How to lay laminate flooring with your own hands - step by step instruction and helpful advice. How to lay laminate with your own hands

Laminate is the material that has won leadership among a variety of floor coverings in our market due to its high quality, relatively low price, easy installation and a wide range of models, different colors and shades. Also, consumers are attracted to the fact that this material can be applied to almost any rough surface. Therefore it is not surprising that more and more people are interested in the question of how to put a laminate on their own. Detailed instructions you will find in our article.

Selecting and calculating the amount of material

Preparing the rough floor before laying the laminate

This coating is spread exclusively on a flat, dry and clean surface. Each panel is laminated, equipped with locks, so that they are easily fastened together. But when the surface of the floor is tilted, it is more than 0.4 cm by 2 sq. Km. m. crests can break, and the boards in the future shake and start to squeak. Therefore, the preparation of the base for the laminate is as important as the laying itself.

The installation of this material usually does not require a screed. But the features of this stage of work largely depend on rough flooring.

Wood base

If your old floor is wooden, you will need careful preparation before laying the laminate. To ensure that the flooring has lasted for a long time, the floor relief should not exceed 0.2 cm. In the case of the creaking of parquet boards, it is necessary to screw them with screws. But, if you want to achieve an ideal result, do not be lazy to replace rotten wood.

If the floor with obvious defects, it should be dismantled to lags: it is possible to further strengthen the structure. Another way to solve this problem is to lay another layer of new boards or sheet plywood. This is the ideal way to level this floor, if the height of the ceiling allows you to "steal" a few more centimeters.

The old wooden coating is necessarily treated with antipyrine and antiseptic. Then the boards are made with a special machine to get rid of small irregularities.

After the end of the preliminary work, the floor is vacuumed, since even the crumb that has fallen under the laminate may become unpleasant in the future.

The wooden base before laying the laminate flooring is not waterproofed so as not to cause premature rotting of the rough floor.

Linoleum and tile

Laminate can be laid directly on linoleum or tile, if the surface is flat enough, without waves. Before starting the installation, the substrate is thoroughly washed and vacuumed. Laminate the floor only on a dry floor!

Concrete flooring

Preparing the base of concrete before laying the laminate will take much less effort than wood. If you have a new concrete floor, it must only be cleaned of dust and small particles. In cases where concrete began to crack, it should be repaired. Separate pieces are removed, grooves and cracks are covered with mortar. Also, if there are small "holes", you can use a self-leveling mixture. To ensure that the repaired concrete is not further dusted or crumbled, a fresh cementitious screed is primed with ceresin.

It is necessary to clean and vacuum the surface.

Carpeting

This kind of base is not suitable for laying a laminate, so it must be removed and then the roughing floor is ready.

Steam insulation

Despite the artificial origin, the laminate has the properties of wood, namely it can absorb moisture and swell, so before laying this flooring, a layer of waterproofing is always laid.

Note that the only exception is the wooden roughing floor, since the film will not allow natural material to breathe and will speed up the decay process.

To prevent moisture from entering the laminate, you can use ruberoid or regular polyethylene. Steam insulation must cover the entire floor area, it is lapped over the walls and fixed with adhesive tape so that the edges of the material go beyond the laminate.

The laminate itself is solid enough and thin material, so it is necessary to lay it on a hard floor surface with a substrate that will help to properly distribute the load to the surface.

Amortization without overlap is applied to the waterproofing or rough wooden floor. Do not immediately cover the entire surface of the floor material, it will interfere with you when laying the laminate. Cut the backing into suitable pieces. Spread two canvases, fix them with adhesive tape, lay a few rows of floor covering on top. Then lay the rest of the substrate under the laminate.

For the purpose of depreciation, any material presented on the construction market can be used: foamed polyethylene, cork substrates, etc. Foamed polyethylene film can be used as two in one: for waterproofing and damping.

There are two main types of laminate installation: adhesive bonding and a system of floating boards, involving the "grip" of panels with special locks on the principle of puzzles.

The first method is used mainly for installation in a room with a large area. For flooring flooring in standard apartments, it is rarely used, as it requires a lot of time and additional waste. The second option is the most common one, we will describe it further.

Laminate with lock "click"

For work you will need: a pencil, a tape measure, a hammer, a saw or an electric jigsaw, a mounting bracket.

