How to lay laminate with your own hands: methods and schemes. Laying laminate: traditional, diagonal installation method What you need for work

Laying laminate, as described below, is a largely standardized process.

The laying work for some types of product may vary slightly: atypical requirements must be described in the package inserts by the material manufacturer.

Self-laying laminate: where to start

Before starting work, decide whether you have all the necessary tools for installing laminate flooring. When laying laminate, especially if you are doing such work for the first time, use only professional tools.

Picture 1 - 'Structure' of the laminated panel: 1 - protective laminating high-strength melamine/acrylic resin film; 2 - artificial paper / foil imitating a wooden structure; 3 - a film that increases moisture resistance; 4 - high-density wood board (HDF), the main carrier layer; 5 - waterproof paper

Laminate laying tool:

1. construction tape measure (the required length of the tape measure is determined by the length of the room, in most cases a 5-meter tape measure will be enough);
2. a jigsaw with a set of files (cutting laminate boards can also be done with other tools, however, a perfectly even cut and adjustment is possible only when using a jigsaw; for laying laminate in an apartment, a device with a power of up to 500 W will be enough);
3. metal building square (up to 35 cm long);
4. floor marking pencil;
5. hammer (you can also use a rubber mallet up to 0.6 kg in weight, this tool is used for tamping laminate boards, as well as for laying boards in a doorway);
6. hacksaw with fine teeth (used for sawing door frame);
7. padding bar (for padding panels, special bars of the appropriate shape have been created, due to which boards can be protected from deformation);
8. spacer wedges (installed between the lamellas and the walls of the room around the entire perimeter of the room);
9. bracket for panel clamping.

In addition to the laminate installation tool, you will need a skirting board installation tool:

• drill / puncher (used for wooden / concrete surfaces, respectively);
• corner cutter / corner fixings (if wooden skirting boards or plastic skirting boards are used, respectively).

The cost of the instrument (subject to the purchase of each component list) is in the region of $150-200.

You can also purchase a do-it-yourself laminate laying kit at most home improvement stores.

Preferably, the assembly kit (for example, Krono Original, Poland) includes:

1. expansion wedges (sets contain from 20 to 40 pieces);
2. metal bracket;
3. tamping bar;
4. rubber spatula.

Photo 1 - Mounting kit Krono Original, Poland

Rules for laying laminate flooring: preparatory stage

Laying laminate flooring on different types of surfaces requires different preparatory work. A solid and even base is half the success and a guarantee of a long service life of the new coating.

On concrete

If you're installing laminate over a screed less than a month old, it's best to wait. According to professionals, the screed should be at least 45 days old before applying any coating. Otherwise, perspiration can form on the surface of the concrete, and moisture under the laminate boards can lead to rotting of the coating, its deterioration and the formation of fungus. A delay is also necessary in the case of laying a laminate on a warm floor. On the concrete base, as in most other cases, it is necessary to cover a special substrate, but more on that later.

On the wooden floor

The old floor covering may be perfectly suitable and need not be removed if the ceiling height allows such layering on the floor. The wooden floor must be inspected for unevenness (use building level to determine the horizontal surface of the floor of the room), “walking” boards - fix by drowning the nail heads 2-3 mm deep into the wood, the cracks - puttied. The floor boards are also sanded before laying the laminate.

In most cases, installation is carried out not on a plank floor, but on plywood that levels the floor surface (it is not recommended to lay laminate on fiberboard, because the laminate itself is unpretentious to the base surface, but fiberboard reacts to the slightest change in temperature or humidity level in room). On an uneven floor, if it is not possible to remove it, it is better to put the laminate on the chipboard.

On linoleum

On the old linoleum Laminate is not just possible, but must be laid if you want to achieve additional sound insulation. At the same time, the surface of the linoleum should fit snugly to the floor, not have swellings, tears and other visible damage to the canvas. Laminate cannot be laid on linoleum if it is too soft.: Laminate panels on such a fragile base can easily sag.

On the parquet

It is recommended to lay laminate on a parquet board only if the previous surface does not cause any suspicion: the parquet is laid evenly, does not creak, does not sag, and the boards do not stagger. You can lay laminate on old parquet using not a standard underlay (at least 2-3 mm thick), but a underlay of at least 5 mm.

In some cases, the laying of the laminate is not done on the floor, but on the walls or on the ceiling. Laminate, in principle, is not intended for facing these surfaces, but our craftsmen manage to adapt it as they like.

On the logs

You can lay the laminate on the logs by making a wooden grid as in the photo below. A layer of vapor and waterproofing under such a system is required. Sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are then laid on the logs, and a laminate is laid on it.

Photo 2 - Laying the laminate on the logs. Mesh production

it a good option if necessary, lay the laminate on the old floor without dismantling it. Logs and special mesh underlays will help level the floor and create the perfect base for the new flooring.

Photo 3 - Laying the laminate on the logs. Plywood cladding

Features of laying laminate on walls or ceilings

Consider some of the features of laying laminate on walls or ceilings:

• the need for additional alignment of the walls (you need to use OSB boards, because they are not susceptible to temperature and moisture changes, and also, unlike plywood, they do not delaminate);
• the laying direction of the laminate on the floor and on the walls must be the same (if only the walls or only the ceiling are covered with laminate, the laying direction must be parallel to the direction natural light rooms);
• laminate on the walls or ceiling is fixed in a "floating" way - placing the boards in a specially mounted frame.

IMPORTANT! Laminate cannot be put on glue, because. a covering made from natural materials must be able to expand / contract with changes in air temperature / humidity level in the room.

