Laminate is a floor covering made out of high density board, which is resistant to abrasion, scratches, stains, direct sunlight, and chemical substances, etc. The modern system of panel connection makes the installation process very easy due to the fact, that it is not necessary to fix the laminate to the base.
How to install laminate floors?
First of all, one should check the integrity of laminate before the installation. One should also avoid installing damaged or defected pieces. It is recommended to assemble and install laminate only during the day time or with good illumination. Thus you’ll be able to identify all possible damaged pieces.
Some people like laminate floors so much that they actually want to put it in every room, including bathrooms. This is a very bad idea, as laminate should not be installed anywhere near water sources. The thing is that water can get between the edges and into the base of the laminate and damage it permanently. If you still want to lay laminate flooring in your bathroom, try to do it as far as possible from any water sources, like showers, faucets, bathtubs and lavatory pans.
Laminate floor that was installed in a bathroom also requires a lot of attention: one should always to keep the floor surface and edges near the walls clean and dry. The interior humidity should also be kept under control – 50-65%.
Installing the laminate
There are certain tips and tricks how to lay laminate wood flooring. One of them is to install the flooring so that the longitudinal edge is parallel to the light source. This trick is performed to receive the optimal optical perception. If the installation takes place in an apartment with two or more windows, then the trick here will be to install the flooring according to the light source that is coming from the largest window. Thus you’ll achieve a peculiar visual effect: the apartment will seem square and more spacious, instead of narrow and long.
Another important trick before the installation procedure is the correct acclimatization. All the elements of the laminated floor must be prepared (or acclimatized) according to the climatic conditions in the room they’re to be installed in. The procedure takes about 48 hours with the temperature above 17°C and humidity of 50-65%. If the climatic conditions in the warehouse and the apartment it will be installed in differ, than the period of acclimatization should be prolonged. Boxes with laminate panels are usually situated on a flat surface without opening them. Note that these conditions should be always followed in new building, because the humidity is usually very high there.
Base for laminate
Laminate can be easily installed on a parquet or even linoleum, just make sure that the base is flat (the maximum slope should be 3mm for 1m of length), dry and sturdy. Any roughness can be fixed with special straightening mixtures. Make sure the surface has no cracks or chips! It is also not recommended to install laminate on soft surfaces, like carpets or boards and if you want to place it on concrete base, cover the laminate with a 0.2 mm plastic wrap and glue it to provide steam isolation, which will prevent any surplus humidity from getting inside.