Features of laminate
Laminate - floor covering, which includes several layers:
- top - high-strength protective film( lamination);
- decorative - a furniture foil or processed paper that mimics the wood or the color and texture of other materials;
- main( carrier) - dense wood board HDF;
- bottom - resin-impregnated paper that protects from moisture a layer of chipboard or fiberboard.
This coating is quite strong and must be laid on a perfectly flat surface. This is because the laminate plates are interlocked with locks, and if the base is uneven, then the locks will break under load. But if the preparation of the floor before laying the laminate will be done correctly, then even the cheapest laminate will last for many years.
Leveling the floor for a laminate - we study the approaches of
There are several ways how to level the floor for a laminate. But they directly depend on the type of floor: concrete or wooden. There are methods that are suitable for any surface.
The leveling of the concrete floor takes place in the following ways:
- Concrete screed. It is used if the surface has large irregularities and defects that can not be aligned with half measures. If you take a cement-sand screed, then installation of lighthouses is required. This is the complexity of this method.
- Self-leveling compound. It is used if there are small differences and irregularities on the surface. The drop that is allowed should be no more than 5 mm.
- chipboard or plywood. This way of leveling is carried out if the height of the room makes it possible to make it smaller by 10 cm, because the plywood can be laid on logs, and not on the bare floor.
Wood floor leveling also has three ways:
- Looping. Creates a smooth base for laying the laminate. You can do this manually or with a special machine. Better, of course, to work as a machine, since it will be difficult to make alignment with your hands. The cyclone machine removes a layer of wood, which creates a perfectly flat rough floor under the laminate.
- Plywood or chipboard. It is necessary to fix the logs with screws. And between them it is better to make another layer of soundproofing, waterproofing and insulation.
- Puttying with a mixture of PVA glue and sawdust. This is the cheapest method of equalization. But it can be done if the foundation does not have significant drawbacks. In addition, raising the floor with this method is small.
Floor preparation for laminate flooring - sequential instruction
Next, we will look at the preparation of a concrete foundation for a laminate. The surface must be vacuumed, cleaned of oil stains, dirt and paint residue. If there are cracks and cracks, then they need to be fixed with a repair mixture. For example, we suggest analyzing how the floor preparation for laying the laminate should be done, if it is leveled with a cement-sand screed. First you need to determine the highest point of the base. For this it is better to take the level.
Next, a line is drawn along the perimeter of the walls and a cord is pulled. On this label, concrete will be poured. Now the beacons are installed and fixed by the slides of concrete, which should look like a thick sour cream. Further, the level of the beacons is checked and, if necessary, adjusted.
Before you prepare the floor for laminate flooring, you need to knead the mortar. To do this, you must follow the following proportion: 3 parts of sand to 1 part of cement plus water. For stirring, you can take a drill with a nozzle. Then the screed is poured into the marked line and leveled.
Now the rule is pressed to the beacons and stretches on itself. Excess mixture will accumulate at the end of the floor or flow into the void. The needle roller is rolled over the base to remove bubbles. After that, the concrete remains for 2 days to dry, but it is regularly wetted with water.
After two days, the beacons are removed, and the voids from them are poured with fresh solution, after which they are overwritten. Then it is covered with polyethylene and left in this form for 2 weeks. If the preparation of the floor for a laminate floor, a video about which you can see at the end of the article, is finished, you can start laying the cover.