Laminate plates are connected to each other, from all four sides: the crest of one board enters into the groove of the neighbor and is clicked with a hammer. To do this, you need to raise the panel slightly and lightly hit the bar with your palm or tool. You can not beat the ridge itself, it will damage the board.

Laminate panels are covered with stripes. You can start from any direction, but it is better to lay the first row of floor covering with the length and along the wall. If you lay the laminate perpendicular to the window, the gaps between the boards will not be visible. In the case where you decide to lay this material in the corridor, you need to mount the dies in length, otherwise you may not have enough laminate.

Between the wall and the floor covering, there must always be a slot, so that the laminate has the necessary space for expansion. For this purpose, pegs are placed between the board and the wall, 0.5-1 cm thick, every 25-30 cm. The cut pieces of laminate are excellent as spacers.

Layout diagram of laminate flooring

First, take two dice. At the first it is necessary to saw off a comb with a jigsaw - this side will stick to the wall. Remember: the groove should never be touched, it must always be pointed at the worker when laying.
Laminate flooring is staggered (panel I - in 1 row, panel II - in the 2 nd), so the boards are securely fixed with each other. We advise you to shift the adjacent row by at least 30 cm. Shorten the second die by this amount.
Put in the first row panel I, and in the second - trimmed board II. Connect them as indicated in the manufacturer's instructions.
Next, unite the solid plate III with panel I, and add the second row to the uncut board IV. Do not forget to cut the comb on the elements adjacent to the wall.
We finish the series in a similar way. Before laying the last boards in the line, carefully measure the distance, and saw off the parameters of the board. For snapping these elements a mounting bracket is used.
The remaining rows are also laid, but no more combs are needed.
After reaching the last row, the panels are cut based on the gap remaining to the wall, taking into account the indentation of 1 cm. We connect them with a clamp-clamp.

Laminate - a modern high-quality floor covering, which is well suited to any interior. The only conditions for the long operation of such material are: correct laying and a flat rough surface.

Installation of a laminate floor - the task is not the easiest for a beginner, but it is quite feasible. So be patient and you will succeed!

Laminate has long won the minds of consumers. This is a very profitable replacement for expensive parquet, in addition, its range is constantly expanding, thanks to new developments and designs. Today, many people are interested in the ordering of this material, especially those who wish to master this technology and apply it in practice. The device of floors from a laminate - process simple enough and means performance of some simple, but important operations.

Naturally, certain tools are needed to work: a pencil and ruler, a hammer, an electric jigsaw (in the absence of it, it can be replaced with a hacksaw), a thicknesser, and also a kit that, in particular, includes a gasket, spacers of different thicknesses and the device used for laying and tightening boards.

Note that the order of laying the laminate to break is not recommended. Everything begins with the fact that according to the technology the newly acquired material is allowed to lie in the room for several days in a room where it is supposed to be laid, to take the proper dimensions, to get used to the temperature and humidity.

How to prepare the floor

The base for the laminate should be as flat as possible. If it is placed on a wooden floor, all weakly fixed elements should be reinforced, and if necessary replaced with new ones. With a concrete base, check it for horizontal orientation. On the uneven areas found, a self-leveling screed is applied. The surface of concrete can be covered with sheets of 10-millimeter plywood, this allows to increase heat savings.

On the leveled surface at a right angle to the direction of the material flooring, a layer of waterproofing from a polyethylene film is laid (it is also necessary in the case of a ceramic tile base). The minimum overlap of neighboring panels should be 20 cm at the same time. To prevent the film from shifting, it can be spot-fixed using tape. Then the substrate is laid.

Some modern substrates already include a waterproofing layer.

If the old floor is made of linoleum, it should not be removed. It is enough to check its evenness and rigidity. Since linoleum itself already plays the role of waterproofing, it remains in this case to lay only the substrate.

The best variant of a substrate (but more expensive) - from a stopper, as this material is highly ecological.

Rules for step-by-step actions

The laminate is laid in the direction of the light beam. In this case, the shadows from the joints of the boards are almost imperceptible, the lighting hides the irregularities and the appearance of the coating is preserved.

In a long narrow room, say, in the corridor, the task is different - maximally visually expand it. Therefore, the panels are laid only across, regardless of the location of the light source.