For expert advice on fixing laminate to walls / ceilings, see. VIDEO

Underlayment for laminate flooring

Above, we have already said that, regardless of the type of floor surface, the floor must be covered with a special substrate before laying the laminate.

The minimum required for laying laminate flooring is a 2 mm thick underlayment. The thickness of some types of substrates can reach 12 mm!

What are the substrates:

• foamed polyethylene foam (from 2 mm in thickness, from $ 0.35 per m²);

Polyethylene foam is a material with high chemical resistance, has antistatic properties, as well as sound insulation and noise absorption, polyethylene foam does not allow moisture to pass through, but does not isolate the floor from air exchange. The use of polyethylene foam will reduce heat transfer through the floor. This material is easy to cut and lay. However, this substrate is not wear-resistant, therefore, with prolonged use, it becomes caked, becoming thinner by almost half. The deformation process negatively affects other qualities of the material.

• expanded polystyrene (“isoshum”, from 3 mm in thickness, from $ 0.45 per m²);

This type of substrate can be called the most popular, because. he has all positive qualities polyethylene foam, but does not wear out so quickly. "Isoshum" - the material is denser and more reliable.

• cork backing (from 1.85 mm, from $3 per m², sold in packs of 10 m²);

The main advantage of this material is its environmental friendliness. Cork is superior to polyethylene foam and polystyrene in many ways. Unlike other materials, cork underlay is produced not only in rolls, but also in the form of slabs, which allows it to be laid in any configuration with less product waste.

Not only laminate, but also any other type of flooring can be laid on a cork substrate. It perfectly tolerates moisture and temperature changes.

• bitumen-cork substrate (from 2 mm, at $ 3.2 / m² (sold in a package of 10 m²)).

This is a two-layer substrate: sheets of material consist of cellulose and bitumen. The latter has a topping in the form of cork chips (no more than 2-3 mm). The substrate on the curved floor is laid with a bitumen-cork layer down, and the sheets are fastened together with mounting tape. The bitumen-cork underlay provides internal ventilation of the floor.

Producers: Estonia, Portugal, Ukraine, Russia.

Laminate installation methods

Decide on the direction of laying the laminate.

IMPORTANT! The pattern and structure of the laminate should be in harmony with the shape and lighting of the room. Laying laminate across the direction of light is also possible, although undesirable due to the visual deformation of the room.

Direct Laminate Laying

The correct laying in this case is laying from the door parallel to the direction of incidence of the light rays. The cost of pruning will be about 4-7%. The recommendations of experts regarding such installation are not unfounded: the light falling on the floor from the window will not create a shadow on the seams between the laminate boards, and so the floor surface will seem perfectly flat. The visual integrity of the surface is possible only if the windows in the room are located along one of the walls.

Laying laminate across the line of light distorts the room, visually "pulling" it in the direction of installation. This property can play into the hands of renovations in a narrow corridor or in the hallway. In this case, however, more material will be used for trimming.

Photo 4 - 'Direct' laying of laminate in the interior

Diagonal laminate flooring

Diagonal styling also visually expands the room. This styling technique is considered the most expensive and complex. Do it yourself, no prior experience similar works, it would be extremely difficult to do so. The consumption of material for trimming is about 15%! This laminate laying scheme is not suitable for rooms cluttered with furniture or carpeted - this is how the main idea is lost: to show the decorativeness of the floor.

Photo 5 - Laying the laminate diagonally in the interior

Square/herringbone laminate flooring

This method also applies to decorative. This type of laminate installation is possible only if the laminate you have chosen has a special type of locks.

If the previous two types of laying laminate can be done with most standard models, then you can lay out the “Christmas tree” only by finding a characteristic product in the manufacturer’s catalog.

This type of laminate is, for example, in the Quick Step collection (Quick Step) Noblesse. The advantage of this collection is that the planks presented in it are identical in size to the sizes block parquet: 45.15*9.03*0.8 cm. Thanks to the unique design, small planks can be connected at an angle of 90°. The Noblesse Collection by Quick Step is simple yet original solutions, allowing you to install laminate flooring in fifty different ways!

Photo 6 - Laying herringbone laminate

IMPORTANT! In the collections of many eminent laminate manufacturers, you can find not only wood-like panels, but also so-called artistic panels that imitate any given pattern. These include, for example, the German factory laminate Versale (Versailles).

• We check the quality and quantity of the purchased material

Before you start laying the laminate, you should check the quality of the purchase, and first calculate the required number of laminated panels, taking into account the consumption of material for sawing (the scrap rate is indicated above). Installation of the floor must also be done during daylight hours: so flaws will be immediately noticeable not only in your work, but also in the material itself.

• "Acclimatization" of the purchased laminate

Another important preparatory step is to let the laminate rest indoors for about two days. The air temperature must be at least 17°C. Acclimatization bags do not need to be unpacked. If the difference in the level of humidity / temperature in the room and the storage conditions of the laminate is significant, this period should be extended to three to four days.

• Laying only in dry rooms with a normalized level of air humidity

Laminate with direct contact of the panels with water (splashes of water, for example) cannot be laid. Water can penetrate the low-cost laminate backing through the edges and cause permanent damage. This is one of the reasons why laminate flooring should not be installed in rooms with constant increased level humidity - in saunas, small bathrooms, etc.

• Checking the condition of the foundation

The maximum height difference on the base of the floor should be no more than 3 mm per 1 m of length. The floor must be dry and solid.

• vapor barrier

Before laying the laminate on the floor, a layer of vapor barrier is laid. Above, we talked about what options for the substrate exist and what materials can be used in its manufacture. The film is overlapped by 30 cm (cork boards are laid end-to-end) and fastened with adhesive tape. Conventionally, on the flooring of the substrate, the preparation for laying the laminate is completed: you can proceed with the installation.

