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How to lay laminate on the linoleum and you can do it at all

The contents

  • Conclusion

    • The desire to upgrade your home sooner or later visits every person. How best to proceed in relation to floor coverings in the rooms – linoleum, which, moreover, worn out, lost attractive appearance and tired? The budget for repair is limited to the available funds, the flooring will not put.

    The perfect solution for you will become a different kind of a parquet – laminate, or laminate. Judge for yourself, the laminate has good abrasion resistance and durability, strength, sound and thermal insulation properties, it is simple enough and easy to lay as a floor coating, special care during operation, the laminate is not required. New interlock panels even further facilitate the process of installation. Manufacturers produce laminate flooring that mimic the texture of natural stone and wood, ceramic tiles. To choose the design and color can be almost any style of room.

    So you’ve decided to opt for the laminate. The advantages of this solution are obvious:

    • You save money and time.
    • Will be able to improve the soundproofing in the room.
    • Increase the insulating characteristics of the floor covering.

    But can you lay laminate over the old linoleum? How long he will last in this case? Or unavoidable work to remove the existing flooring? However, it will have to loose all the room to drag the furniture from the room first, then back, and I would like to do «a little blood». After all, is only involved in repair, and to finish it will not work – repair can only be stopped.

    Requirements for the coating of linoleum ↑

    All manufacturers reduce the requirements to the surface on which will be laid laminate flooring, the following:

    • The surface must be solid and stable.
    • The surface should be smooth.
    • The surface must be dry (with a moisture content of 2%).

    Linoleum flooring in modern homes are placed on a concrete floor. The moisture content of the coating is usually in the normal range. This means that laminate flooring can be laid on the linoleum, provided that the height difference does not exceed 2 mm per 2 meters. The presence of differences in height is checked with a level 2 meter length or rules.

    It is important! In accordance with the set of rules SP 29.13330.2011 drop should not exceed 2 mm over the entire length of the level. When differences in height within 2 mm allowed the use of the laminate as a floor covering. Another important indicator is the slope of the base. On the set of rules (this clause 5.19) the slope shall be within 0.2% of the appropriate size, not to exceed the value of 20 mm for the length of the room.

    And it is this requirement, it can be argued with high probability, will fail. It is known that the surface of the concrete screed in our homes are not perfectly smooth. During the years of operation the linoleum echoed all surface irregularities. To eliminate the differences in height have to get to the root cause – the floor screed, because to do repair linoleum will not work. Hence, the presence of serious irregularities means that you will need to remove the old linoleum and flattening.

    You can think about why to follow certain sets of rules and carefully level the surface? Moreover, the builders do not hurt tried to fulfill these requirements. Judging by «the lunar terrain» the floor screed. The builders tried as quickly as possible to pass the object and you in this apartment to live. Happens next – due to severe surface irregularities of the tool joint of the panels will be under load to wear out quickly, and the panel will begin to diverge. Or over time the panels themselves will be damaged. Let’s see what happens with ceramic tile that was laid on poorly prepared surface or unevenly struck her under the glue. Tile crack. The laws of physics are the same for ceramic tiles and laminate.

    So to lay laminate flooring to linoleum, can only be the case if the surface of the old floor coating is quite smooth. In addition, linoleum should be efficiently and securely attached to the base. Seams you need to glue.

    The Council. On very old linoleum laminate better not to stack. It is likely swelling underneath the new flooring that will damage the laminate panels. Moreover, it is not necessary to use the old linoleum as a backdrop. Worn soft linoleum will not provide the desired cushioning laminate panels under load will start to creak and SAG.

    Preparation for work and the choice of substrate under the laminate ↑

    To use as underlay under the laminate flooring with a thick and dense linoleum in good condition. But then the question arises, why is such a good linoleum to lay laminate?