Installation, as a rule, begin along the wall across the windows. Cover boards are often subject to deformation due to changes in the temperature and humidity conditions in the room. Therefore, around the perimeter of the room and various structures, for example, heating pipes requires a technological gap of about 8-10 mm. It can be provided with the help of spacer wedges, they are removed after completion of the work. In the future, the gap is closed with a plinth.

The gap between the boards of adjacent rooms is recommended to be closed with the help of a profile metal bar-"paddle", which looks like the letter "C". However, today the use of stacking without thresholds became more popular. Of course, the absence of thresholds makes the transition between rooms much more aesthetically pleasing, but there are possible disadvantages in this method of placement. First, it is much more difficult to perform, and secondly, you must first carefully calculate the geometry of the room. The optimum area for which seamless laying is permissible is 45-50 m 2, and the larger the laying area, the greater the likelihood of technical complications.

Let's see why it is recommended to leave a technical gap between the rooms in any instruction. First of all, there is always the possibility of swelling of the parquet in the area of the doorway of one of the rooms. Further, it is not always possible to ensure the ideal evenness of the base in larger areas. And this is an obligatory condition for a seamless variant of work. And still, if during the operation there is a need to replace the damaged lamellae, it may be necessary to disassemble almost all the coating to get to the damaged one.

Layout scheme

Direct method

When performing work, it often becomes necessary to measure the length of the last incomplete row of the row. In order not to measure each time its length, a whole board is applied to the previous one and a line of cut is drawn on its back side.

When placing the first row, 2-3 wedges are inserted to secure the gap between the bar and the wall. Directly join the strips in the following way. Its face groove is smeared with glue and inserted into the crest of the previous one, already installed. To press the boards located close to the wall, use a special device. From the bottom, the tool has a felt pad that protects the coating from damage.

At the beginning of each subsequent row, lay the edge of the bar, which remains from the previous row, which allows you to move the joints.
After the first two rows are assembled in several places, their joints are fastened with a wide tape, not allowing the slats to move.
The longitudinal edges of the laths are pressed against each other, attaching the edge of the strap to them and tapping it with a rubber mallet. You can also use a wooden rod and a hammer.
Cutting the laminate on the marking is done with a circular saw fixed to the frame, electric jigsaw or manual hacksaw with small teeth.

Today, the locking joint displaces the glue, leaving it for the most part for cheap low-density material. Laying the laminate on the lock is very fast. The laid floor can be exploited literally right away. Damaged panel can be replaced.

To do this, it is necessary to disassemble part of the floor from the final fragment of the assembly to the location of the damaged one.

By design, the lock system is more elastic. Compared with the adhesive bond, the grip of one board with the other is not so rigid.

How to lay the lamellas diagonally

This method of mounting is somewhat more complicated. The laying begins in this case from the corner of the room. In this case, the long joints of the strips are better positioned in the direction of the light. Just as in the case of the direct method, spacer wedges are installed to form a technical gap.

When assembling corners, as a rule, it is found that the rest of the panel to the wall, located at an angle of 90⁰, does not fit, and it will have to cut off a considerable piece. Do not rush, set this panel aside for a while, it is more suitable for the opposite wall.

First, connect the locks with the end - at a small angle, firmly insert one board into the other and snap the lock by pressing to the floor. So connect all the panels from the row.

The technique of joining long rows is the same. True, the longer the series, the more difficult it is to click. The opposite edge is lifted, the panel is inserted into the lock and clicked to the floor by clicking. You may need to shake the panel slightly until it snaps into place.

To measure the end panel of the series, proceed as follows:

measure the distance to the wall, including the temperature gap;
the size is transferred to the whole material;
similarly, the distance is measured on the other side. The size is transferred to the panel.
After connecting the obtained points, cut the board from the wrong side.

A laminate is a coating designed for laying out the surface of a floor. It is made of high-density material based on wood-fiber board (DVP). Laminate has rightfully earned the title of the most popular flooring. Laminate is laid out in small tiles, each tile consists of several layers - this provides wear resistance, moisture resistance and aesthetic appearance of this coating. And if the house is scheduled for renovation with floor overlap, it is not out of place to get acquainted with the step-by-step instruction - how to lay the laminate with your own hands to make the work yourself.

