, laminate flooring is considered an excellent choice for any room. With its help, a high-quality and reliable floor covering is created.
It is important to understand the rules of installation of the material in order to cope with the task yourself. This takes into account installation methods, styling schemes and other important nuances.