• Seams and distance to the wall

The basis of laminated panels is a fibreboard (MDF), which, like natural wood, is subject to swelling or shrinkage due to climate change. Therefore, the laminate is not laid end-to-end with the wall, but a small gap is left to each of the walls. These gaps are also called "terminal seams".

Laminate laying errors usually show up by summer/autumn, as after a dry period, the panels gain moisture and, not having enough space for natural expansion, are distorted. As a result - re-laying of the coating. The size of the thermal joint is largely determined by the type of laminate and its characteristics, as well as the surface area of ​​the room. On average, the width of the gap from the wall should be at least 8 mm. If the laminate is laid on large areas (not in an apartment, but, say, in an office space), the size of the gap is significantly increased.

The method for calculating the gap size: 1 m floor width = 1.5 mm thermal seam along the perimeter of the room.

Calculation examples: with a room width of 5 m, at the edge joints with the walls of the room there should be at least 5 * 1.5 = 7.5 mm indent. And in a room with a width of 3 m - 4.5 mm each.

IMPORTANT! This rule is effective only if the relative humidity of the air is not more than 65% in the room.

In the event of improper laying of the laminate, the most vulnerable will be door frames, stair joints, transition profiles and heating pipes.

If the room in which you are laying the laminate is loaded with heavy furniture that limits the possibility of natural expansion of the laminate (on a balcony, for example, in the kitchen or in the hallway), the gap at the wall opposite to this furniture should contain two indents, i.e. for the same 3-meter room, the gap should be about 9-10 mm.

Subsequently, thermal seams at the walls will not be visible, because. they will be covered with skirting boards.

• Laminate laying technology

Laying of laminate flooring elements can be done in a regular and irregular manner. The offset of the end joints of adjacent rows in any installation scheme must be at least 40 cm.

Quick Guide to Laminate Laying (Straight Laying Procedure)

Consider in detail the order of direct laying:

The process of laying laminate flooring starts from the far corner of the room. The first panel, without cutting it in width, is laid on the floor covered with a substrate, having previously cut off the locking part from the side adjacent to the wall (professional cutting equipment will do better if you do the repairs yourself, just rent a machine and put the hacksaw aside: this device will only ruin panel).

Snap the panels of the first row with the short side.

IMPORTANT! Laminate can have several types of locks. The most common of the fastening systems are the “Click” and “Lock” systems (the adhesive method of fastening was not considered by us). Some manufacturers, for example, Tarkett (Tarkett) develop specific types of fasteners for their products, the difference between which is clearly visible in the lower figure.

Figure 2 - Types of fastening of laminated panels from Tarkett

Along the first row, between the panels and the wall, insert expansion wedges of the required width (included in the mounting kit).

The last panel in the row, if necessary, is sawn to length and the second row starts with the sawn off part, if it is not shorter than 40 cm.

When laying the second row, the panels are first snapped into place with the short side, and then with the long side.

For all subsequent rows, the same laying principle applies.

After laying out the panels of the last row, measure the distance to the wall. If this space is not enough for laying the last row (do not forget about the gaps!), cut the panels to the available free width (the lock on the side adjacent to the wall can also be cut).

The secrets of laying laminate in difficult points of the room

• The installation of the laminate at the door frame should be carried out taking into account the preservation of gaps around the entire perimeter of the panel at the points of contact with the door, threshold and walls of the room. The door frame should be sawn to the height of the panel so that it goes under it without pressure, and there is no pressure on the panel.

Figure 3 - Installing the laminate in the doorway

• Laminate at radiators is installed by cutting the lock. Often, glue is used to attach this panel.

Figure 5 - Laying laminate at pipes

The installation of the laminate is completed by the installation of skirting boards, as well as special masking thresholds in doorways(Hide the gaps in the transition from one coating to another). You can do without thresholds only if the laminate is laid in several rooms at once with one continuous canvas.

IMPORTANT! Step-by-step instructions are one of the mandatory inserts for branded products from Alloc (Allok, Norway), Pergo (Pergo, Sweden) and other well-known manufacturers of floor coverings such as Egger (Egger, Germany) or Wasterhof (Wasterhof, Germany).

In addition, on the Web you can find training videos on how to properly lay a laminate of a particular manufacturer. For example, a lesson on laying laminate Classen (Klassen, Germany).

VIDEO: Laying laminate Classen (Germany)

VIDEO: Pergo laminate flooring (Sweden)

VIDEO: Choosing a quality floor covering: Balterio laminate (Balterio, Belgium)

From the videos above, it is easy to see that the master puts the laminate exclusively on the self-leveling floor - a flat and reliable base.

$ Installing laminate flooring: asking price

If we are talking about laminate, then it is important not how much the coating costs, but what guarantees the manufacturer gives for his product. Buying cheap laminate flooring means starting repairs again soon. panels without moisture-retaining impregnation (for example, wax) and really strong lamination will not last even five years, not to mention the calm “relationship” of the coating to heels and heavy furniture.

The calculation of the cost of the laminate can be carried out by footage or by packaging. Laminate from the Egger company we have already mentioned, for example, costs an average of $ 15 / m² or from $ 38 / package (2.48 m² is standard in a package).

Some sites or sales offices, when buying more than $ 80-100, order with delivery (provided free of charge).

On average, the prices for the laminate of the mentioned manufacturers are as follows:

• Egger laminate costs from $ 9.5 / m² (Oak Garrison model, 7 mm);
• Balterio laminate costs from $17/m² (Bleached Oak Optimum model, 8 mm);

Photo 7 - Balterio laminate, Optimum Bleached Oak model, 8 mm

• Quick Step laminate costs from $21/m² (Oak antique natural Classic model, 7 mm);
• Tarkett laminate costs from $18/m² (Model Oak Sherwood Mocha Woodstock, 8 mm).

