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Floors Direct, the leaders in laminate flooring and suppliers of fashionable and cost effective laminate, engineered wood and solid wood flooring, provide step-by-step guidelines on how to install laminate flooring. Remember that Floors Direct offers a full range of fitting kits and tools, as well as maintenance and cleaning tools, plus professional service and advice.
The introduction of the click system on laminate flooring makes it easy to install. D.I.Y. installation of laminate flooring is now within easy reach of everyone who is willing to allocate a bit of time to install the floors. Installing your own floor is very rewarding and you don’t require any special skills or expensive tools to acquire a good result. At Floors Direct we stock a wide range of installation/tool kits to provide a convenient and accurate installation.
TIPS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU GET STARTED:
- Laminate flooring is a floating floor, this means that it is not fixed or nailed to the substrate below.
- To avoid any moisture from sub floors (rising damp), it is very important to lay a suitable underlay on the subfloor as a moisture barrier. The joints must be securely taped together to prevent moisture getting through. The underlay should be layed in the opposite direction of the floor boards.
- Unopened packs of flooring boards must be stored horizontally in the room where the panels will be laid for 48 hours before fitting. Boards need time to acclimatize.
- Inspect flooring boards for damage, dimensions and visual uniformity in daylight, at the installation site. If any significant and justifiable defects are found, write down the information on the back of the product.
- Keep in mind that you can’t make claims for boards that have been used, even if they have visible or mechanical defects.
- To improve acoustic insulation and to level the surface, it is important to spread a suitable underlay.
- Install the laminated boards parallel to the incoming light.
- Lay boards in the direction of the longest wall, this will result in minimum off cuts and labor.
- Check door levels, especially of you’re installing the floors over existing tiling, as the door level may have to be cut down.
- Keep in mind that laminate flooring expands and contracts in all four directions when subjected to changes in room temperature and humidity. It is essential that an expansion gap is provided on all sides. A free space of at least 8 - 10mm is recommended between the edge of the flooring and walls, pipes, conduits, thresholds, columns and room dividers.
* For regions of high humidity: the wider the expansion gaps the better - advisable is a 10 - 12mm gap.
- Leave expansion gaps at each doorway. Intermediate expansion gaps are necessary for areas longer than 12 metres and or wider than 8 metres.
- Plan the type of skirting required and the fixing method (glue, silicone, nails or adhesive tapes).
* Floors Direct recommends the use of Wood ’n Stone Premium Underlay.
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