Necessary materials and tools for work

Laminate laying implies the availability of the following materials and tools:

primer for leveling the floor surface;
laminate flooring;
polyethylene and polyethylene film;
plinth;
glue;
markers;
measuring tape;
jackhammer;
a building corner (90 degrees);
hacksaw;
dies (wedges).

How to lay the laminate?

After preparing the necessary materials and devices, you must select the layout and calculate the material consumption, depending on the area of the room in which the laminate will be laid. To ensure the reliability of the coating, laminate tiles are recommended to be spread out - one row is laid out, the first tile of the next row should be cut in half - on the side the outline should resemble the laying of a brick wall.

Laying laminate in the standard way should be made from the calculation: to the product of length and width add 10 percent of the product's sum - for a room of 4 meters by 5 meters, the material consumption will be equal to: (4х5) + (4х5) / 10 = 22 square meters. These 2 square meters will compensate for the overspending of the laminate, which will need to be cut.

Laminate laying by stages

The correct laying of the laminate is done in stages:

Preparation of laminate. Laminate before the coating should lie in the room where the layout will be carried out for 2 days so that the laminate adapts to the climate of the room.
Preparing the floor for the coating. Primer. The floor must be free from debris and dust before coating. If the old floor is uneven, it is necessary with the help of a special construction staff. If in the old floor there are any defects (cracks, chips, holes), it is necessary to dismantle it and only then clean the surface and further pour the floor with a self-leveling compound. After the composition has completely hardened, it will be possible to proceed with the direct laying of the laminate.
Laying moisture-proof film. The installation should be carried out from the window. Moisture-proof film is necessary when laying a laminate on a concrete base - concrete has the property of absorbing moisture from the air, which can lead to short-lived laminate coating. It is necessary to spread the film overlap (20-30cm) and fix the place of docking with building tape.
Layout of the substrate. After laying the film, you can proceed to laying the substrate under the laminate. Its use provides noise insulation, eliminates the risk of condensation under the laminate, damping the surface and ensuring a long lifetime of the laminate floor. How to lay the substrate under the laminate? It is recommended to spread it in pieces together with laminate tiles - this will prevent possible deformation of the substrate.
Laminate laying. Then you can lay out the laminate.

How to lay a laminate with your own hands

The laminate flooring itself includes several stages:

To ensure clearances between the laminate and all kinds of pipes, walls, doorways and corners in the places of the laminate joint with these objects, it is necessary to install wedges.
The first row of tiles is laid joint in the joint along the wall, the last tile must be cut in half, the length of the cut piece should be less than 30 centimeters.
Lay out the second row you need to start with the trimmed tiles of the first row. The laminated panels of all rows must be firmly locked with a lock. The clutch is followed by a characteristic click. To install the last tile of each row, a clamp must be used - it will provide a dense coating without undocking.
The trimmed parts of the laminate are well suited to eliminate the resulting "gaps" in the coating.
To dovetail laminate and other coatings use special pins - they are fastened with dowels.
After laying out the laminate, proceed to the installation of the skirting board - it is fixed with screws and an electric drill.

How to lay a laminate on a wooden floor

If the old floor consists of boards, then the question arises whether and how to lay the laminate on a wooden floor? First, you need to evaluate its condition - worn-out boards should be replaced, and if the entire floor surface is uneven, the laminate is prevented from laying until the floor is leveled or dismantled to the support boards and moved smoothly. The wooden floor must be perfectly clean before laying the laminate - fine debris and grains of sand are excluded. If you put a laminate on such a floor, then when walking it will make an unpleasant sound. Flat wooden floor does not require additional stacking of polyethylene film.

How to lay the laminate on a concrete floor

The concrete floor as the basis for laying the laminate should be smooth and clean. Concrete floor requires absolute waterproofing - for a long service life of laminate flooring, such flooring must be insulated with building polyethylene.

Is it possible to lay the laminate on the linoleum?

You can put a laminate on top of an old linoleum, but only if the old coating is flat, does not have sharp differences in height, holes, etc. Also, linoleum should be dry, as the laminate is very sensitive to moisture.

Is it possible to lay a laminate on an old laminate? Yes, but in this case a lot of requirements are imposed on the coating; first, it must be dry and smooth, and secondly, treated with antiseptic (to avoid the development of the fungus), and thirdly, between the old and the new laminate, a moisture-proof substrate is needed.

