Laminate Flooring Installation

Based on the click and lock method laminate flooring is fairly simple to install and may not require a professional contractor.An important part of the installation process is the preparation of the floor surface.While it may or may not be necessary to remove the old floor, a suitable underlayment should always be used.Because this method of installation creates a floating surface, it is possible to lay one floor on top of the other with floor mats in between, as long as the surface is clean, flat, and dry.

Under the right conditions, laminate flooring can be installed on the following surfaces:

• Concrete slabs.

• Cork stoppers.

• Hardwood (but not engineered wood).

• Linoleum.

• Natural stone (if smooth).

• Oriented Strand Board (OSB) or particle board.

• Plywood.

• Tiles. 

• Vinyl tiles, sheets or planks.

Materials should have time to acclimate to their environment before installation.Unopened boxes can be left at normal room temperature for 48 hours or more to give them time to adjust.Next, it may be beneficial to lay out the laminate as a model on the floor prior to installation. While the click and lock method is not permanent, this planning step helps anticipate cuts and adjustments caused by the shape of the room or difficult areas around the door.It is important to leave a slight gap between the floor and the wall to allow for expansion once the planks are locked in place.

Laminate flooring

The term "floor" refers to the  lower enclosed surface of a space within a building.This may be part of the floor structure, such as a concrete slab or the upper surface of a floor, but usually it is a permanent covering laid on the floor. There are many types of flooring materials to choose from.

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate floors are synthetic flooring products made from multiple layers. Modern latch laminate floors "float" - because they are not fastened to the underlying layers.While there are many different methods of making laminate floors, they are generally based on variations of similar ingredients:The top layer is a high-resolution photographic image of a moisture-resistant (but not waterproof), natural material such as wood or stone.This layer is coated with a clear protective (and sometimes scratch-resistant) coating that prevents the image from fading over time or being exposed to sunlight.

Below is a core made of compressed fibreboard, designed to stabilize the product:

The bottom layer is usually the same thickness as the core layer and is made of melamine resin. Its purpose is to increase moisture resistance and sound absorption.It also strengthens the floor and helps smooth out small imperfections in the subfloor.

BS EN 13329 sets out the specification requirements for laminate flooring.

Laminate History

Laminate flooring has been on the market since the 1970s.Swedish chemical company Perstorp AB Holdings is credited with inventing laminate flooring in 1977.The team was tasked with retrofitting a composite kitchen countertop for use as a flooring material. The resulting product was launched in Sweden in 1980 as the Perstorp Golv GL80.It was introduced to the European market in 1984 as "Pergo" and to the North American market in 1994.Early laminate flooring was often considered inferior to solid wood due to poor print quality and manufacturing.Glue-based installation methods can sometimes result in curved surfaces.Printing techniques and installations improved over time.Current laminate flooring products can include realistic bevels, grooves and embossed surface textures to make them look and feel more authentic.Glueless click and lock method introduced in 1996.Laminate flooring products are now available in a variety of patterns, textures, widths, lengths and thicknesses.

Install

Based on the click and lock method, laminate flooring is fairly simple to install and may not require a professional contractor.An important part of the installation process is the preparation of the floor surface.While it may or may not be necessary to remove the old floor, a suitable underlayment should always be used. Because this method of installation creates a floating surface, it is possible to lay one floor on top of the other with floor mats in between, as long as the surface is clean, flat, and dry.

Under the right conditions, laminate flooring can be installed on the following surfaces:

• Concrete slabs.

• Stoppers.

• Hardwood (but not engineered wood).

• Linoleum.

• Natural stone (if smooth).

• Oriented Strand Board (OSB) or particle board.

• Plywood.

• Tiles.

• Vinyl tiles, sheets or planks.

Materials should have time to acclimate to their environment before installation.Unopened boxes can be left at normal room temperature for 48 hours or more to give them time to adjust.Next, it may be beneficial to lay out the laminate as a model on the floor prior to installation. While the click and lock method is not permanent, this planning step helps anticipate cuts and adjustments caused by the shape of the room or difficult areas around the door.Once the planks are locked in place, it's important to leave a slight gap between the floor and wall for expansion.

Durability

The durability of laminate flooring is rated according to the Abrasion Criteria (AC) system.These ratings, from 1 to 5, measure resistance to abrasion and help determine a product's suitability for different applications:

 AC1-Moderate domestic use

 AC2-General Domestic Applications

 AC3-heavy domestic applications or moderate business traffic

 AC4-General Commercial Traffic

 AC5-heavy commercial applications

High-quality laminates may have a 20-year warranty.