Laminate Installation

Laminate Installation

There are different laying systems for our floors. Here, you get an insight and practical tips on how to lay your laminate floor perfectly.

Floor laying rules

1. Before installation it`s necessary to keep laminate flooring in horizontal position, in package, during 48 hours at the room temperature (not less than +18°C) and air humidity - not more than 70%.

2. The foundation should be dry, clean, leveled and lasting (irregularity should not exceed 2 mm per 1 lineal meter of the floor). The foundation prepared in such a way should be covered by water-vapor barrier film (overlapped) and glued by moisture-resistant tape. Then lay the foundation base coat edge-to-edge.

3. Each floor panel should be checked (before and during the assembly) for any possible damage, defect visible with the naked eye (the difference in colour, size, etc.). In the case of laying floors with the defects the manufacturer will not consider any warranty claims.

4. Laminate flooring form the so-called "floating" floor. Therefore, they should not be glued, nailed or otherwise fastened to the wall or the floor.

5. Between the floor and all perpendicular stationary elements (columns, door sills, pipes, walls, etc.) provide10 mm gaps, the so-called expansion joints, since laminate flooring is expanded or compressed under the influence of variations in temperature and humidity level. For this purpose the distant wedges should be applied during the assembly.

6. If the length of the room is more than 8 m and the width is more than 6 m it is recommended to leave expansion gaps of 2-3 cm in width at the floor proportionally.

7. To achieve optimal visual effect the laminate flooring should be laid lengthwise toward the main light source. The following tools and materials are required to lay laminate flooring:

water vapour barrier film
foundation base coat for use under the "floating" floors
fine-toothed saw
pencil, ruler, meter stick
floor moldings (with mounting clips)

Laying on heated floors

Laminate flooring can be used on heated floors.

It is allowed to lay laminate flooring in the case of water heated flooring if the heating is all over the floor surface. The underlayment over the heat conductors should be about 2 cm thick.

The application of concrete underlayment is due to need for uniform temperature distribution, the possibility of its gradual increase and keeping. Taking into account the increasing overdrying of floors during the heating season and the changes in size hereto related, special attention should be paid to proper assembling of floors and saving of the expansion gaps.

Additional actions for heated floors assembling:

1. The underlayment should be performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

2. The underlayment should be obligatory heated before laying in order to prevent water-bleeding henceforth. This procedure should be performed regardless of the season.

3. In the case of cement concrete you can start warming up in 3 weeks.

4. The temperature should be daily increased by 5°C, up to maximum temperature increase.

5. Heating should be set up for maximum capacity without reducing the temperature within 72 hours. At the end of this maximum heating stage the temperature should be gradually reduced by 5°C daily.

6. In order to test whether the underlayment is dried up, use the pieces of PE film (50 x 50 cm). The film should be laid out on the floor and the edges should be tightly glued with the tape. Floor laying should be started only if after 24 hours the film is not steamed and the underlayment surface doesn’t change its color. If the result is negative, the process of floor drying should be repeated.

7. The heating should be turned off for at least 2 days prior to floor laying. The air temperature during the process should be 18 - 22 °C. In the case of significant cooling of the room the heating should be introduced gradually raising the temperature by 5 °C daily until the maximum capacity. This rule should be followed always before every new heating season.

8. The temperature of the base for laying laminate flooring should not exceed 28°C. During the heating season it’s recommended to keep the temperature at the level of 20- 22°C at humidity 50 - 70%.