One of the most affordable and popular options for the arrangement of flooring is laminate laying. Such a material that imitates various rocks of wood can be laid quickly enough, even without special skills in carrying out a similar work. Ready -made floors do not ask for special care.
Preparation
Before starting installation, it is necessary to make sure that all conditions are provided in the room for its use. First of all, the room should be heated, and the temperature is in the range of +15-30 degrees. Humidity fluctuations are allowed, but not more than 70%. The basis for the floor can be wooden or concrete, but high -altitude changes should not exceed 2 mm. One meter. If irregularities are present, then they must be eliminated, since laying the laminate on such a basis is unacceptable.
For work on laying, we will need:
hammer (wooden or rubber);
a special bar, helping to knock out a laminate (from soft wood);
a saw, it is better for metal processing, since the sections are more even, or an electrician;
spacer wedges;
pencil and line for marking the material;
In the case of using a concrete base, you will also need a plastic film or bitumen gasket that plays the role of vapor barrier. When installing floors from a laminate, it is advisable to use a lining, the main tasks of which is heat – and noise insulation. To some extent, it also serves to align the basis of the floor. Thermal insulation effect is much higher in foil material, which has a thickness of 0.2-1 cm. The lining is rolled along the wall on the planned area of installation of the flooring and does not need to use adhesive mixtures.
The laminate intended for styling must lie in the working room for at least 48 hours to purchase its climatic parameters. The basis of the floor must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and garbage, and then treated with a primer. In addition, the wooden base is covered with antiseptic material. It is necessary to choose the correct direction of laying laminated boards. In most cases, laminate is laid along the sunlight, as this makes it possible to visually hide the joints of the panels, slightly spoiling the appearance of the coating.
Laminate laying
Installation starts by laying the panel in the corner of the room from the windows. Between her and the wall, wedges are inserted, and from the end the same. Circrats for communications are made using a drill or a penny drill. The first row plates do not need to be immediately connected at the ends, first they must be extremely accurately leveled.
When forming the second row, the displacement of the panels is taken into account. Most often, laminate laying is carried out on the principle of brickwork. This method allows you to evenly divide the pressure between the plates when the physical properties of the material are changed.
As a rule, the displacement of panels is made in the region of the middle of the material, forming a chess order. The assembled second row of laminate must be put on the previous one, and then gradually tightened it until the mount enters the groove. The entire row of strips rises at an angle of about 30 degrees and, by small pressure, is fixed in the groove, and is also parallel to the floor. Such work is best done together to achieve uniform and accurate consolidation of laminated panels. Small gaps formed after laying are easily eliminated by cautious launching with a hammer along the entire length of the row.
The next row, respectively, with a laminate laying scheme, must be shifted towards 30-40 centimeters. The chess order of laying the material can be achieved by using a not all of the panel at the beginning of the row, but only half of it. The ideal density of the laminated boards is achieved by the use of a special bars of a dibbler. Marking on the material is made using a pencil and ruler. It is better to cut with an electric jigsaw, but you can use any saw. Of course, a tool designed for the processing of metal products will leave more accurate sections on the material.
By laying a laminate near the doorways, you also should not forget about observing centimeter gaps. All subsequent ones are mounted similarly to the previous one, observing the sequence of all actions.
As a rule, the last row always needs to cut the material. The width of the boards is formed taking into account the gap between the wall. Cut panels are snap with a stacked laminate using a clamp inserted between the wall and the plank. Raising the last row by 30 °, they start the material in the castle and lower it, to the click. After the work is completed, all inserts are extracted and the skirting board is installed.
Laminate laying ends with the installation of wooden or plastic skirting boards. It all depends on the personal preferences and material capabilities of the owner of the apartment. The main nuance of the installation of skirting boards on the laminate coating is the lack of fastening to the floor surface, it is attached exclusively to the walls. If the walls do not delight with evenness, then it is best to use plastic material that will not create cracks that spoil the appearance of the decoration. It is better to use skirting boards that involve hidden wiring. The cable must be fixed only in special grooves, preventing it from getting into the gaps between the laminate and the wall. The joints between the rooms are disguised by means of special profiles that simultaneously perform protective and decorating functions.
A more beautiful option is the diagonal assembly of the laminate. Work must start from the most remote angle and go to the door, while taking into account light factors. With this method of installation of the flooring, the angle of inclination of the laminate board can fluctuate in the range of 30-45 °. The indent from the walls should exceed 10 mm. with deformation under the influence of temperature differences .
Before starting, you should make a drawing of future styling, in which it is necessary to provide an angle of inclination of the panel, all possible obstacles or protrusions. This will create an optimal visual picture of the work and help save material for flooring. Specialists recommend that the laying of diagonally start starting from the middle of the room, pulling a fishing line between the corners for this, which will serve as the boundary of installation work. The laminant panels are laid first on the left side of the room, and then in the right. The work uses all the scraps obtained during the installation of the laminate. First, the boards are interconnected by end cuts, and then the entire prepared row is fixed with locks to the previous. End cuts each time should shift at least 25-30 cm.
The laminated coating is an ideal substitute for parquet, since with good wear resistance it differs in affordable cost, ease of styling and unpretentiousness in care.