Photo 8 - Tarket laminate, model Oak Sherwood Mocha Woodstock t, 8 mm

To determine the approximate number of laminate packages, you can use a special calculator. It looks something like this:

Figure 6 - Calculation of the amount of material

Laminate price:

Kyiv − from 69 UAH/m²;

Moscow - from 345 rubles / m².

If a final decision has been made to cover the floors in the apartment or private room laminate, for starters, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the technological process of laying it. First, it is necessary to accurately determine the the type of material that will need to be purchased. Secondly, it is necessary to learn how to lay laminate on the floor in order to really appreciate own strength. The process itself, although it requires increased care and accuracy, still cannot be considered extremely difficult, and calling a team of builders-finishers can be a waste of money. Why not try it yourself?

No matter how much you want to do everything as soon as possible, should be remembered Golden Rule» - laying floor coverings, and laminate flooring in particular, never endures unnecessary haste. Everything will already pass in a fairly short time, but for the floor to really serve for a long time and not cause quick disappointments, without careful pre-training work is simply impossible.

To begin with, a thorough preparation of the floor surface

A good owner will assess the condition of the floor in the room and bring it to the proper look for laying, probably even before going to the store to buy a laminated board. So, the first step is to revise the existing foundation.

The essential advantage of laminate flooring is that it can be laid on almost any subfloor. Of course, the "rough floor" must meet a number of important requirements.

• He must leveled horizontally. Level differences are allowed within no more than 2 mm per 1 linear meter of surface.
• The surface must be even - even the slightest tubercles or pits are unacceptable. Such defects violate the integrity of the laminated coating or subsequently respond with unpleasant squeaks.
• The floor must be durable - no dynamic loads should cause "games" of the surface.

1. If the laminate is planned to be laid out on a concrete base, then it must be carefully repaired. Wide cracks, potholes, and even more so - areas of crumbling or delamination of the surface are unacceptable. If the damage is too extensive, then you will probably have to put the laminate aside for the time being and start updating the screed - with an ordinary concrete mortar or, which, apparently, is more convenient, with a self-leveling fill. It will be possible to return to the laminate flooring only after the floors have gained the desired strength.

pouring the floor

2. Laminate flooring is allowed on old linoleum. At the same time, the coating must necessarily maintain its integrity and evenness - discrepancies in welds, wear of linoleum to the base are unacceptable, especially if there is still a violation of the concrete base in these places. The presence of protruding bumps or noticeable pits is not allowed. Sometimes you just have to remove the old linoleum and prepare the base for the laminate in the usual way, as described above.

3. Laminate on a tree can be laid if there are no rotten, creaking boards on the floor, if there are no areas of instability - deflection under the weight of the leg. Such fragments are subject to mandatory replacement with simultaneous amplification of the lag. Stable areas are checked for cracks, dents, etc. - you need to putty, and then level with a common surface with a grinder. Minor level differences between the boards can be removed with a planer.

Many issues will be resolved much easier if you spare no expense to cover the entire base of the floor with plywood, or even better - OSB sheets with a thickness of about 10 ÷ 12 mm. In addition to the required evenness, this measure also provides additional thermal and soundproofing effects. Under the stacked sheets, a waterproofing layer of dense polyethylene film must be laid.

What is required for work

When the laminate is purchased and delivered to the installation site, it is advised to free it from plastic and cardboard packaging, place it in the room for which it is intended for several days. This will allow you to completely equalize both the humidity and the temperature of the material, and as a result, laying will be easier, and the likelihood of deformation of the laid coating will be eliminated.

While the panels are undergoing an "adaptation course", we do not waste time - we are preparing the necessary tools and drawing up a plan for future work

• For cutting laminate boards right size you will need a hacksaw with a fine tooth or an electric jigsaw. If there are vertical pipe risers in the room, then you can’t do without a jigsaw at all.

  electric jigsaw

• It is clear that at the disposal of the master should be a quality drawing- measuring tool - tape measure, ruler, metal square, marker, etc. .
• A hammer is often required to join the seams of the laminate. It’s good if you have a rubber or wooden one at your disposal. You can also use the usual one, but only with the laying of a special bar - they are in stores, but it will not be difficult to make it yourself. In this case, it will be more convenient to make a groove in the bar for the locking part of the laminate - it cannot be hushed up with too strong a blow.

• Of particular difficulty are often sections along walls or in other hard-to-reach places. To apply the required force to connect the panels, you will need ∫ - shaped lever. It can also be purchased at a hardware store, but it will probably be more profitable to make it yourself from a metal strip for a one-time installation at home, taking into account the height of the lever that is convenient for the master and protrudes upward to transfer the impact force.

You can, if necessary, use a conventional mount, but there is a possibility of damaging the wall at the same time - be sure to lay the stop with a wide piece of wood.

• It is worth preparing in advance the required number of wooden wedges-spacers to fix the laminate at the required (10 ÷ 12 mm) distance from the walls of the room, to compensate for temperature or other expansions.

The entire surface of the floor must be covered with a substrate. It is unacceptable to ignore this - the quality of the laid laminate floor will be low. The substrate is polymeric - made of foamed polyethylene, may have a foil layer (lay out) or be without it. Most often, the substrate is produced in rolls, although a panel version can also be purchased. The most optimal, although not cheap An option would be to use a cork backing.

The material is spread over the entire surface of the floor exclusively end-to-end, without leaving gaps or overlaps. The resulting seams can be fixed to the floor surface with double-sided tape or glued with adhesive tape from above.

