So
you want laminate flooring, eh?
Laminate flooring
is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system
that rests on top of the existing substrate. It attaches
directly to plywood, concrete, sheet vinyl flooring,
hardwood flooring, or virtually any other flat hard
surface, aside from carpeting This versatility makes
installation of laminate flooring very DIY friendly.
Visually, the most common designs for laminate flooring
are wood-grained, marble, or stone. The flooring sections
typically come in planks of length, but less often can
be found in square tiles.
Laminate
floors come in two brands - glued and glueless. Glueless
floor planks interlock with a simple joint lock, usually
made of aluminum or fiberboard. With the newest "preglued"
products, the tongue is wiped with water and the planks
click together. The water activates the glue, which
acts as the joint lock.
Glued laminates are joined with a special, water-resistant
glue placed between the tongue and groove. Most manufacturer's
carry their own preferred glue product. The amount of
glue used varies also. In some instances, a small dab
in a specific location is all that is needed. In others,
the entire groove is filled an the excess glue that
oozes out is wiped away.
Benefits
of Laminate Flooring
Laminate
floors offer several benefits that make them the choice
flooring material for many homeowners. Our June, 2003
survey found the these reasons to top the list:
34% - Exceptional durability
8% - Easy clean surface
15% - Superior stain resistance
12% - Superior fade resistance
8% - Great impact and indentation resistance
3% - Easy to replace latter on, if desired.
Benefits
of Laminate Flooring
Although
each manufacturer has their own guidelines, there are
a few things common among all. First, you must have
a level, no bounce sub floor to lay the planks over.
Typically, floor should be sound and flat with no voids
greater than 3 inches. High spots must be ground off
and low spots filled to make the floor flat (1/8" in
a 48" length). You must account for a minimum 1/4" gap
along the whole perimeter of the installation. If the
floor is touching or too close to a wall, it will undoubtedly
fail.
Laminate
floors must be allowed to acclimate to their final surroundings.
Usually 48-72 hours is appropriate. This allows the
flooring to pre-adjust to the environmental conditions
in which it is being installed. Finally, the common
factor among all manufacturers is that you must use
their recommended products, in order to not void their
warranty.
Feel
free to browse our galleries of laminate flooring pictures
on the right, or visit one of our top companies to find
the best laminate floors for your home!
Additional
Laminate Flooring Articles
Origin
of laminate floors
Benefits
of glueless laminate floors
Laminate
floor care and maintenance
