DIY Laminate Flooring – Underlay
Underlayment is a material placed under laminate flooring to provide a smooth and even installation surface. It comes in large rolls or as separate pieces that can be taped together. The use of an underlayment speeds installation, reduces walking noise, improves flooring stability and provides superior support.
- Remove the shoe moulding from around the baseboard and also the doors from the installation area to be covered.
- The laminate flooring planks need additional space to fit under doorframes. Place a piece of underlayment and laminate flooring next to the jamb to determine the required height, and cut out the desired area of the frame
- Install the underlay and make sure the foam edges don’t overlap. To prevent them from shifting, tape the pieces together.
- If you’re placing a laminate floor on top of a concrete slab, apply a polyethylene plastic vapour barrier before installing the underlayment.
Floating or glue less installation method
Ease of installation is one of the key advantages of DIY laminate flooring. One of the two ‘do-it-yourself’ instalment options is the floating or glue less method. In this method, the flooring is not secured to the subfloor. Instead, it allows each board to be connected by means of a tongue-and-groove design. Around eight inches by four feet long, these planks click together to form a firmly fastened surface.
Not only easier, the glue less laminate flooring planks are installed approximately 50% faster on an average than the traditional methods of installation.
Materials requirement for DIY Laminate Flooring :
- Straight edge
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Marker
- Speed square (to test angles)
- Scissors
- Hammer
- Coping saw
- Circular saw with fine-tooth blade
- Safety goggles
- Clamps
- Wall spacer wedges
- Tapping block
- Last row puller (pry bar)
- Laminate flooring
- Underlay (foam, vinyl or cork are popular choices)
Installation procedure
- Flooring planks should be preferably installed with their length
parallel to the incoming sunlight. - Start the installation from the left corner of the room. Cut off the tongue of the
planks, and run them parallel to the wall with the help of expansion spacers. - Install each plank by inserting one end into the other at an angle and pressing down.
- On reaching the end of the row, measure and trim the last plank to fit.
- Cut a new plank similar to the pattern of the first row and start the next row with this plank.
- Lift the previous row slightly to fit the next planks into position. Now give a sharp rap to the next line of boards with your hand to fully engage and press them down firmly.
- Continue with this procedure with the rest of the flooring.
- The last row should e the same width as the first row. Trace the wall outline and remember to leave space for expansion.
- Trim and remove excess plastic sheeting and spacers. Reinstall baseboards without nailing tothe floor.
- Flooring should extend under the doorframe. Use a piece of scrap flooring to mark the depth that the doorframe should be trimmed.