How To Buy Laminate Flooring

Laminate floors aren't the only option for durability and ease of installation. Next time you're at the home center, take a gander at luxury vinyl (LV) flooring. There's luxury vinyl tile (LVT), which looks like ceramic tile, and luxury vinyl plank (LVP), which mimics wood (shown here). Both types are extremely resilient, about the easiest flooring in the world to install and completely waterproof. Since luxury vinyl is so pliable, it's a great choice over uneven subfloors.

how to buy laminate flooring

All laminate flooring needs foam underlayment. Don't skip it. Underlayment prevents the floor from clicking on the subfloor as you walk across it and makes it feel a bit softer. It also makes the planks easier to install because it evens out small inconsistencies in the subfloor. Some underlayment has self-adhesive tape to join one row to the next. Others call for separate tape. Be careful to use whatever is required. Go ahead and buy the special laminate and wood flooring installation tool as well. You'll need it to pull together flooring ends where each row abuts a wall.

If you lead a quiet life, choose whatever flooring style appeals to you. But if you have one of those crazy households with kids, pets and lots of visitors, be a bit more careful. Flooring with a varied grain pattern, a low-gloss finish or distressed or hand-scraped patina will look much better, much cleaner, much longer than flooring with a glossy, monolithic grain pattern.

The directions will tell you the amount of slab or subfloor unevenness tolerated by the brand and type of flooring you buy. Over an uneven floor, wider planks will be harder to snap together, end joints won't stay flush with one another and there will be more gaps beneath the planks that you'll feel when you walk across the floor. So if your concrete or wood subfloor is quite uneven, you're better off selecting a narrower plank style, and being thorough when you apply the floor leveling compound.

Why: So many reasons. Easy to clean, hypoallergenic and perfect for homes with pets or kids as well as many types of commercial applications. Laminate prices are always less than hardwood as well as many other flooring types.

There are two types of laminates . One, known as DPL, or Direct Pressure Laminate, the other known as HPL, or High Pressure Laminate. With the HPL process, the backing and top wear layers are treated separately and then fused directly onto the core, creating a very strong floor suitable for very heavy traffic.

Underlayment is a thin foam padding that absorbs sound as well as some of the very minor imperfections in the sub-floor. You will also need either a separate moisture barrier or an underlayment with a moisture barrier if your floor will be on or below grade or in an area subject to moisture. You can purchase underlayment by the roll and lay it down before you install your laminate or you can buy a laminate with a pre-attached underlay, making installation even quicker and easier. There are basically 3 underlayment options:

Most laminate floors no longer require adhesives as the easier click lock systems now almost completely dominate the marketplace. However, should you come across a laminate requiring glue, use the adhesive recommended by the manufacturer.

One of the great features of laminate floors is that they tend not to react to sunlight and aging the way wood species do. For instance, cherry hardwood will change drastically over the years whereas cherry laminate will stay the same color as the day you bought it. Having said that, the better the warranty on your laminate, the better it will resist fade and discoloration. Let the AC ratings be your guide in establishing quality.

Living & Dining Rooms. This is the perfect place for laminates. Just be sure to use furniture protector pads under your chairs and couches to keep from scuffing the laminate surface. Make sure you buy a laminate with an AC rating that is tough enough for the way you want to use your floor.

People with allergies. Unlike carpets that store years of dust, pollen, animal hair and dander, laminate floors form a tight seal that cannot be penetrated by these elements. All you need to do to keep your home free from allergens is vacuum regularly.

Since the lamination process simply means fusing a photo decorative layer onto several other stabilizing layers, a laminate floor can look like just about anything. Laminates can look like stone, tile, or wood. And within these three categories, you can find color, texture, and tone in almost limitless varieties.

Preparing for a laminate flooring installation is a simple way to achieve the most efficient use of your time. There are three important issues to think about before the day of laminate installation: Furniture, appliances, and fixed objects.