All, preparations almost finished, it remains to think over the scheme of work in order to avoid typical errors.

floor underlay

We think over the laying scheme

So that the laying work goes on measuredly and quickly, before your eyes home master there should always be a carefully thought out and graphically executed scheme. What you need to consider in order to avoid those mistakes that often lie in wait for beginners in this business:

• Installation direction. Longitudinal, long joints should be oriented along the direction of the rays of light from its natural source - the window. Otherwise, the joints can stand out strongly on the surface.

• Work is planned from the far, most often - the left corner. The laying is done in order. The panel of the first row parallel to the wall is laid with a groove outward, and the spike is cut off in advance so that a flat end remains.
• If a hand saw or a jigsaw is enough for a cross cut, then for longitudinal cuts it is better to use a manual or stationary circular saw - it will be smoother and faster.
• Each subsequent row should go with an offset (by half the length of the panels, or “along the deck”, by 300 ÷ 400 mm).
• When planning, it must be taken into account that the finish row of laminate panels should not be narrower than 100 mm. If it turns out less, it is worth narrowing the first row a little. Laying is similarly thought out if there are internal corners in the room.
• Particular attention is the places where vertical risers pass. If they cannot be temporarily dismantled, then it is worth considering the scheme in such a way that they fall at the junction of the panels - then cutting a figured hole and installing the cover will not be a problem.
• Although the laminate does not have too much thickness, it can sometimes become an obstacle to the movement of doors. It makes sense to immediately evaluate this and, if necessary, shorten the door tights.

Now, only when everything is ready, you can go directly to the installation.

Features of laying laminated panels of different types

Laminated panels different models are by no means identical in terms of their conjugation with each other. So, there is an option when the required solidity of the surface is provided by gluing the joints. Panels with locks can also vary - there are two main types of them - "Lock" or "Click". You can also find more complex ones, for example, 5G options, but they are, to one degree or another, a modification of click locks.

Laminate floor installation with click locks

The peculiarity of such a lock connection is that it is made only at a certain angle between the mating panels, the specific value of which can vary significantly for different models. But the essence of this does not change - the mounted panel at the required angle is inserted with a spike into the groove already laid. Then, when it is turned into a single plane, the slots of the lock snap into place with a characteristic sound, providing a very reliable connection. With all this, dismantling the panel is also not difficult - when it is raised to the same angle, it will come out of their engagement.

Schematic diagram of the "Click" lock

• Installation is carried out from the first row. The entire strip is assembled completely, laid along the wall and wedged from it both along the long and along the end side.

Panel mounting with "Click" lock

• The next row is also completely assembled at first - this is the main feature of installation with a similar lock. Of course, this takes into account the displacement of the panels - this has already been mentioned above. Only after the complete assembly of the entire strip of the next row is it connected to the previous one. It can be very difficult to do this on your own, so it's best to work together.

Each row after laying wedged from the walls.

• All subsequent rows of laminate are laid in the same order, to the end of the room.
• Before each assembly of the lock part, the cleanliness of its grooves must be checked - even the smallest fragments of debris or sawdust are not allowed in it.

High-quality laminate with locks does not need to adjust the joints with the help of impact forces - the joints themselves are strong and almost invisible. This advantage determines its greatest popularity among all other types of laminated panels.

How panels with Locks are installed

It seems that such a fastening system is rapidly losing popularity and is gradually being replaced by more modern models. However, such a laminate is relatively inexpensive, and therefore still in demand.

This is how the lock system works

The spikes and grooves of the interlock in this case are located in the same horizontal plane and have peculiar protrusions and grooves for fixing when a certain force is applied. In terms of strength, such joints are significantly inferior to the Click laminate. At the same time, dismantling, if necessary, the panel is quite difficult - very often the spike is deformed or even breaks off.

• The panels of the first row are interconnected along the end side by tapping with a hammer through a wooden or rubber gasket. Wedging is carried out from the walls of the room.

• Mounting next row starts with the first panel from the wall. Its spike is inserted into the groove of the laid row, tapping ensures a complete connection (usually accompanied by a characteristic sound and is well defined visually). The panel is immediately wedged from the wall surface.

• The next panel will require a consistent application of impact forces from both sides, to connect the lock on both the end and the long side.

Here you will need the mentioned lever, with which you can tap the panel, or you can apply force with a mount.

• Laying continues in this order in order (some masters prefer a “stepped scheme”, but the essence does not change).
• Laying the final row, after careful measurement and cutting to the required size, is also done with a lever.

During operation, the impact force should be controlled - so that the lock works, and so as not to accidentally damage the grooves or spikes of the connection in the places where the forces are applied.

Features of mounting a laminate on glue

Laminate, designed for laying with gluing joints, it has good indicators of strength, solidity, water resistance of the resulting surface. Cons - the work is quite laborious, and dismantling the panels while maintaining their integrity will not work at all. Installation will require glue specially designed for this purpose, and professionals strongly do not recommend simplifying their task by purchasing ordinary PVA.

glue for laminate

There are also spikes and grooves on such panels, but their purpose is only to align the laminate in one plane, and the lock part as such no.

• The laying system itself largely repeats the described technology with locks "Lock" - both the sequence and tapping of the connections are similar. The main feature is that the grooves are smeared with glue before assembly in an amount determined by the material manufacturer.
• Coming to the surface laminate after joining the panels excess glue removed immediately with a clean soft damp cloth.
• When the first 3 rows are laid, a technological break is necessarily made for 2 ÷ 3 hours - this time is necessary for the glue to polymerize it. Further work continues in the same way, with the alternation of laying and pauses.

