The most important factor for a successful installation is preparation. If you have a wood floor, you can follow the same process. First of all, remove all existing soft floor covering such as carpeting, felt and vinyl. Some of the floor was also previously carpeted. To determine the roughness of the concrete floor we put a direct rail to the floor and a level is determined at any not very smooth place. So, whether you go for vinyl or wood, here is a handy guide to laying flooring on concrete. Another option is to tape a piece of your vinyl flooring to the concrete for 72 hours. Because the concrete slab in a basement floor is in contact with the soil beneath and touching the foundation walls at the perimeter, it may be considerably cooler than the air and surrounding surfaces in the same area. If your concrete subfloor was just poured, you’ll need to allow it to properly cure for a minimum of 60 days before your luxury vinyl flooring installation begins. If your not living in the home you can start where If the floor is uneven, you need to address a few things to create a flat floor for the laminate flooring. Last but not least, you have to cut the door jamb, as to lay the laminate boards under it. The underlay is used for its excellent thermal insulation properties (it protects the room against losses of heat), because it improves the sub-floor irregularities and reduces sounds transmitted to the below room. Use our step-by-step how to guide, which will lead you from preparation, right the way through to completion of laying your laminate flooring. The first thing to do when installing a vinyl floor is to thoroughly inspect the existing floor. Fill low spots that sink 1/8 inch or more below the surrounding surface with leveling compound. If the floor is not level, get a bag of self-levelling compound and apply this first. The times I had to grind a floor, I had to first attach a vacuum to my grinder then you need to tape off door ways with plastic sheathing to other rooms . Follow the instructions and use proper tools. Some carpet installers will glue the padding down. Remember that the blade of the saw must have the teeth downward oriented, to avoid chipping the planks. to get the glue off the floor. The next step is to use the cutting setup, as to obtain a proper, straight cut. 'https://ssl':'http://cdn')+'.luckyorange.com/w.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(wa,s);})(); Floor Preparation, Not Always The Fun Part But It Has To Be Done. Use a straightedge (8' 2x4 or whatever) and go over the floor to see how flat it is. This sounds fairly tedious, but if you don’t properly prepare your concrete subfloor, it could lead to problems later on. it is easier for you. The glue is usually just around the perimeter of the room and sometimes where the pad joins together. If you have a concrete floor, you must use a self-leveling compound to level the floor out. I use my crowbar to just hit the nail in the tackstrip from After preparing the concrete subfloor and installing a vapour barrier, it’s now time to lay down your laminate flooring over the surface. When connecting the rows together, you should lift them at about 45º. From my experience a flat concrete slab is rare. So I ask my Step 1. All concrete will contain some level of moisture and this is especially true of newly laid concrete. In addition, the temperature should be at least 18º C / 64º F and the distance between the walls and the packs greater than 20”/50 cm. If you have a wood floor, you can follow the same process. Since laminate is a floating floor installation, areas of peaks and lows can interfere with the stability of the locking system and joints. I use a 4 inch scraper See more laminate flooring projects HERE. No matter the weather or season, a laminate wood floor should be a silent expanse that runs through your living spaces. The steps in this guide on how to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete are quite easy to follow. You have to unroll 20”/50 cm of adhesive tape and then press it gently with your hand, being attentive to keep it well stretched. by giving you more leverage when removing the tackstrip. If there are humps in the floor you will have to either raise the area surrounding the hump or get rid of the hump. The floor can go either way, front to back or side to side. 3 foot widths the length of the room and just roll them up. You'd need to give it about 24 - 48 hours to set. To align the base manually, you must find the highest poin… But you will need to prepare the concrete floor first. Use concrete filler or a similar floor patching compound to repair the damage. It had to come out. Nevertheless, if you have to lay laminate flooring on a large surface (a very large room or several room), you should buy only 5 percent more flooring. Place a piece of underlay on the concrete sub-floor, and a laminate board on top. When I use the Club I just ram the tackstrip where each nail is and it knocks the nail loose from the concrete. If I'm installing floors in a home that is occupied and It was 3/8 inch lower then the surrounding floor. Here in this photo I had to fill in a dip in the concrete. How to Install Underlayment for Laminate Flooring on Concrete: Picking the Right Underlay & Installation Process. There can be areas of preparation you may not have anticipated