Choice of laminate for your home
If you have not already encountered this material, contact the store for the help of a consultant. He will answer all your questions.
When choosing a laminate, you should pay attention to the following factors:
- should pay special attention to the warranty period;
- for residential premises provides such classes of goods as 21, 22, 23;
- it is better to choose panels with thickness not less than 7 mm;
- the density of the panels must be at least 850kg / cu.m;
- the best laminate manufacturers are Belgian, French and German companies.
Preparation for laminate laying
For the correct and efficient installation of the floor covering, tools and materials must be prepared:
- laminated panels;
- building mixtures and screed tools( if necessary);
- insulating substrate;
- laying tools: wedges, gasket, strapping tool;
- measuring tape;
- plinth;
- small hacksaw.
Step-by-step description of the process of laying laminate in an apartment building. Step 1. Leveling the floor
If your floor has obvious defects, this process is a prerequisite for laying the laminate in the living area. In the presence of uneven coating, the joined panels will quickly disperse in the fastenings and will become unusable.
In order to level the floor in the room, a screed is traditionally used, which can be made with concrete or special building mixes by mixing them with water and pouring on the floor. Also, there are different types of dry screed in the form of mixtures of expanded clay, slag or quartz. The advantage of using such a screed is that after installation, the room does not need to be given time for drying, so the process of laying the laminated coating is significantly accelerated.
Step 2. Measuring room parameters
Before you begin the laying process, you need to measure the length and width of the room. This is done in order to calculate the number of necessary elements of the laminate coating. Usually measurements are made using a tape measure or ruler.
Step 3. Calculating the amount of laminate
To calculate the required number of laminated panels, you need to perform such actions: measure the area of the room, divide it by the same amount of one unit of material. At the output, we get the exact number of pieces in pieces.
Step 4. Preparation of
material Before starting work, it is necessary to "get used" to laminated panels to the conditions of the room. For this, the packs of purchased material are left in the room in which the work will be done for two days. Only then you can proceed with the installation process.
Step 5. Laying the substrate
First, the substrate is laid. It is an intermediate layer of synthetics or a plug between the screed and laminated panels. This layer serves for soundproofing and ensuring greater reliability of the laminate laid. Also under the layer of the substrate is to lay a layer of polyethylene, which will provide waterproofing. It must be laid perpendicular to the direction of the laminate joints.
Step 6. Process of orientation of panels on incident light
During laying of a laminate it is necessary to take into account the fact that seams will be less noticeable if to lay panels in parallel to the falling sunlight that emanates from windows. Thus, it is possible to impart an additional aesthetic value to the pavement.
Step 7. Laying the first row of laminate
You should start installing the laminate from the wall, while leaving a gap between the first panel and the wall. The gap should be about 10 mm. In the future, this gap between the cover and the wall will be covered with a skirting board. To ensure that the gap does not disappear, it is necessary to use special wedges that will maintain the necessary clearance between the wall and the laminate.
Step 8. The process of joining the panels together
The joining of the laminate-covering parts can be done in two ways: by means of grooves or glue. In the first case, the panels are joined to each other by the relevant parties. When gluing the same fastening, a special glue is applied to the joints of each panel, which then keeps the structure intact.
Step 9. Controlling the correct placement of the
After the first three rows of the laminate have been installed, in order to avoid future unevennesses, it is necessary to perform in-line measurements. They can be done with a tape and a ruler. If the first rows lie perfectly correctly, they can be fixed with adhesive tape and continue the installation of the remaining material.
Step 10. Mounting the skirting board
The skirting board is fixed in places where there is a gap between the panels and the wall. This element bears more decorative than a functional character, so do not strongly press it against the laid panels. Before the beginning of installation it is necessary to put a piece of a dense cardboard under a skirting board, then accurately to fasten it to a wall саморемими.After carrying out the above actions, you can remove the cardboard. Now the work can be considered complete.
With proper care, such a floor will serve you more than one year, remaining strong and aesthetically attractive.