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8 Tips for Installing Laminate Flooring

It’s no secret that many people find laminate flooring as a viable option for their floors. Since its introduction in the 1990s, laminate flooring has become very popular. It’s durable, easy to maintain, affordable, and the fact that you can install it as a DIY project makes it the ultimate handyman’s option.

However, even though installing Mesa flooring is a very simple process, there are a few tips that you should keep in mind:

Prepare the Subfloor

To get the subfloor ready, tap any protruding nails to make sure their heads are leveled with the surface. After doing that, inspect the whole room and listen for squeaking sounds. If you notice any strange noise, tap down a 2-inch screw at that spot.

Pry Up the Shoe Molding

The baseboard molding should be left in place, while the baseboard shoe molding should be removed. Use a pry bar to remove it. However, be very careful to make sure that you do not damage the molding. You will need to fix it back after you install the floor. When you are fixing the shoe molding back in place, nail it to the baseboard instead of the floor.

Undercut the Casing

You will have to trim your side jambs and door casings so that the floor can fit properly at the entryways. It should slip under the door without any hindrance. You will need a reciprocating saw to cut through the door casing and floor scrap.

Roll Out the Underlayment

There’s a thin layer of underlayment that’s set under the flooring Mesa AZ. This is supposed to act as a sound and moisture barrier. You will come across different types of underlayment available in the market. However, you should follow manufacturer’s recommendations on the one to use for your floor type. They are also available in varying lengths.

Rip the First Row

Before you start installing laminate flooring, you must get the correct width for the first and the last row. This is to make sure that your floor will be balanced and look better when you are done. This is also important so that none of the floor rows is smaller in size than the others.

Use a Tapping Block

You will notice that the tongue and groove planks will usually attach tightly. To close the joints properly, you should use a tapping block. Hammering straight to the edge of your plank will damage it, and you won’t be able to install another plank.

Making unique tapping blocks is not difficult. You can do this from hardwood scraps lying around. However, for the best results, it’s always advisable to use tapping blocks that were uniquely designed for your laminate floor.

Chop the Planks

Most carpentry tools can be used to cut your planks to the appropriate length. You will notice, however, that if you are sawing through them, there’s a lot of dust. If you do not want to deal with dust, you can get a unique cutter for laminate flooring. This will help you cut through the flooring without worrying about the dust.

Drop in the Last Row

For the last row, you have to make sure that the ends of the planks are snapped together. Make sure all the rows are in place against the second-last row. Keep the tongue and groove joints aligned and then after that, you can insert a bar between the baseboard and the final row so that the joint is tightly closed.