I am going to pick up 38 boxes of it next week. I am looking for any tips or tricks that I should know about. I figure it can't be that hard it should be like putting together a puzzle where all the pieces fit together and the ones that don't you cut to fit.:rofl:
Anyone Installed Laminate Floor Themselves?
- Thread starter Blackbird1877
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IIRC, SlowLMM does that kind of stuff. You might PM him.
Me, I pay people to screw up my house.
That way I blame it on them instead of myself.
Me, I pay people to screw up my house.
That way I blame it on them instead of myself.
LOL funny you should ask :rofl:
32 boxes sitting here cuz I have no idea how to do it
Im pretty sure Tommy only does concrete work.
32 boxes sitting here cuz I have no idea how to do it
Im pretty sure Tommy only does concrete work.
HomeDepot used to have classes you could sign up for that showed you how to do it.
Dunno if they still do that.
Dunno if they still do that.
We did my son's room in laminate floor. It'll take me a bit to remember how we did it. Its not all that hard to do...take a few pieces and do a dry run on your living room floor, you'll figure it out quick enough.
IIRC, you want to be able to just snap the pieces together, and not have to use the mallet/wedge a lot.
IIRC, you want to be able to just snap the pieces together, and not have to use the mallet/wedge a lot.
Me, I pay people to screw up my house.
That way I blame it on them instead of myself.
I was going to pay someone but it was $2000 for materials and they wanted $4000 to install it. Ill save myself $4000 by doing it myself. Ill take pics when I get around to it.
It's easy, snap together, make sure joints don't line up. Let the boxes sit in the house for a few days to acclimate to the temp and humidity, then install.
That is what I wanted to hear. Anyone know what the best thing to cut it with is? I have a Miter Saw. Do I need any kind of special blade?
When I helped my dad install his, we used a table saw to cut the boards.
If installing in a wet (kitchen) location make sure you seal the gap between the wall and the flooring. If you don't, water can get under the flooring and before you know it, swell the boards. Learned that one the hard way...
If installing in a wet (kitchen) location make sure you seal the gap between the wall and the flooring. If you don't, water can get under the flooring and before you know it, swell the boards. Learned that one the hard way...
Miter Saw will work fine, use a rubber mallet and 1x4 to tap the end of the flooring to get it joined into place, stagger the joints, pull your baseboards before installing, and leave a little gap between the wall and the flooring at all sides, this is a floating floor and you dont want it to buckle on you later, give it a little room to breathe. Install your baseboards back after you lay the floor.
make sure you start in doorways if you can. Then the pieces will slide in and you wont have to fight with them as much. I would use a little silicone in areas that will be directly exposed to water. (under the dishwasher and such)
Lots of good advice already!!! I will just add having a JIG SAW is handy in addition to your compound miter saw. Also go ahead and get yourself a extra blade for your miter saw because it will be shot after cutting a bunch of laminate. Its really not to bad, Just time consuming.
Yes thanks everyone I am feeling pretty good about this. I will be picking up a couple of fine toothed blades for the saw.
Well I think 17 years in the Wood flooring business qualifies me to give a bit of advice. Your gonna need a under cut saw to relieve all your jambs, and casing. You will need to measure the whole room and start at the longest wall possible. Make sure your lay out is with in 1/4 inch in a 12 foot run. Layout is key as once you start to go off your probably gonna wast the material. Measure twice cut once. The snaps are self explanatory. Do NOT nail at any place in that floor its designed to float on the polyethylene pad. Leave 3/8 gap all the way around and finish with shoe molding.
Save some for repairs later as once you scratch through the laminate, or wear the sheen off, which will happen. You will need to replace that section or two.
Remember its not wood and isn't going to wear like it. You get what you pay for.
Good luck !
Save some for repairs later as once you scratch through the laminate, or wear the sheen off, which will happen. You will need to replace that section or two.
Remember its not wood and isn't going to wear like it. You get what you pay for.
Good luck !
Thank you,
Yes I am planning on living here no more than 10 years(hence the cheap laminate) then this house will be a "learn to Burn" for the fire department.
Your gonna need a under cut saw to relieve all your jambs, and casing.
Can you elaborate on this a little more. I only have 1 doorway to deal with the rest will be meeting up with the new carpet.
The undercut saw is an offset handled saw that allows you to cut off the bottom of the door jambs, allowing the wood flooring to slip under the door jamb versus cutting around them (cheesy and less professional looking). I may be wrong, in different parts of the country some stuff has a different trade name.
Nobody said to "check square" and stay square, tough NOT to do with a snap together floor but if you don't stay square to the first wall you could get to the end and have a "bastard cut".
If the walls are painted cut the caulking at the top of the baseboard with a razor kn ife, otherwise when you remove the baseboard it may create patching by tearing the drywall and paint.
Good luck Dude. If you live in a wet climate make sure the back of the has a coating to help with moisture, usually foam or gray blach crap on the back of every board.
PM me if you need more help and I'll give you my cell number.
Nobody said to "check square" and stay square, tough NOT to do with a snap together floor but if you don't stay square to the first wall you could get to the end and have a "bastard cut".
If the walls are painted cut the caulking at the top of the baseboard with a razor kn ife, otherwise when you remove the baseboard it may create patching by tearing the drywall and paint.
Good luck Dude. If you live in a wet climate make sure the back of the has a coating to help with moisture, usually foam or gray blach crap on the back of every board.
PM me if you need more help and I'll give you my cell number.
Under cut Saw cuts the bottom of the door jam so the laminate will slide under so it does not revel voids in the flooring. Since you have only one door way you can get a hand saw i think it is called a flush cut saw, put down your pad lay a piece of laminate upside down and cut the jam and casing flush with the face of the laminate, this allows the laminate to slide under.
Screw the undercut saw, just run BIG TRIM:rofl::rofl::joker:
I hate flooring. I helped probably 6 buddies do their's with both laminate and hardwood. When we did my one buddies mobile home, he just got the big trim treatment, as did his motorhome!!
Good Luck!
I hate flooring. I helped probably 6 buddies do their's with both laminate and hardwood. When we did my one buddies mobile home, he just got the big trim treatment, as did his motorhome!!
Good Luck!