You will need to ensure that your sub-floor is 100% level otherwise any imperfections will weaken the joints of your laminate floor. First establish whether your sub-floor is wood or concrete as this will confirm how you need to level it.
When your sub-floor is made from wood you have two options. You can either use hardboard or plywood, plywood comes in thicker sheets and gives a far more ridged finish to the sub-floor. Plywood is the more expensive of the two but for good reason as it leaves a solid and level surface from which to fit your laminate flooring. If you’re in doubt as to what material you should use then it’s probable best to go for plywood rather than hardboard.
If you have a concrete sub-floor then you’ll need to use a self-levelling compound with which to level the sub-floor. With concrete sub-floors you must fit a plastic membrane over the floor before starting to fit your underlay as this will stop moisture from warping your laminate flooring.
When you have finished preparing the sub-floor and have it all level you can begin the task of fitting the laminate floor. It’s important to lay your underlay carefully before starting on the laminate. Always fix the underlay down using either glue or staples to stop it from moving around when you fitting the laminate boarding.
Now your underlay is fitted you can start with the first sections of laminate. Start in the far left hand corner with the entrance of the room behind you. Allow a 5-8mm gap with spacers and start laying the boards from left to right. As you lay each board down it should click neatly into the last board laid, be sure to have a least 2 spacers for each board when you get to the last board in the row measure, cut and fit.
Repeat the above procedure for rows 2 and 3 ensuring plenty of wedges are used. So long as you have used enough spacers between the laminate and wall or skirting your three rows should be pretty well lodge in place and not moving about.
Now your 3 rows are secure just continue to lay the remaining boards when you have reached the other end of the space you’ll need to measure the last boards, remember to allow a 5-8mm gap.
Archive for Home Flooring
Which Options Are Out there For Varnishing Hardwood Floors
Before you consider sanding any floors bear in mind that it will require great attention to detail . You’ll find the longer you spend on preparing the floor the better job. It’s always worth investing in good quality tools and equipment as this tends to save you time and effort when carrying out any home improvement projects. One of the best known and respected names in floor finishes are Bona, they have manufactured many different types of lacquer which can be used both commercially as well as domestically. If you’re looking for the more environmental friendly lacquer then look no further than Bona Mega, made from vegetable oil Mega is the green option. There are many different lacquers offered by Bona in a very competitive market. One of the newer range to evolve has been Bona Traffic, this has been designed for heavy commercial wear areas and gives a long lasting finish to any wood floor. Traffic has been used at many high class locations across the UK thanks to its expert delivery. Finding a Bona stockists is as easy as going onto the internet and using one of the many search engines. Thanks to their wealth of experienace they will be able to save you time and money researching the products. Still having trouble locating a stockists try contacting Bona directly at their website and they’ll help. If you are looking for a lacquer to cover your sports floors then Bona Sportive will do the trick. As with other Bona products this can be relied upon to give a great finish to any sports floor. Thanks to their built in ant-slip resistance Sportive rises well above the competition in finishing . Sportive can be used in any location so if you’re looking for a reall strong, lasting lacquer it’s perfect. If you are sanding a commercial area such as a shop or a office the quicker this can be done the better so not having to prim or seal your floor will reduce the time involved. Bona Naturale offers a two coat finish which is going to save heaps of time compared with most over lacquers. The other advantage of using it is that you can spot repair areas should they get damaged over time. When you’re just looking to recoat your wooden floor and want a satin finish find yourself a Osmo stockists for the perfect choice. You can use it on most wooden floors as well as cork floors you should however not use it on more exotic woods such as Wenge or Merbau. Similar to Naturale Osmo offer a fast drying 2 coat option to get your wooden floors covered as quickly as possible. Osmo offer either a satin or matt finish with their Osmo Polyx Oil Rapid range. It can also be used to protect furniture as well as wooden floors. The Osmo Polyx Oil Rapid Matt is the better choice for those who are looking for a good sheen.