before you start your project of installing your laminate flooring. But with concrete? Inspect the floor and repair cracks, pits, holes, or other uneven patches. the most efficient way. Cracks in the concrete will lead to an uneven surface for installation and will often produce dust that can contaminate the laminate and the material used to … The concrete dust is very fine and goes everywhere. They had added a room on the back of their home and the carpet flowed from the home into this new addition. The living room was easy as it only had carpet down. Most commercially available floating laminate floor boards boast a click-lock system, whereby the tongues and grooves on the planks are matched during installation. Step 2: Thoroughly clean your subfloor. Lay laminate flooring on the rest of the concrete floor, in the same manner described above. In this project we have used double click laminate flooring, but on the market you may also find other types of locking systems. However, concrete is compatible with all floors. The appropriate types of laminate flooring subfloor include: Exterior grade plywood subflooring; OSB board; Concrete (that is at least one month old) Existing wood that is not adhered to concrete Thread starter moneypitt; Start date 18 Jul 2005; M. moneypitt Frequent Poster. You have no mention of this otherr than to remove any high points in the concrete floor. hammer which works better then say a Do not apply too much force, as you risk damaging the grooves, just try to make the procedure progressively. If the laminate is laid on a concrete floor, it must be checked for the following defects: cracks and crevices; bumps. First and foremost, you’ll want to know exactly how much flooring … T Fades Well-Known Member. This can cause some floor preparation. When you pry the nail up on concrete floors it tends to break In the past years, we have witnessed many contractors which overlook this procedure, but we can assure you that it’s best to fit the laminate flooring under the jambs and not around them. Most often it is a matter of sanding down the high spots. Unlike a wooden floor, preparing a concrete … Use this Home Depot guide, How to Install a Tile Floor, for more information. customer, Mrs Smith have you considered the direction Anyway you look at it this type of floor preparation won't be any fun. Taking accurate measurements might take some time, but it’s a small effort compared to wasting laminate boards. I read in another article the requirement to level the concrete floor. Although the low spots may not be able to be filled in with a floor patch. Prepare the subfloor Repair cracks and holes. I removed the concrete and left the plywood because it’s in good condition. Next, connect them and lay the row on the floor. In the past years, we have witnessed many contractors which overlook this procedure, but we can assure you that it’s best to fit the laminate flooring under the jambs and not around them. Adding a layer of laminate padding on top of the moisture barrier will make a noticeable difference in how comfortable the floor is to walk on. Over the years I have removed multiple thousands of square This guide covers the following sections: Check moisture levels; Level the floor; Undercut door trims and door jambs; Clean the floor Laminate Flooring Installation Over Concrete. Preparing a wood sub floor may not be quite as bad as concrete. If there are humps in the floor you will have to either raise the area surrounding the hump or get rid of the hump. Wood floors- Carpet padding on wood floors can be a little more labor intensive, mostly from the carpet installers that use staples to hold the pad down. they can be pretty picky). If the flooring comes up easily, you’ll need to reduce the moisture content of the room via dehumidification and repeat the test. Flooring installation laminate installation guide jupiter install a laminate floating floor laminate flooring wood and concrete hardwood floor preparation subfloor for click and lock vinyl flooring. From first row of laminate flooring, you need to cut the tongue off using a table saw. A tip when cutting the old carpet, cutting it on the back side is a lot easier. var gaJsHost=(("https:"==document.location.protocol)?"https://ssl.":"http://www. You can use a moisture meter for this. Tile leveling systems can help keep your tiles level, aligned, properly spaced and held in place while the tile mortar cures. I plan on installing about 1000 square feet of laminate over the majority of my first floor, which is concrete slab. There shouldn't be any powder or flakes. When you go to purchase one of these products, make sure to get the one that is specific for a concrete floor. If the space is greater than 1/3”, the molding cannot mask the gap and the laminate floor would look unprofessional. In addition, make sure the rows are perfectly straight. When they added the room they had to cut the concrete wall to make a 6 foot wide entry into the room. This flooring has underlay attached. Return to Home Page from Floor Preparation Page. Prepping concrete floor for laminate. Any bumps or irregularities in the subfloor will cause problems later on in the process. Just make sure your floor dries completely before moving to the … I use the scraper to get the staples out of the floor, just make sure the blade