How much does it cost to lay the laminate floor?

Laying laminate - it's not cheap, even when using a laminate of economy class. The average price of laminate flooring for the house is about 400 rubles per square meter. For one room the size of 4 by 5 will require 8800 rubles - the cost of one laminate. With a substrate of an average cost of 200 rubles for one roll (6 square meters), the price of laying a laminate for one room of 4x5 square meters will be about 10,000 rubles.

To ensure a long service life of the laminate flooring, it should be protected from excessive wetting and mechanical damage.

More vivid information can be obtained by watching video how to properly lay laminate flooring with your own hands:

Thanks to its unique performance and excellent external data, the laminate has become incredibly popular in the market for flooring. In this article, we'll show you how to properly lay a laminate floor, get acquainted with the rules of laying, and the tools that need to be available.

It is laid as in apartments and private houses, and in public premises. Among the undeniable advantages of this flooring, it should be noted a simple styling. Even an inexperienced master will cope with the process without much difficulty.

Preparation of the floor surface

The main requirement when laying the laminate is a perfectly flat floor surface. The unevenness will lead to the fact that the distribution of loads on the laminated coating will be uneven. This is fraught with the failure of the locks and the divergence of the panels. The result will be clearly visible inter-panel seams, when the situation is almost impossible to save.

#1. If there is an old wooden floor, you need to make sure that the surface is horizontal. To do this, use the usual building level. Admissible differences of 2-3 mm. on the plane of the river about 2 meters. If the irregularities are higher than the permissible limits, the floor is leveled with a grinder.

In addition, it is necessary to check the strength of the floor. If the boards bend under the weight of the human body, they are replaced or strengthened.

# 2. If the laminate is laid on a concrete base, its horizontality is checked similarly to a wooden floor. When the differences exceed the permissible limits, the base is considered unfit for laying the laminate. In this case, a new one is poured over the uneven old screed - with the beacons. Its thickness should not exceed 20 mm. at the highest points of the old base. Perfectly help to correct the situation of gender equalizer.

To check the surface of the floor, you can take advantage of both the long level and the rule, all the differences are very clearly visible on the clearance. Photo - cancork.com

Laying of substrate and waterproofing

#1. Before laying the laminate, the surface is covered with a waterproofing layer. Polyethylene is used for these purposes, but it is possible to use film waterproofing material. The cloths of the film spread over the entire surface of the floor with an allowance on the walls of 20 cm. Between the canvases, an overlap of up to 15 cm is provided. The webs are connected by adhesive tape, and the substrate is laid on top of it.

Raised waterproofing film. Photo - hgtv.com

# 2. Polyethylene foam is used as the substrate. Its laying is similar to the film. The webs of the substrate are lapped and then glued together. When using polystyrene, the sheets are laid "unzipped" and the joints are glued with adhesive tape. The cork substrate is spread out, being close to each other, and connected by an adhesive tape.

Sizing the joints of the substrate. Photos - diynetwork.com

The main rules for laying laminate

#1. On the technology of laying the laminate, the main material requires adaptation to the conditions of the room in which it will be laid. It is enough to leave it for a few days in new conditions, it will get used to humidity, temperature and will get a proper shape and size.

Tools required for styling

# 2. In order for the laying process to take place promptly, prepare in advance all the necessary tools.

Required:

pencil;
jig saw or saw;
roulette;
a hammer;
wooden plank length of 15-20 cm for fitting panels.

Using a jigsaw can greatly facilitate the sawing process. The manual way of sawing a laminate is quite time consuming and inefficient.

Stacking technology

# 3. After the creation of a solid base with a substrate, the laminate is immediately laid. Start work from any angle, which is most convenient. However, continue laying strictly from left to right. The only requirement that is taken into account is the direction of the light. Mounting panels produce along the rays of light, and the shadows on the joints of the panels become virtually invisible.

The direction of the panels should be along the rays of light. Photo - cancork.com

#4. Laminate has the ability to expand, narrow down in the event of moisture drops or changes in the operating conditions of the room. To prevent the surface from swelling when laying the material, a gap between the laminate and the wall is about 8-10 mm. Pegs specially provided for these purposes are inserted into the gap.

