DIY

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.

Downloads

CHECKLIST FOR SUITABLE SUB FLOORS:

Suitable sub floors are: old flooring such as wood, firmly-adhering PVC, dry ceramic, tiles and cement screed.

Please check with your local Floors Direct store before installation begins.
Wet and damp rooms, saunas are not suitable due to the high humidity. The sub floor must be dry, level, firmly affixed and clean.
Minor unevenness can be compensated with a suitable underlay or if it exceeds 2mm over a 2 metre length, sand it down or level it with a filler such as cement screed.

INSTALLATION CHECKLIST

Examine the space between floor and door to ensure that there is enough space (at least 1cm or 2 floor boards stacked on top of each other), so that after laying the laminate floor, the door can still be opened and closed over the bridging gap. If necessary, shorten the door.
Areas that measure more than 12m and/or 8m require an extra expansion space of a minimum of 10mm or 1.5mm per running meter.
This also applies to doorways, openings between rooms and corridor corners. Free space of at least 8 - 10mm around all obsticals

TOOLS & FITTING KITS

A wide range of tool & fitting kits are also available form our various Floors Direct stores and is ideal for installation by any DIY enthusiast.


Safety Goggles	Knee Pads	Silicone Sealant & Gun	Fitting Kit and Spacers	Gilotiene & Safety Plate

INSTRUCTIONS

Important Notes:
Read all the manufacturers instructions before installing your new flooring. It is essential that you follow these instructions prior to installation as problems may occur that may have been avoided. This flooring is suitable for all rooms, if installed in a bathroom or kitchen (domestic installation) please refer to the special fitting instructions in ‘Planning the Floor’. Wet and damp rooms, saunas are not suitable due to the high humidity. Packs for installation must be stored flat and unopened for at least 48 hours at least 1m away from any wall with normal
ventilation.

PREPARING THE BASE

Sub-floors to be overlaid must be completely dry, flat, sound and clean, and the floors must be completely leveled. Vinyl tiles may be overlaid as long as they are firmly stuck down. Cushion vinyl sheet, linoleum, carpets and underlay must be removed.

SCREEDED OR CONCRETE FLOORS

Concrete floors require an effective suitable underlay and must be completely dry before any installation.

TIMBER

Suspended wooden floors must be completely fixed and then covered with at least 6mm thick plywood sheets, this should be fixed at 300mm centres (which means screwed every 300mm in every direction from the centre). All screw heads should be countersunk below the surface of the plywood.

A suitable underlay should be fitted in the opposite direction of the soon to be layed floor boards. If you're unsure please contact your nearest Floors Direct store so they can come and inspect your sub floor.

UNDERFLOOR HEATING

Underfloor heating is available from all our stores - please consult our ‘Underfloor Heating’ leaflet in this regard or enquire at your nearest Floors Direct store.

PLANNING THE FLOOR

All floors boards should be layed parallel to the direction of the main light source, i.e. main window.

A suitable a underlay should be fitted in the opposite direction of the soon to be layed floor boards.

Start laying the floor boards from the left hand corner, working towards the right.

Use a cut piece of board from the 1st row, to start the next. This must be at least 300mm long. If the piece is too short, start with a new board, cut in half. Always ensure that the end joints are staggered at least 300mm.

Due to this product being wood based you will need to leave an expansion gap of approx 8 - 10mm between the floor edges and the perimeter of the room. To cover the gap you may remove the skirting before fixing the floor and replace them over the gap at the end or alternatively you can lay to within 12mm of the skirting and attach a quadrant to the skirting to cover the gap.

For regions of high humidity: the wider the expansion gaps the better - advisable is a 10 - 12mm gap.

Flooring widths above 8 meters or lengths above 12 meters will require additional expansion joints within the floor. This is important in commercial applications.

If installing in a bathroom, follow the previous instructions for planning and cutting and make sure that each board is adhered to the next via a continuous line of PVA Waterproof Adhesive along the tongues before knocking them into the grooves.

Examine the space between floor and door to ensure that there is enough space (at least 1cm or 2 floor boards stacked on top of each other), so that after laying the laminate floor, the door can still be opened and closed over the bridging gap. If necessary, shorten the door.

INSTALLATION GUIDE

Laminate flooring is so quick and easy to install that you could even do it yourself. Alternately, let us do it for you. Either way, you’ll be able to walk on your floors right away – no waiting for anything to dry or settle and absolutely no breathing in fumes for weeks on end!

1. Check whether the floor is level. Minor unevenness can be compensated with a suitable underlay or if it exceeds 2mm per 2metre length, sand it down or level it with a filler such as cement screed. Sweep subfloor for debris.

2. Lay suitable underlay. Check how many rows you need and how many panels will fit along the length of the wall. For optical reasons, floor panels should always be laid lengthways in relation to the principle light source.

3. Start laying panels from the left hand corner with the tongued side facing the wall and using spacers to leave an 8 -10mm expansion between the wall and the panel. *Areas of high humidity - 10 - 12mm. To lay the second panel (along the side of the wall), insert its end tongue into the first panel’s groove at a 15 degree angle. Move the plank down until it locks securely into position.

4. Knock in the panel using a tapping block with a hammer, that ensures that the joints are butted tightly together.

5. End pieces can be fitted by using the off-cuts rotating 180° and marking accordingly. Cut the last piece to fit and slot into position. Remember to leave an expansion gap of 12mm from the wall by utilising spacers during installation.

5b.

6. To start the second row, use the cut off from the first row. Measure the length the panel needs to be. Lay the second panel of the second row by inserting its top end’s tongue into the off cut’s groove. Slide the panel towards the previous row. Lift the panels slightly making an angle of approximately 15 degrees so that the tongue can enter the grooves of the previous row’s panels. Fit the panels by moving it down.

7. Remember to install intermediate expansion gaps for areas longer than 12 metres and wider than 8 metres. Expansion gaps must also be left at each doorway. For the last row, position the first plank of the last row exactly on top of the plank in the preceding row. Position one more plank with its groove facing the wall. Leave the 8-10mm gap using the spacers. For regions of high humidity a 10 - 12mm gap is advisable. Trace the contour of the wall onto the plank and saw along the line.

8. After installation, remove spacers and cover any expansion spaces with trims and skirting using silicone sealants. Floors Direct supplies matching and colour-coordinated trims.

9. Skirting and moldings should be firmly fixed to the wall and not to the floor. Make sure that you do not accidentally fasten down the flooring boards with the trim. That will prevent the floating laminate surface from moving freely.

10. For door mouldings, lay a board (with the decorative side down) against the door frame, mark the height and saw doorframe to marked height. This allows the plank to be easily pushed under the doorframes