Laminate Flooring Installation Tips
Laying laminate flooring is easy. However, it's crucial to properly organize all the materials and project steps. Here are detailed instructions for laying laminate flooring, along with a checklist to help you prepare.
There are generally three methods for laying laminate flooring:
1. Quick, glue-free installation
2. Applying Clickguard or a similar sealant. This method provides long-lasting protection against moisture. You can still remove and reinstall it.
3. Applying adhesive offers similar long-term moisture protection, but it requires more work and makes dismantling the floor impossible for future installation. It's essential to determine the subfloor on which you intend to lay the flooring.
Laminating a Screed
The subfloor must be perfectly flat, dry, clean, and load-bearing. It's necessary to level it and fill any irregularities exceeding three millimeters per meter. It is necessary to use a PE film as a moisture barrier.
Laying laminate flooring over parquet flooring
To obtain a solid and level subfloor, it is necessary to level any irregularities and secure any loose parquet planks. Position the laminate flooring perpendicular to the wood planks. Using a PE film is not recommended with parquet planks.
Laying laminate flooring over chipboard panels
It is necessary to level any irregularities and secure any loose chipboard panels. To prevent friction noise, the chipboard panels must be securely fixed to the subfloor.
Laying laminate flooring over linoleum or PVC flooring
It is not recommended to lay laminate flooring over this type of flooring. It is essential to remove these floor coverings before installation.
Laminate flooring installation with modern electric underfloor heating and hot water
For advice on heating your floor until it is dry, please consult a qualified heating engineer. He or she is proficient in the necessary procedures and skills.
It is recommended to maintain the surface temperature at 25°C; under no circumstances should the temperature exceed 28°C. Existing floor coverings must be removed.
Preparation and Materials Checklist
Before Laminating
1. Please store the packages for 48 hours under the same climatic conditions as during installation.
2. An essential condition for installing and preserving the value of the laminate flooring is an ambient temperature of approximately 20°C and a relative humidity between 50 and 70%.
3. The subfloor must be perfectly level, dry, clean, and load-bearing.
4. It is imperative to test the moisture content before laying the flooring on a mineral substrate such as tiles, cement screed, concrete, or anhydrite screed. The residual moisture content of the screed must not exceed the following values:
1. Cement screed: 1.8% concrete with underfloor heating
The two types of anhydrite screed are: 0.3% concrete with underfloor heating and 0.5% concrete without underfloor heating. 5. A vapor barrier (PE film) must be installed in the recess to protect against moisture before laying on a mineral subfloor. After overlapping the sheets by 20 cm, secure them with adhesive tape.
6. Carpet is not a suitable underlay; any excess carpet must be completely removed before installation. Laminate flooring is installed as a floating floor and must not be fixed to the subfloor.
7. For floors without sound insulation, please use a 2 mm expanded PE film or another suitable underlay.
8. Lay the sheets in the same direction as the flooring panels.
9. Put down any open packages immediately.
When installing your laminate flooring, always keep the following tools on hand:
• Spacers
• Circular saw with interchangeable carbide-tipped blade, jigsaw with a thin blade, or handsaw
• Square for trimming door and window frames
• Folding ruler, pencil
• Installation tools
• Sound-absorbing underlay (for floors without sound insulation)
• Checklist of materials and accessories for installing laminate flooring
• Accurate room measurements
Laminate Flooring
• One tube of Clickguard is sufficient for ten square meters of laminate flooring.
Baseboards
• Leveling, transition, and end profiles
• Fixing brackets
• Waterproof membrane
• Footfall sound insulation
Please note that Clickguard or a similar sealant and sound insulation may be necessary in some situations. Residual moisture
The residual moisture content of the screed must under no circumstances exceed the following values:
Cement screed: 1.8% CM with underfloor heating; 2% CM without anhydrite screed; 0.3% CM with underfloor heating; 0.5% CM without anhydrite screed.