To install the gap, you can use special spacers. Photos - diynetwork.com

It is very important to calculate the number of laminate rows before laying. If the last row has a width less than 5 cm, trim the last and first rows so that their width is the same.

#5. Laying of all panels of the first row is made with a spike to the wall. And to ensure a tight fit, the spikes are pre-cut with a jigsaw. On the edge of the first row along its entire length, spacer pegs are installed, the thickness of which is 8-10 mm. The ends of all panels of the first row are snapped into the locking joint on the narrow side. In this case, the thorn of the next panel is inserted into the groove of the previous one under a slight slope, and the panel is pressed to the floor.

Cutting the stud with a jigsaw. Photos - diynetwork.com

How and what to cut laminate - the choice of tools and the nuances of sawing laminated coatings

# 6. When laying the second row of panels should provide a displacement of 25-30 cm. To do this, cut off part of the panel, lay it on the wall with a narrow cut, take the whole panel and attach it to the one that was laid.

Stacking of the second row, with offset. Photos - diynetwork.com

# 7. Stacking of the following rows is carried out by analogy with the first row. As soon as the second row is completed, it is pushed to the first row, and the longitudinal locks are connected together. The final fixation is carried out with a bar and a hammer.

#8. A rigid clamp is used in the row of the last panel. To avoid misalignments and protrusions at the joints, all panels of the row are adjusted to each other closely.

The last in the row, the bar, which is from the wall, is fixed with milk and clamps. Photo - creativehomedesigner.com

Laminate with lock "lock" and "click" and features of their stacking

#9. For laminate panels, several options for locking joints have been developed. Consider such locks as "click" and "lock." In fact, they are both types of "tongue". The difference lies in the principles of fixing the laminate panels.

Panels with a "click" lock are initially connected at an angle, then pressed to the floor and finished with a hammer through the bar. Panels with a "lock" lock are laid horizontally, and then finally adjusted using a bar and a hammer.

The cut piece from the butt is smeared with an adhesive compound, a pipe is created behind it and applied to most of the panel. To mask the formed gap, you can use a special blank.

# 2. Where the laminate is in contact with the door frame, it is flush with the door frame. For this, it is recommended to cut a small section of the door frame from below. And the height of the cutout should not be more or less than the thickness of the laminate. Then cut the panel so that it completely or partially overlapped the threshold and fell under the box.

Finally, it is fixed with a clamp. For an ideal appearance of the threshold and the absence of differentials, it is advisable to use a specially provided locking element for thresholds.

The installation of such flooring as a laminate is quick and easy. If the above recommendations and rules are observed, it can be guaranteed to ensure its durability and reliability. A rich choice of colors and patterns on the market will please everyone who needs a unique floor covering for a small price.

Video: How to put a laminate: mistakes and rules

Laminate is an HDF-plate with a thickness of 6 to 12 millimeters, on which a paper pattern is applied, and also a coating with protective layers. There are also security locks located along the perimeter of the plate, which allows easy and quick installation of the floor surface.

The article below describes the technology of the correct laying of the laminate surface.

Ways of laying

There are several basic ways of laying a laminate in relation to a window:

Normal packing with consideration of the direction of sun rays with offset joints. This brickwork is called brickwork. This arrangement allows you to make the seams less visible, which means that the coating will look like a solid sheet.
Stacking with offset joints against sunlight. This kind of laying is done exclusively for visual illusions, for example, to reduce the length of the room due to the location of the joint lines along the direction of the wall. Also, such a styling scheme allocates each stitch. Such a method is well combined with a coating having a bevel. Using the standard method of laying, a significant increase in costs will not exceed 5%.
The diagonal way of laying is specific, but not unique. This method of coating allows you to distinguish laminate coating. Diagonal allows you to visually increase the area of the room, provided that it is not too heavily furnished. I use this technique to remember that the consumption of materials will increase by almost 15 percent.