    Today the market is a substrate made from different materials and with different costs and properties:

    • Polyethylene foam substrate – the most common of all. Fits just. However, the low price means a relatively short service life, the substrate is rapidly compressed, forming a void under the floor. In mass residential construction is used for budget finishes.
    • Underlay from extruded polystyrene is superior to the characteristics polyethylene foam, but is more expensive. Less crushed and deformed. It is believed that completely loses its properties after 10 years of operation. Poses a serious danger in case of fire – extruded polystyrene is allocated the greatest amount of harmful substances.
    • Modern composite Tuplex underlay consists of two layers, between which is a layer of granulated polystyrene. Has a good sound insulation, elasticity, long life and even prevents the formation of mold. The disadvantage is the highest price available in the market of wafers.
    • Rubber-cork and bitumen-cork substrate successfully combine quality natural cork and synthetic bases with good sound and thermal insulation properties. A disadvantage of this type of substrates can be considered quite a high price.

    • The best and environmental-friendly type of substrate – cork. Ideal for use in children’s rooms and bedrooms. But the cost of such a substrate may not fit in with the budget repair.
    It is important! The substrate is placed back to back, the joints are fixed with adhesive tape to avoid shifting when laying laminate flooring. Remember that the substrate is unable to level the ground for laying laminate. It should provide heat and sound insulation and to serve as a cushioning layer under «floating floors». Minor irregularities of the substrate is able to compensate, but no more.

    Laying laminate on linoleum ↑

    The calculation of the required amount is done as follows: the area of the room is added 7% when laying the flooring perpendicular to the light source (the window) and the 15% for a diagonal installation. Diagonal laying and laying across used in small spaces with the aim to visually expand the room. On the packaging specified number of square feet of laminate in the package, so to count will be easy.

    Purchased laminate flooring put in the room where it will be laying, and keep two days in closed packaging. So the flooring adapts to temperature and humidity.

    Before installation verify the compliance of color and pattern of the laminate in the purchased party. From the tool should be prepared in advance:

    • A jigsaw or a hacksaw.
    • Knife for opening packages.
    • Plastic wedges.
    • Steel bracket with which you will be able to fit the end of the last panel in the row. Without brackets it will be very difficult.
    • Roulette.
    • Gon.
    • The mallet and the plate (for Lock-laminate).
    • Pencil.

    Ways of laying laminate flooring: ↑

    • Perpendicular to the window (long side panel is located along the light flux). In this way, the seams between the panels less noticeable.

    • Parallel to the window (across the room).

    • Diagonally.

    • Christmas tree.

    Laying laminate flooring ↑

    First, the perimeter of the room install the plastic wedges. With their help, you will be provided with a clearance of 10 mm between the laminate and the wall. From the corner of the room from left to right is placed horizontally the first row. The comb panels of the first row are directed towards the wall. The panels are connected end sides. 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 300 mm). It is important that the seams in adjacent rows do not coincide.

    The Council. For more give the displacements of the panels more neat appearance, used this technique as «the offset into the third Board». From the new panel, cut one-third, after which it is placed.

    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) for fixing of the ridge in the groove of the next panel.

    Panel system Click are stacked under an angle of 45° to lock it (will hear distinctive sound, which gave its name to this type of castle). This coating can be further disassembled 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 in the location of the cut is not terrible.

    It is important! Pre-view as I need to cut the panels of the last row. The laminate will not look good if the width of the panels of the first and last rows are very different. In this case it is better to trim panels and the first and last rows.

    After laying laminate on linoleum, the wedges are taken out and mounted the plinth to the color of the flooring. It is recommended to use a plastic plinth with cable channels and cleaned all the cables and wires.

    Conclusion ↑

    Laminate can be laid on the linoleum in cases where the old floor covering meets the requirements for basis under the laminate. First and foremost, this means that the base should be smooth. If the height difference exceeds 2 mm per 2 m, better than the old linoleum to remove and align the floor screed. You should not lay the floors and very old linoleum. This «savings» in the near future will result in serious additional costs.

    Laying laminate on linoleum will require some more time and effort than installing on a concrete floor or plywood.

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