Shutdown

After laying the last row (in the case of adhesive laminate - after 3 hours), you can remove the expansion wedges around the perimeter of the room. Now it remains to attach the skirting boards (only to the wall, in no case to the laminated surface), and cover the junctions of the laminated panels with other floor coverings with special decorative overlays.

Video: laminate laying master class

In theory, do-it-yourself laminate flooring is not difficult - a designer for adults in the truest sense of the word - board after board, everything is easy and simple in the hands of skilled craftsmen from a picture or video from the Internet. But even relying on a major presentation, not everyone is ready to boldly say that they can handle the laminate themselves and therefore look towards professional craftsmen.

For us, there was no problem of choosing whom to entrust with laying the laminate - of course, with our own hands!

Tools and additional materials for laying laminate with your own hands

For laying laminate flooring, you will need the following materials:

• a hacksaw or, better, a jigsaw;
• substrate under the laminate;
• set for mounting laminate;
• tape measure, hammer

The installation kit for laying laminate flooring includes several wedges, a block with a slot so as not to damage the lock when tapped, and an L-shaped plate for snapping the lock of the laminate end board in front of the wall.

Among Supplies in our repair, another player appeared - a tool for processing joints - Click Protect. Laminate is good for everyone, but one of its weak points is the joints. Being made of fiberboard, the side edges of the laminate will inevitably swell and collapse with the ingress of water. The only time when you can protect the surface of the laminate locks is during the floor assembly period.

Features of laying laminate

Before laying, it is necessary to prepare the floor surface, clean it from dust, debris, small pebbles. Before this, of course, the floor must be qualitatively leveled. The usual draft will not work, the GVL from the dry screed kit would be ideal. In our apartment in all rooms there is, as a result of which appeared side effect- GVL sheets are terribly dusty. To protect against dust, we cover the floor with a primer of the Aqua-primer type, which forms a thin protective film.

A substrate must be laid under the laminate, of which there are many, but three main types are mainly used:

• foamed polyethylene;
• expanded polystyrene, and its combinations with polyethylene;
• natural cork.

Do-it-yourself "experts" in laying laminate flooring claim that using a natural cork is throwing money away, such a substrate is very expensive, but fragile, changes size depending on temperature, deteriorates when water enters, as natural material. The usual polyethylene substrate also “sucks”, over time it is crushed and the laminate is on the bare floor. Most the right decision– use a polystyrene-based substrate. These substrates, unlike rolled cork and polyethylene, are produced in the form of sheets. small size which are more convenient to work with.

There are big doubts about such a rationale for choosing a substrate, but we succumbed to colorful stories and bought polypropylene sheets. First lay out the floor with sheets. So that light sheets of polypropylene do not move under your feet, you can glue the joints in places with masking tape.

Everything is ready for laying the laminate. We will lay the laminate according to the following method: first we join the laminates along the short, transverse side, and then we join them with long boards along the long side. When laying the first two rows, the “board” closest to the wall rises slightly and does not touch the floor. To fix in a horizontal position, we put the load from the laminate boxes on the first row. Perhaps this warping of the boards of the first row is caused by the use of a protective agent. When laying the third row, the "boards" lay flat.

Step by step, the room is covered with even rows of laminate. The next important point for the installer is to observe the temperature gap between the wall and the laminate. There are special wedges in our kit, but they are often forgotten when assembling a laminate. But it does not matter, the wedges can be replaced using laminate trimmings.

In our apartment, doors are installed without thresholds, and therefore a beautiful and ambitious task was set - to connect all the rooms with a solid laminate surface. But due to the “walking” of sizes with changes in temperature and humidity, there are restrictions on the length of the board - 10 ... 12 meters. If the rooms are 5.5 m long and the corridor is 3 m, then on the threshold of the second room we have already reached the limit. So, we will put a threshold, but not simple, but with hidden screw slots.

This is how when laying a laminate, the docking of rooms with a threshold looks like:

If you lay a laminate without thresholds, then it will look like this:

Laminate laying. Work on mistakes

Another unpleasant moment when laying a laminate is the need to maintain a gap around the perimeter of the laid floor between the laminate and the wall. On the wide side of each of the boards, the gap is obtained automatically - this is the first row of the floor. And when cutting each row, you need to strictly ensure that all the planks are at the same distance from the wall.

In pursuit of speed, we failed to avoid overlays. In some places, pruning is not quite accurate.

This casual attitude has led to laminate flooring lengthening and patting underfoot during the off-season. And in two places at the turn in the corridor, due to the approach to the opening, the lock broke on the wide side of the laminate board. It is impossible to fix such a jamb, since the glued boards do not move. The entire “carpet” of planks seems to move away from the walls, but the lock does not fully snap into place. This also happened because one of the boards was pressed tightly to the floor by the door jamb.

Laminate flooring is a great option for those people who want to have beautiful inexpensive flooring in their home in a short time. It also pleases with high wear resistance and long shelf life. Due to these properties, it is preferred by many homeowners. True, some are only planning to install it, but do not yet know how to lay a laminate. This article will tell you about all the intricacies of this case.

There are two main methods of laying laminate flooring:

1. Traditional.

The first involves placing rows of lamellas parallel to one wall and perpendicular to the other.

As for the diagonal method, it consists in placing the dice diagonally across the room. Such laying of a laminate is able to visually make the volume of the room larger. She is often photographed.

There is a more exotic way - the herringbone method. It is quite complex. Therefore, it is performed only by specialists.

Few people dare to perform it at home.

To install tarkett or quick step laminate, you need to purchase it. And here the question is: how much do you need? To do this, you need to calculate the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room and divide by the area of ​​​​one board.

