DIY Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is flooring that was invented in Sweden in the late 1970s by a company named Pergo AB. The flooring was first introduced to the United States in the early and mid 1990s. Laminate flooring is flooring that is made to look like hard wood floors or stone floors or tile floors. It only looks like these floors, though: laminate flooring is entirely different and far more affordable. One of the reasons this kind of flooring is more affordable is that almost all laminate flooring is DIY laminate flooring. This flooring is easy to install as it is snap into place flooring, not glue-down flooring. Here are a few tips to help you install glueless laminate flooring.

1. Make sure that when you install glueless laminate flooring, you will want to make sure that the floor itself has been completely prepared. Take off the skirting boards or shoe molding, mop the floor, vacuum up the dirt, take any doors that open inward off of their hinges (it will save you time). Make sure the floor is absolutely dry.

2. For DIY laminate flooring, have the planks sit in the room for at least forty eight hours before installation. This will help the planks adjust to the moisture level and temperature of the room. Laminate flooring expands and contracts according to the weather and temperatures in the room, so giving it time to adjust will ensure that the installation process goes more smoothly and make it less likely that your floor ends up being too small after installation.

3. Leave one fourth of an inch around the perimeter of the room. This allows the floor room to expand with the weather conditions.

4. Different types of sub floors require different types of moisture barriers. Check the manufacturer's instructions as to the type of moisture barriers that must be laid down before you can install glueless laminate flooring.

5. When you are measuring for the amount of DIY laminate flooring you need, measure the room and then add ten percent to allow for mistakes and waste.

6. It might be worth it to buy the installation kit, especially if you haven't ever installed flooring before.

7. Make sure the underlay is all the way installed before you install the locking planks of the laminate flooring. If you have a concrete sub floor, put down a layer of plastic between it and the underlay to act as a moisture barrier.

8. The baseboards and moldings get reinstalled after you install glueless laminate flooring. This helps to cover the gap you left around the perimeter of the room.

Laminate flooring is a beautiful and inexpensive way to add character to your home. It is made by many manufacturers around the world and, even though it was only invented thirty years ago, it has quickly become one of the most popular forms of flooring available. One of the things that make it so popular is that it is DIY laminate flooring. Yes, you can install glueless laminate flooring all by yourself and often in less than a day.

Installing Laminate Flooring Tip #1

Not all house walls are perfectly straight. In order to get a good fit on your first board, you may have to cut it to match the curve in your wall.

Installing Laminate Flooring Tip #2

Unlike most hardwood flooring, laminates are virtually dent resistant, but remember you can find a good selection of matching fillers online in case of any gouges or dents.

Installing Laminate Flooring Tip #3

Make sure you clean your floor thoroughly before you start working, use either a vacuum or a stiff bristled broom. Once your floor is clean and clear of debris you will be in a good position to determine if your floor is even or not.

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