Flooring Rules

Quality laminate flooring is manufactured to be laid directly over almost any existing floor, from ceramic to vinyl, tile, or real wood. There is no need to waste time or resources ripping out an old floor. Two exceptions are real wood on concrete floors and carpeting - these need to be taken out before the installation. What is vitally important, however, is to ensure that the sub-floor is perfectly smooth and even before you begin to saw and click. Carefully sand down all bumpy areas or peaked joints. Fill up any irregular spots. If possible, install cabinets or cupboards before you give the laminate flooring installation project a go.
Glueless Laminate Flooring is designed to be a floating floor product, meaning that it isn’t permanently fixed to the sub-floor area. These flooring ranges constantly react to changes in humidity and temperatures by contracting and expanding. It is therefore vital to leave at least a 1/4" expansion space between the flooring planks and all adjacent walls or cupboards. Getting this right will prevent unsightly buckling floors down the line. Don’t worry about the gaps being an eye-sore. The Laminate Flooring industry manufactures a wide range of decorative moldings you can use to hide these spaces after installation. These are color coordinated to match the flooring and virtually guarantee a professional finish. Use the recommended spacers to keep your distances even - never trust your eye. A wider expansion space will be recommended if you are tackling a very large floor area.
The echoing sounds that often follow your footsteps is the result of the floating floor concept. This is why a quality underlayment is so important. Rather pay a few dollars extra to get an effective sound dampening padding. Another advantage is that a thicker underlayment gives a more comfortable feel underfoot, especially where you will be standing for long periods, such as in the kitchen. Pergo ’s SilentStep foam or Soundbloc foam, and Mohawk Silentgard are excellent options. Many manufacturers now pre-attach the underlayment to the flooring planks. This is a time-saving and convenient measure. Just remember that you will probably need to remove this layer if you want to do a laminate flooring installation on stairs. The thickness of the flooring you install is another factor that plays a role in sound dampening.
You will also need a vapor barrier, usually a resin polyethylene film. Examples of this are the Pergo Moisturbloc vapor barrier and Mohawk Moisturegard. This layer protects your flooring from swelling and buckling due to moisture. If the sub-floor is wood, this barrier film isn’t used.
Some manufacturers recommend that you acclimate your laminate flooring planks by storing the unopened cartons on their flat side in the room where the flooring will be installed. This period should usually last between 49 and 96 hours, so take this into account while you do your planning. Don’t ignore this instruction - you don’t want an ugly, buckling flooring fiasco! Displaying that bit of patience can mean the difference between gaping joints and neatly clicked together flooring for years to come.