This will determine the number of lamellae. It is good to create a plan for the placement of boards by choosing the desired installation method. Using the plan, you can determine how many pieces will have a length less than 30 centimeters.

Given the rules for laying laminate, such lamellas cannot be mounted. The area of ​​these pieces is calculated and the stock is determined. Next, you need to add a few more percent, because you can cut the lamella inaccurately.

It is also important to consider that the crest of the boards of the first row will be cut off. Also, the dies of the last row may require longitudinal trimming. The width after trimming should be equal to or greater than 5 cm. This is indicated in various videos.

If a diagonal laying method is chosen, then it is worth making a 20 percent margin.

In addition to buying a laminate, the owner should stock up on additional materials:

• and a waterproofing film (their area should slightly exceed the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, they will need to be laid under a quick step laminate or another brand);
• cement, sand, primer (for concrete floors);

• boards, ;

To perform the work, the following are in demand:

• expansion wedges;

• clamp;

• hacksaw;

• miter saw or electric jigsaw;

• wooden block;

• grouting tool concrete screed;

• Sander.

The last two elements are case specific. If you need to align wooden surface under the laminate by cutting off the protruding parts, then use a grinder. If there is a concrete floor, then pouring the screed and grouting require an appropriate tool.

Laminated slats can be installed on any type of floor . That is, he will “feel comfortable” both on a concrete floor and on a wooden floor.

However, the coating for a quick step or tarkett laminate must be perfectly even.

This means that on two square meters the height difference should not exceed two millimeters. The presence of drops, depressions and various defects leads to the bending of the coating. This weakens the strength of the bonds in the locks and ends with their breakage. As a result, the coating creaks, and cracks appear between its boards. There are also other consequences that the video tutorial can talk about.

The flooring under the tarkett laminate can be sloped. The rules allow it. However, the difference between heights of 2 m² must not exceed 4 mm. Experts do not advise creating such a bias.

The preparation of a rough coating for a laminate is carried out taking into account these features. If the floor is concrete, then the previous coating is removed from it, as well as all dirt. All cement particles that are loosely fixed or peeled off are removed. If this is not done, there will be irregularities in the future. The laminate will sag and you can also hear it creak.

Every hole, crack, difference is filled cement mortar. The next step is a thorough grout. The surface under the laminate must be made as smooth as possible. Therefore, you should be prepared that the grout will take a lot of effort. To properly grout, we recommend watching a special video.

If there are many irregularities on the concrete floor, then a solid screed is poured under the tarkett laminate and grout is made. At the end, the prepared concrete surface is primed. The primer strengthens the top of the screed and prevents sand from separating from it. Without a primer, the sand separates and then creaks under the laminate.

The wooden floor under the laminate often has bumps. This is due to the ability of wood to deform under the influence of moisture. To level it, use a grinder.

With the help of it, all irregularities are cut off. Of course, before that, the nails are sunk enough so that the machine does not touch them, and so that such a “grout” is not accompanied by problems. As a result, there will be an even base and in the future there will be no question why the floor creaks?

Every bad board that also creaks must be replaced with a new one. Of course, it must have the same thickness as the other boards in the floor. Why? Because otherwise the laminate flooring will “please” with deformations and the way it creaks.

After preparing the subfloor for the laminate, it is necessary to lay a waterproofing material and a shock-absorbing underlay on it.

Waterproofing is performed when there is a concrete base. As you know, concrete with any grout perfectly transfers moisture, and it easily destroys the laminated coating. Laminate floors are insulated with a diffusion membrane or ordinary polyethylene (its thickness must exceed 200 microns). According to the technology, polyethylene strips or membranes are overlapped.

After that, you need to put the substrate. It can be an air bubble film, rolled XPS, expanded polystyrene foam, natural cork. The thickness should be up to three millimeters if the flooring is not thicker than 9 mm. Under the quick step laminate with a greater thickness, 4-, 5-mm material must be laid.

Laying laminate traditional way(can be seen in various videos) is carried out after 3-4 days of aging the plates in the room. First, cut the crest of the boards of the first row. The first row must be laid under the wall, which is parallel to the light flux.

The cut side must be laid up to the wall. First, lay down the first board. Next, connect the second. The connection method depends on the type of locks, which are often discussed in the video.

If the type of lock is Click, then the end of one lamella is inserted into the end of the other under the angle named by the manufacturer. Next, lower the plate. If the type of lock is Lock, then one die is driven into another. To do this, use a hammer.

They get hit on wooden block attached to the lamella. The material itself cannot be hit with a hammer. Why? It deforms the plate.

After collecting the second row and attach to the first.

It is possible to attach one board to the longitudinal groove of the first row and the end groove of the previous plate. That is, they assemble the second row, attaching it to the first (shown in the photo)

The joints of the ends of the boards in two rows should not be on the same line, otherwise the coating will sag. Then you can hear it squeak.

It is best when the joint comes to the middle of the boards of adjacent rows. A 1/3 notch offset is possible.

When two rows are ready, they are moved to the wall, then fixed with spacer wedges. Then collect the rest. If necessary, the last row is cut to length.

During installation, heating pipes become an obstacle. To solve the difficulty, a hole is made in the lamella with a radius greater than the radius of the pipe. Next, cut the die, put the sawn parts in place and glue. On top you need to put masking elements (the process is shown in the photo).

In order for the lamella to fit under the door jambs, they must be cut to the thickness of the flooring.

Mounting the board adjacent to the wall can cause certain difficulties. If the locks are of the Click type, then everything is fine. If the locks are of a different type, then you need to use a clamp. It is placed on the board so that one end touches the side. Next, they hit the clamp with a hammer, clogging the lamella (this process is in the photo below).

