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How to Install Laminate Flooring

General information

  1. Store the packages in the future room to acclamate to the temperature at lest 48 - 72 hrs prior to installation. 

  2. Check your floor construction. It must be dry, clean, firm, and even. 

  3. Keep the room at 64-75 degrees and between 45-60% RH.  Laminates and other wood materials reacts to fluctuations in climate.  High humidity will cause the wood to expand, low humidity will cause it to shrink.

Installation: Text
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1) GETTING STARTED:

Check the laminate boards and make sure that the surface has no transport damage before using them.  After cleaning the subfloor, you can roll out the underlayement . 

2) DOOR MOLDINGS AND SKIRTINGS:

To adjust the door frame for the height of the floor, lay a board face down next to the door molding and saw as shown in the figure.  Then slide the floor board under the molding.  Make sure you leave 1/2 - 1/2" expansion otherwise you will lock the floor in which could adversely affect your floor.

3) FIRST ROW

Begin laying the left-handed corner, tongue-side against the wall.  Make sure you are placing the short side of the board 1/2 - 1/2" from the wall.  The long side distance can be pushed into place when three rows have been placed.  If the wall is uneven, the floorboards must be adapted to its contours.  Remove the first row, cut the floorboards as required and then relay them sliding them in at an angle under the floorboards that are already in position.

4) Place the final floorboard face down and the short side without the locking strip toward the wall.  The distance to the wall must be 1/4 - 1/2" mark where the floorboard is to be cut.

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5) CUTTING THE FLOORBOARDS:

Place the floorboard face down on the work surface and cut to size using a jig saw.  use a fine toothed blade if you are using a hand saw (in this case cut the floor board face up)

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6) STARTING THE SECOND ROW:

Use the cut piece from last board of the previous row to start the next row.  This piece must be at least 12" long.  If the piece is too short, start with a new board cut in half.  Always ensure that the end joints are staggered at least 12"

7) CONTINUE LAYING THE FLOOR:

Place the floorboard at an angle against the floorboard in the previous row, press forward and fold down at the same time.  For floor surfaces exceeding 1000 sq ft and/or lengths exceeding 30 linear feed and overlaps to new rooms and floor surfaces which do not join symmetrically, use expansion joints to divide the floor sections.  Proper expansion is critical when installing a floating floor. 

8) Place the short end of the floorboard at an angle against the previous installed floorboard and fold down.  Ensure that the board is positioned on the integral locking strip of the floorboard in the previous row. 

9) Lift the floorboard (and push it against the row in front.  Put it down when the floorboards are positioned tightly together.

10) TO LAY THE LAST ROW:  Measure and cut the board.  Leave 3/8" from the wall.  The expansion 3/8" expansion gap will be covered by quarter round. 

11) HOLES FOR PIPES: 

Measure the diameter of the pipe and drill a hole that is 3/8" larger.  Saw off a piece as shown in the figure and lay the board in place on the floor.  Then lay the sawed off piece in place.

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