Flooring is one of the most noticeable and essential interior elements that if chosen ideally not only completes the interior design but also adds significantly to the interior decor and style. And if you’re on a tight budget, then a great choice to go for is laminate flooring for your home, since it is quite affordable. Considering the situation that you’ve chosen laminate flooring for your home floors’ upgrade, the next obvious phenomenon would be the fact that you must be worried about the cost of flooring installation services.
Now, the budget restrictions won’t allow you to hire professionals for the installation of your newly bought laminate floor, and therefore, the only option left behind for you is to opt for a DIY installation of your laminate home flooring. And one of the plus points of choosing laminate flooring is that it can be easily installed without any professional assistance, due to being a floating floor, thus saving you the fitting expenses.
So if you’re an amateur and looking for a DIY installation procedure, then you need not worry because today’s topic of discussion at SPC Flooring is precisely what you’ve asked for.
A Step-by-Step Guide To The DIY Installation Of Laminate Flooring
Unlike other forms of flooring options, there’s no grout, plaster, mortar, or filling that needs to be set up while you’re installing laminate floors. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy as well. All you need to do is to be careful and precise with the steps of the installation procedure described below.
Tools/Equipment Required For An Efficient & Straightforward Flooring Installation
Prior to starting the installation procedure, you should arrange for the following materials, tools, and equipment to not let any hurdle break the flow of the installation procedure.
- Utility Knife
- Hammer
- Speed Square
- Chalk Box
- Laminate Flooring (Planks)
- Underlayment
- Tape & Tape Measure
- Scrap Wood Spacers
- A Circular Saw or Jigsaw
- Straightedge
The Steps Of The Installation Procedure Explained
Following are the steps that should be followed to efficiently complete the installation procedure.
1. Test The Layout Of The Flooring
Obviously, you need first to test the layout of the flooring so as to measure and calculate the number and size of flooring planks needed. Also, a side-by-side positioning of the planks will help you get an idea of the placement strategy for laminate flooring.
2. Put The Underlayment In Place
No need to mention the importance of underlayment for any type of flooring because these subfloor placements can absorb sound, act as a thermal barrier, and provide a soft, cushioning surface to walk on flooring.
Basically, the subfloor is a dense foam layer that absorbs the effects of minor bumps to protect laminate flooring. If your underlayment is not moisture-resistant, then you can place a thick layer of plastic sheeting prior to installing the underlayment as a protective barrier against vapor/moisture damage.
3. Lay The First Row Of The Laminate Planks
The next step to the placement of the underlayment is to initiate the process of flooring installation. For this purpose, you will have to consider one of the interior walls as the focal point to install the flooring planks.
Now, you should trim the edge of the planks that faces the wall end. Place the planks side-by-side while keeping a gap of at least 1/4 to 3/8 inches. To maintain this gap, you can make use of scrap wood spacers.
Repeat this process for the placement of all the first-row flooring planks and make sure to start from the right end and finish the process at the left end of the room.
4. Finalize The First Row & Plot The Next Rows
For the installation of the last flooring plank of the first row, you need to be careful because the remaining gap in place of the last plank to be positioned is too long that can only be covered by a full-size flooring plank.
Hence, you’ll always need to take measurements whenever needing to place that last plank in all the rows. Because the precise measurements will help you cut off the full-size plank to the desired length thus, fulfilling the space/gap completely.
After that, you should be concerned about the planning of the next rows of planks so as to complete the floor installation procedure. And, you should always make sure that the flooring planks lock in properly so as to ensure the structural integrity of your valuable investment besides preventing other types of damages from happening.
And, if any reconfiguration is to happen in the left plank of any row, then do try to shift that short plank cut piece at the start of the row (on the right side) so as to keep the left-most plank at an acceptable length.
5. Finish The Procedure By Installing The Last Row Of Flooring Planks
When installing these planks, you’ll find that there is a click-clack type interlocking system available for these floors that won’t allow any movement at all. What you need to do is continue the installation process until you reach the last row.
When it comes to the installation of last-row planks, some people are lucky enough that they find enough space to fit the planks with only a little bit of trimming. However, other times, you will need to make use of a jigsaw or circular saw to cut the planks for a precise fit.
After that, you can remove all the scraped wood spacers placed at the top of the first row of the planks and add a finishing touch to the procedure by installing baseboard moldings of your own liking style along the room’s perimeter.
To Summarize
If you’re a beginner in the field of flooring installation services and want to DIY install your home laminate flooring, the above-mentioned guide will definitely help you make the most of the time and effort that you’ve served in the installation process of laminate flooring. This easy and effective guide will not just help you come up with the most favorable outcomes but will also save you on all the installation expenses.
Wishing you all the perks of cost-effective fitting.