Common mistakes

Often, people who are unfamiliar with the technology and the problems that arise when stacking make a lot of mistakes:

Do not pay attention to the preparation of surfaces, in connection with which irregularities are formed. After laying the laminate, convexities appear, due to which it is necessary to return to the first stage. Or in the worst case, the connecting locks break, the laminate becomes unfit for further use.
The installation location is incorrectly selected. Many, knowing that the door will open into the room, begin to stack from the far corner, this is a mistake. As a result of this oversight, the last row will become problematic in terms of laying. Without removing the door from the hinges, it will be impossible to complete the installation without damaging the laminate surface.
Do not take into account the temperature effect on the laminate, do not leave gaps of 1 centimeter near the doors of walls and pipes. The need for clearance is due to the fact that the laminate has a property that will expand with a change in humidity.
In addition to the gap between the wall, it is necessary to make a gap at the door. It is done because there is a high probability of a laminate in the doorway. The temperature gap can be further covered with a special decorative doorstep. An example of the error can be seen in the figure below.
Do not fulfill the conditions of joints and a new series. That is, with the correct arrangement, each new row must begin with pruning the previous one. The offset of the joint must occur at least 1/3.
Use vapor barrier when laying concrete screed on the floor. Especially insulation should be installed if the concrete screed is new.

Types of locks

Depending on the type of locks used, the process of jointing the panels may differ:

Adhesive locks. This kind of castle has not been used for several years. This refusal is conditioned, first of all by the fact that the process of gluing is very laborious. It is also necessary to spend a lot on the purchase of an adhesive.
Click-lock. The docking occurs at an angle of 45 degrees, then the panel descends. Docking of such locks using a hammer is strictly forbidden if there is a chance of damaging the lock upon impact.
Lock-lock. It differs from the previous one in that it is necessary to drive one part of the castle into another with a hammer. There is also no need to hold a certain angle when docking.
Many companies have universal locks. Which can both be clogged and inserted at a certain angle. An example of such a company may be QuickStep. The company produces laminate with latch Uniclic.

Substrate

The substrate is a mandatory part of the laminate coating, with the exception of laminate models that have a built-in substrate.

Substrate under the laminate performs many important tasks:

Soundproofed floor. The substrate suppresses noise produced when walking or falling objects, as well as noise from below. This is especially important when the concrete floor begins to crumble and excessive noise is created when walking.
Creates additional insulation and waterproofing of the laminar floor.
Due to its thickness, it smoothes out small irregularities of concrete or other substrates.

Most often, three basic types of substrate are used:

Foamed polyethylene. The thickness of the layer, as a rule, is in the range from 2 to 3 millimeters. Is the cheapest, but has a short service life. When the time runs out, the volume is lost and the substrate shrinks. Not bad for a cheap laminate.
Extruded polystyrene foam. Has a greater density, compared with the previous candidate. More durable, as it is not very susceptible to punching and does not lose volume.
Substrate from the technical plug. It has the optimum quality, however, the price for such material is greatly overstated, which means that for a cheap option such a substrate will not work. In addition, the material is natural and has a high density, and also has high insulating values.

When laying the substrate, it is not recommended that the total thickness is more than 4 millimeters. This is connected with the fact that, if excessive softness, the crocheting will strongly bend due to the loads, the locks will soon deteriorate. The substrate can not fix the strong unevenness of the base, it needs to be leveled.

Required Tools

For styling the following list of tools is necessary:

Electric jigsaw. It also requires a special blade for the laminate. This blade prevents chipping.
Punch. It will be needed when installing skirting boards.
For a dense docking of panels - a hammer.
Drawing tools: tape measure, pencil, angle.
For gluing and cutting the substrate - adhesive tape and scissors.
If the materials were placed in a room with high humidity, then the sealant is useful. It must be used on the site of the joints.
You will also need: pegs, they can be used as limiters between the wall and the panel; The bracket, which is useful for mounting the last row.

Stacking technology

Consider each stage of installation separately and in series. The following instructions will help to install the laminate even for people without experience, within 1 day.

Preparatory work

Proceeding from the instructions of laminate manufacturers, the installation should be carried out only on a flat surface - the floor must be leveled. Changes in altitude should not exceed 2 millimeters by two meters.
In order to check the quality of the base, you must attach a two-meter rail or level in different positions. Under it, no space greater than 2 millimeters should be formed. If the gaps are detected, then it is necessary to level the screed, the bulk floor or plywood.
If there is a situation when the wooden floor starts to squeak or bend, it is necessary to align it using sheet plywood or OSB.
On a concrete floor it is necessary to lay a polyethylene film, it is necessary to create a waterproofing layer.
If before installing a new laminate there is an old covering and in its evenness and strength you are sure, then you can lay the laminate directly on it without resorting to dismantling.
To the material is accustomed to the conditions of household humidity, it is necessary to leave it in the room for several days.
It should also take into account the room temperature and humidity, they should be above 18 degrees Celsius and less than 70%, respectively.
Also it is necessary to note the specificity: when laying the floor, the primer is not necessary, since the floor is laid in a floating way.

