How to put laminate on a wooden floor with their hands
The contents
Laminate flooring can be installed on any flat, solid (stable) and dry coating. Wood floors, concrete or another – does not really matter. There are some nuances to consider.
Laying laminate on wooden floor fully able to produce with their hands. Many construction companies will tell you that pre-need old wooden floor to disassemble and replace. This step should go, if rotted load-bearing joists. In the center of Moscow there are still buildings where wooden beams have not changed since the nineteenth century, and during the survey the need for their full replacement becomes apparent. However, this operation will cost the owner a lot more than new flooring.
Diagnostics and alignment of the wooden floor ↑
In most cases, to diagnose the old floor is not required to open it. Such measures should not be used if the floor area considerably «dipped» and the layer of plywood it is not aligned. Or when there are serious concerns that the rotted load-bearing joists. In other cases, visually inspect the floors, rattle, looking for possible cracks and places that creak when you walk, and check its levelness. Allowed laying laminate in the presence of fluctuations in the plane within 2 mm per 2 m. For this to the floor make the 2 meter level and watch the size of the height difference.
The damaged boards of the old floor need to be replaced. If damage is superficial and slight, the Board is removed, turned over and fixed up by the party, which was lower. Loose boards are fixed using screws. Subsequent leveling of the old wood coating only makes sense if the floorboards are well fixed.
Old uneven floors with a significant number of changes in height can be aligned with the plane or scraper machines. Before leveling the floor with a planer, you must also eliminate squeaks. To do this, the boards fastened to the joists with long screws. Install the screws in the holes of the nails that were in the inspection and repair is removed, or near them. After alignment of the floor planer is carefully removed all the debris, floor boards impregnated with an antiseptic, after that you can start laying the laminate.
In the presence of a significant number of changes, which is difficult to remove by using the plane alignment of the old wooden floor produce sheets of plywood with a thickness of 10 mm. This can be done with a satisfactory slope of the floor. Attach sheets of plywood across the boards to the supporting joists with long screws to firmly fix all layers of the resulting «pie». Sheets of plywood placed vrazbezhku.
In the presence of significant bias of the old wooden floor and large differences in height, before laying the plywood the old floor level by means of additional rails. They are made from bars of different thickness. The plywood should first be spread out on the floor and mark the places of joints of sheets. Under the joints of the rails of bars required. Spacing should be 500-600 mm. Attach the bars with screws. In the spaces between the stacked bars lay acoustic and thermal insulation. New rails laid sheets of plywood and fix with screws, utaplivaja not much their heads in the plywood. Between the walls and plywood sheets must be a gap of 3-5 mm.
Vent that had an old wooden floor, you need to keep. To do this, in this place cut a hole the same size sheet of plywood and laminate panels. Then the vent is closed with a decorative cap in the color of the laminate. Typically, these holes in inconspicuous locations, so the problem is it will not create, and the old floor will be «breathe» and will last a long time.
If you have any concern that the load-bearing joists require strengthening or even replacing, in the areas of maximum SAG of the old floor using the jigsaw, cut out the part of the Board. Better to keep the jigsaw not vertically but at a slight angle. In this case, cut a piece of Board will be narrowing down and it will be easy just to put in place.
The joists through the hole cut examine and determine their condition. Repair lag can be limited to hammering the wedges to align them or further fixation of the Arab League to the Foundation anchors. Rotten or severely damaged joists need to be disassembled, it will have to remove the entire floor. In place of the old lag new. Old wooden floor can be replaced by two layers of plywood. The thickness of the plywood depends on the load on the flooring in the room.
Features laying laminate on wooden floor ↑
Laying of the substrate ↑
Are available in different types of substrates under the laminate:
- Of natural cork. The most expensive option.
- Of bitumen sheets containing particles tube.
- Polyurethane foam with high durability.
- Plastic – the budget option.
The producers assure that the substrate is able to level the ground under the laminate. This is an exaggeration. The substrate needs to provide heat and sound insulation. Minor irregularities leveled the old wooden floor or the base of the plywood substrate can compensate, but not more than.
Laying laminate flooring ↑
Recommended for 2 days to keep the packaging laminate in the room where it will be installed. So he will get the humidity and temperature of the premises.
Determine a method of laying: diagonal, perpendicular or parallel light. Laying diagonally is more commonly used in narrow spaces – this is one way to visually expand them.
Usually the laminate is laid perpendicular to the window in daylight, the joints between the panels will be less noticeable, but in the case of wooden floors, it is necessary to focus on the direction of the planks. On a floor the laminate is laid perpendicular to floor boards to reduce possible deflection.
To work need:
- Jig saw or hacksaw.
- Knife.
- Plastic wedges.
- Roulette.
- Gon.
- Mallet and die (for lock Lock).
- Pencil.
Angle is laid horizontally the first row. The panels are connected end sides. In order to comply with the necessary clearance between the panels and the wall at 10mm, use plastic wedges. Latest in a series of panel trimmed with a jigsaw or handsaw and placed in a row. Starting the next row can be the remaining piece of the panel (provided that its length is greater than 200 mm), the main thing is that the joints in adjacent rows do not coincide.
The first and second rows are joined. When using panels with Lock-lock, you will need to tamp them with a mallet (through the die).
Panel system Click are stacked under an angle of 45° until it clicks into place. This coating can be removed if necessary.
Panel, the last row will most likely need to be cut to width in size. Remember that a cut line will cover the plinth, so that small irregularities saw is not terrible. After laying laminate on the wooden floor, the wedges are taken out and mounted the plinth.
We have tried to answer the questions, how to lay laminate flooring on wooden floor. Laying laminate flooring, particularly with a lock Click, special difficulties will not create. The main task will be the strengthening and alignment of the old floor.