After the laying of the laminate is completed, the spacer wedges are removed and the plinth is mounted. He is nailed to the wall. If the walls are uneven, it is better to use a plastic plinth. It will take the form of a wall, which will avoid gaps. In addition, there are many options that have a base and a lid. This design allows you to hide the screws. Often it has a place for cables.

Creating laminate flooring at home is easy. However, this requires precise adherence to the installation procedure. The specifics of this procedure may vary as manufacturers use different solutions.

There are always instructions in the packages that must be followed.

Then there will be no problems, and under your feet it will not be noticeable how the coating creaks.

Video

In today's video you will learn about correct styling laminate and installation bases.
Thanks to this material you will get a lot of useful information.

Photo source: infolaminat.ru, pol-spec.ru

Laminate has long and firmly gained popularity in the market. finishing materials. It has its pros and cons, but the main advantages are: low cost, wear resistance, easy installation and a striking resemblance to natural wood. At the same time, the price parquet board exceeds the cost of the laminate by 2-3 times. Those who want to have wooden floors at home, but for some reason cannot afford an array, choose a laminate. This material is easier to care for. In addition, the laminate can imitate the texture of any type of wood, even the rarest, most valuable and expensive. So, if it is decided to lay a laminate, then it remains to deal with the nuances of its installation. We will talk about how to produce laminate flooring in this article.

Laying laminate does not require special knowledge and skills - just follow the instructions that the manufacturer attaches to each package of material. In the same place, on the information sheet, the basic information about the material is indicated, the main of which is the product class. For residential premises, it is recommended to choose a laminate of class 32, 33.

When choosing a laminate, it is necessary to consider not only its appearance and color scheme, but also the humidity of the room, operating conditions, the presence of sudden changes in temperature, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. So, for the bathroom and hallway, it is recommended to choose a waterproof laminate.

Before laying laminate flooring, you need to know about the following nuances:

1. The purchased material is left indoors in a closed package at a temperature of 14 to 22 degrees and a humidity of not more than 60% for 48 hours.
2. After opening the package, it is recommended to check all the lamellas in good light conditions for the same shade in order to exclude discrepancies in the color of the panels from different packs.
3. You will also need to sort out damaged items. They can be left for trimming the extreme short lamellae. It is carefully recommended to check the quality and integrity of the lock elements.
4. Since the shade of the panels from different packs may not match, during the installation process I lay them one by one from each package. The floor covering will not turn out to be monophonic, but the distribution of several shades over the floor surface will be uniform.
5. Modern material is equipped with a functional locking system located at all ends of the lamella, which simplifies and speeds up the installation process of the coating.
6. In any room, humidity changes depending on the time of year and the coating experiences temperature deformation - it either shrinks or expands. This phenomenon must be foreseen and a gap between the laminate and the wall of 1-1.2 cm should be left along the perimeter. It will be necessary to retreat from all protruding elements of the room - the door frame, riser, pipes.
7. When using the technology of laying a laminate on an adhesive solution, no gap is left. But it should be borne in mind that such a floor cannot be repaired and cannot be dismantled and taken with you when moving, as laid by the floating method, modern coatings, the locking systems of which require repeated installation and dismantling of lamellas.

Laminate modern floors have excellent moisture resistance, due to the density and special structure of the interlocks, however, they will not be able to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture on their surface. For rooms where the liquid can stand on the floor surface for a long time - melt water from shoes in the hallway or in the bathroom, it is better to use waterproof PVC laminate, which is absolutely not afraid of direct contact with water.

PVC laminate is environmentally friendly and safe for humans and environment. In you can see detailed list advantages of PVC panels.

Kronospan laminate prices

Kronospan laminate

Types of bases

Laminate flooring is laid on a wooden or concrete base, which is most often found in apartments and country houses. At the same time, the quality of the base plays a decisive role in the durability of the coating and its aesthetics.

The coating consists of lamellas having a multilayer structure. At all ends of the panels there are locking joints that are closed by snapping the panels to each other - the laying process is accelerated, and its laboriousness is simplified, but the quality of the result will depend on the thoroughness of the work on preparing the base.

If the floor level difference exceeds 2 mm per 2 m², then during the operation of such a coating, the lamella locks will be subjected to serious stress and they will soon break, gaps will form between the panels and the solidity of the coating will begin to be broken. The curvature of the base can lead to problems with the stability of furniture and cabinet doors. These troubles can occur even with acceptable values ​​​​of a uniform slope. Therefore, it is better to spend a little more time and qualitatively level the base.

concrete base

Before leveling, the old concrete screed is repaired - the cracks are expanded and filled with a mortar of cement-sand mixture. If there are large damages in the screed, then self-leveling mixtures are used to seal them. When the repair layer dries, it must be sanded and filled with a finishing layer of screed. The screed must be treated with a primer before laying the laminate to prevent dust formation on its surface.

Having a concrete base, consider the following features before laying the laminate:

1. When pouring a new concrete screed, you must wait for it to dry completely. Usually this period is at least 28 days and can be calculated based on the thickness of the screed: 1 week to dry 1 cm of thickness.
2. It is necessary to achieve evenness of the base, the differences should not exceed 2 mm per m².
3. When installing the “warm floor” system, the laminate is purchased with the appropriate marking indicated by the manufacturer, and during the operation of the coating, it is ensured that its heating does not exceed 29 degrees.
4. Be sure to lay a vapor barrier material on the base before laying the laminate, the thickness of which should be more than 150 microns.

If there is an old coating in the room that is not protected from moisture, then it must be removed. If it is linoleum, PVC panels or vinyl tiles, then it is enough to lay the substrate on top.

Video - Laminate Laying Technology