Laminate Floor Companies
Laminate flooring is taking the place of tile, vinyl and hardwood in many of today's custom homes and remodels. Laminate flooring is usually cheaper, lasts longer and is easier to install that some of the older flooring materials. If you need an experienced laminate floor installer to install your new floors, or you would like bids for flooring, please contact the floor installation companies below.
Do It Yourself Laminate Floors
The installation of laminate flooring isn't very difficult, but you do have to follow a simple set of steps to get the job done right. The installation of laminate flooring always winds up wasting some, so make sure that you purchase at least 10% more square footage than you will use for the job. Then, when the flooring arrives, unwrap it and store it in the rooms that it will be installed in for at least a few days before the install. By letting the flooring get used to the rooms, it will adjust to the humidity and temperature. If the flooring isn't allowed to acclimate, it may shrink, or expand, after being installed, which will ruin the floor.
Clean the sub-floor before starting the installation of the laminate floor. This sub-floor needs to be cleaned, otherwise the new flooring won't lay flat. Just make sure that anything attached to the walls is at a high enough point that the new laminate can slide underneath, and if you need to, remove it. If the laminate flooring you are using is being laid over concrete, ensure that the concrete is cured before you bring the planks into the room to acclimate.
Once the sub-floor is clean, and before you begin the floor installation, install a vapor barrier. A vapor barrier will ensure that the flooring doesn't experience any damage from moisture, which is especially useful in homes with damp crawl areas. Read the manufacturer's installation guide for the preferred method of installation, but most vapor barrier is either overlapped or just butted up next to each other.
If the door jams have molding on them, trim the jams so that the new flooring will slide underneath. Then, place the manufacturer's recommended width of spacers against the starting wall, laying the first row of flooring with the grooved side up against the spacers. The spacers allow the floor to expand and contract, and will be covered by molding when finished.
Now you're ready to lay the rest of the laminate row by row, ensuring that the flooring grooves are tapped tightly to the tongue of each preceding piece. Also, you'll want to make sure that the ends of each piece of laminate flooring is offset 6 to 8 inches from the neighboring plank. When finished laying the floor, install door thresholds and baseboard molding to finish the project.
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