Substrate laying

The substrate must be laid on a previously prepared level surface, leaving a slight overlap on the wall. To connect the substrate between them, a "joint to the joint" is necessary, for this purpose, a building or regular adhesive tape is used.

Helpful information!! For greater convenience, the laminate substrate can be adhered to the substrate. For this, two-sided adhesive tape is used.

Often this happens when lightweight expanded polystyrene is used to fix the substrate on the base.

Installation of laminate

Using the tape measure, the width of the room is measured. From the value obtained, 1 centimeter is taken from each side, they are necessary for the gap. Next, the number of panels in width is calculated. This is necessary in order to know the width of the last panel. If the last part is too narrow, it will be necessary to make the last and first rows uniform in width.
As stated earlier, the laminate should be installed from the door, not from the far corner.
The first row should start with a solid panel. Panels are joined in one single row, and the last panel is trimmed based on the required length, taking into account the gap.
The comb of the first row should be pointed towards the wall. Also it is worth remembering that it is not worthwhile to allow gaps exceeding more than 20 millimeters. Because of the unevenness of the wall skirting may not be enough to cover the entire formed gap.

Docking of canvases should be done in such a way that there are no cracks left. To tighten the joints, it makes sense to tap the joint site using a special bumper. The drill can be made independently from the remains of the laminate.
To cut a board, you must rotate it 180 degrees, by setting a stop for the gap against the wall. Mark the place of the notch, on the front side using a pencil and the angle along the upper cut of the previous board. Sawing is necessary with the help of an electric grinder.
In order to seal joints it makes sense to use a special sealant. Apply the sealant to the end locks and panels. Surplus is removed with a clean rag.

Panels need to be inserted at an angle of 45 degrees and let go, then the joint will be connected correctly and further installation will not be difficult. If a different type of lock is used, then the punch must be pierced using a special lining.
Lay laminate should be based on the length of the latter. The minimum trimming length should be no more than 1/3 of the entire panel. This is necessary in order to displace joints, thereby increasing the strength of the structure.
You can join panels in two ways: one panel and one whole series. The most effective way is to dock in whole rows. During docking it is worth remembering that at first the front lock is joined, then the longitudinal lock.

After the first 3-4 rows are collected, it is necessary to make gaps around the perimeter of the resulting structure. In the gaps, insert wedges to fix the structure. Wedges can be built independently.
After the design reaches the doorway, it is necessary to trim the laminate so that it ends under the doorway.
Laying the last row requires tremendous effort. This series is likely to be wide, so you need to prune it with a gap of 1 centimeter. You can saw off excess only from the side of the lock, otherwise the panels will not work.

Laying the last row

The last row is inserted at an angle into the lock and snapped. You can do this with a strong push of the hand or you can use the stapling clamp. With it, you can finish off the last row using a hammer.

This ends the piling. It remains only to put the door on the doorway, and also to fix the skirting board.

After installation, the laminate needs to be processed, eventually the laminate loses its appearance, so the canvases require careful care.

Do not use too wet cleaning. If moisture gets on the surface of the laminate, you must immediately wipe it off.
The best thing for cleaning is a mop with a damp microfibre cloth.
It is also necessary to use a vacuum cleaner every week to maintain cleanliness, and if necessary, wet cleaning can be used.
When scratches appear, the best option for removal is to use water with soda.

Cost of installation

The total amount of installation will be directly curtained because the base for the laminate was used. If the laying took place on the finished surface, the prime cost will be formed from the cost of the laminate, the substrate, skirting boards and flaps.

Conclusion

The quality of the final work depends not only on the experience of the master, but also on the quality of the material. The easiest way is to install an expensive laminate, since it is placed closely, leaving no joints, which means that the quality of the final structure will be high.