Furniture: Remove all your furniture and other objects from the job site where laminate installation will take place. Make sure to empty the closets, cabinets, and other furniture containing household items. If your installer is prepared to move the furniture for you as a means of preparing for a laminate flooring installation, then check in advance if he or she is going to charge you for it.

Fixed Objects: For better finishing, fixed objects such as posts and fireplace surrounds need to be included into your plan when preparing for a laminate flooring installation. Measuring the dimensions of these objects and how they may affect your square footage requirement is a good way to start preparing. And this can be done before your installer arrives. For a laminate flooring installation, the overall look will often depend on the details. Preparing properly for laminate flooring installation can result in a trouble-free experience.

A do-it-yourself laminate floor installation requires intermediate-level construction skills. Several factors should be considered before a laminate floor installation. A swift and easy installation can take place if you carefully prepare for the installation. Here are a few instructions:

Underlayment is a material placed between the sub-floor and your laminate floor to provide cushioning, sound absorption and a barrier to moisture. It comes in large rolls or as separate pieces that can be taped together. The use of an underlayment speeds installation, reduces walking noise, improves flooring stability and provides superior support.

Ease of installation is one of the key advantages of laminate flooring. One of the two do-it-yourself installment options is the floating or glueless method. In this method, the flooring is not secured to the subfloor. Instead, it allows each board to be connected by means of a tongue-and-groove design. Around eight inches by four feet long, these planks click together to form a firmly fastened surface.

There are many things you should know before considering laminate as your flooring option. This may not be a complete list of things to look into before finalizing your decision about laminate flooring, but a good conversation with your flooring installer or dealer will give you the complete information. Make sure to get an installation quote that is truly all-inclusive before the work begins. Doing your research and getting all of the costs of a laminate flooring installation upfront is the key to a happy and successful project.

Thank you for getting in touch! I highly suggest taking the carpet up. If there is too much cushioning beneath laminate floor it will not stay stable and could come apart. If you do install over carpet your warranty will also be void because it would need to be installed over the plywood or concrete subfloor with the proper underlayment. Please let us know if you have any other questions!

Hello,I want to possibly put vinyl plank flooring on my stairs & entry hall area. I am thinking about a textured type. Would this be a good choice? We have carpet now & I really want to get rid of it. Any input would be appreciated.

I manage a commercial office building and a tenant who rents a space above us is interested in replacing his carpet with laminate flooring. I am wondering if this is a good idea in terms of the sound that may affect our workspace directly below. What steps should we take in order to minimize the sound?

hi,i am planning to fix my basement, with estimate that i got from my contractor he says he can put laminate. it is 2200 sq ft and it would an area mostly for kids to play as well as gathering place for the family. what kind of laminate should be installed there and is it the right call.thank youwali

I would presume that this area will have quite a bit of traffic (as you mentioned this is for kids to play and be a gathering place for family). In this regard I would recommend at least an AC3 rated laminate flooring as it is really durable for high residential use. If going over basement, you want to put a moisture barrier down (most underlayments you buy will have a built-in moisture barrier already). Here are a list of AC3 rated laminate flooring that we offer : //www.builddirect.com/Laminate-Flooring/Result_N_4294967290+4294966291+4294966351_Ne_109.aspx

I have a sliding glass door in the room in which I want to put laminate. I am concerened during the winter with pets and people coming in and out of the door. The floor we are looking to purchase is AC rated 4, and 7mm thick. Should I look at a higher AC or thickness?

AC4 rated laminate floormg would be a great choice, as it is ready for use in a wider range of commerica; uses like in boutiques or offices. For residential, you are definitely covered if you get AC4 (even AC3 would be a good choice too). In terms of thickness, if you are walking on a 7mm you will get more sound feedback than a 12mm laminate flooring. The thicker the flooring ,the more high density fibre the plank is comprised of, and therefore the more the flooring is going to sound like a natural product.

Hi We just had floating laminated flooring put in. I had put little pads on my oak dinning room chairs. It looks like there is some gluefrom the pads on the floor. How can I remove the glue without damaging the floor 041b061a72