in the scraper is dull so it will not dig into the wood floor. Concrete Preparation. Once the compound is dry, then you will be ready to apply the vinyl tile. Once the floor is level, you can fire ahead with the foam underlay and then the laminate. Knowledge Of Prepping A Plywood Sub Floor By The Laminate Flooring . where you will start your floor preparation. Continue the process of laying the laminate flooring by installing the plank into the position. Humps are just the opposite from dips. Afterwards, we carefully cut the board in a beautiful straight line. Note that you should start the first row with a full board. Use gloves when handling the tackstrip those nails are sharp! In order to make accurate measurements, install a spacer along the wall and turn the the laminate boards with the tongue towards the wall. Prepare the Concrete The concrete should be more than six weeks old. Laminate Underlay for Concrete with Moisture Barrier. Laying laminate flooring on uneven concrete can lead to problems. matter if they get damaged (in the case that your going The majority of the floor was previously covered in ceramic tile. You mix it with water and use a wide trowel to smooth it out level with the surrounding floor. So I had to tape up plastic sheathing on each side of the opening which was only about 10 inches wide. Concrete floors- Carpet padding shouldn't be too difficult to remove. Make sure there is no gap between laminate boards. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your floor before installing laminate flooring. In this photo are the tools I use for the floor preparation part to remove the carpet and tackstrip. I have most of that up now (talk about work). When interviewing potential installers ask what type of floor preparation may be needed. 1. floors on weekends. Laminate flooring can cover a lot of imperfections in the floors underneath, from my experience most of the humps or dips that will be hidden underneath the laminate flooring are not very noticeable. Some laminate flooring products need to be acclimated to the room for several days before installation. Check the newly-exposed sub-floor for any unevenness or damage. Install the laminate planks. Regardless of your subfloor, you always need to use a thin underlay with laminate flooring. 18 Jul 2005 #1 Anyone knows how to go on about this. After about 10 seconds of grinding I had to close my eyes the dust was so bad. she may not. other flooring projects. I could only do this for about 3 to 4 mins at a time until I got it right. Concrete floors are quite sturdy, so these are great foundations for laying a laminate floor. This makes it much easier In this project we have used 20”/50 cm wide, 3′ 4”/12 m long, 3 mm thick boards, but the rolls are as good. The basic rules of laying laminate flooring dictate that the subfloor over which it is laid must be completely clean, flat and structurally sound. It also provides extra insulation on the flooring making it … The main role of the underlay is to protect the room against losses of heat, to improve the sub-floor irregularities and to reduce sounds transmitted to the below room. Nevertheless, if the dimensions of the room allow you, you could start the second row with the cut waste from the last board installed in the first row. Floor preparation, knowing where to start is the first thing I need to know. The underlay is available either in rolls or in boards. Choose the right materials: Most traditional laminates are made with a waterproof surface layer, a decorative layer, and then fiberboard backing.This backing is what is susceptible to moisture, and if it comes in contact with liquids it can warp, twist, rot, and start to grow mold and mildew. Then, we connected the boards by using a mallet (hit the laminate board with a rubber hammer). Work with patience and make sure you don’t leave any gaps between the laminate planks. carpet being small like this you can put it out next to your it the long way, which is the longest stretch of room. Pay attention to the fact that when drawing the cut line, you should also place the spacers along the wall. Make sure there is no space between the rows by taking a close look. How to lay laminate flooring under door jamb. You can also use the Calcium Chloride Test. Next, use a pencil to make marks at both ends of the board. This also keeps your blades sharper longer. In order to complete the project in a professional manner, all you have to do is to install the missing pieces of laminate, under the door jambs. The method of leveling the concrete floor. Seal all edges with tape. From our experience, we can assert that the preparation stage is maybe more important then the actual installation. They also make the scrapers with the handles as long as 4 feet which helps to save your knees. So I've learned to do it the easiest and Just make sure you have at least 10” between the laminate joints on consecutive rows. Assessing the Subfloor. hammer. Prepare the Subfloor. Installing the laminate floors perpendicular to a light The proper way of preparing the floor before laying laminate flooring is to place a piece of underlay and a laminate board on the sub-floor. In this picture you can see how to connect the boards together. Assessing the Subfloor. An easy way to tell whether the floor is dry enough is to place a small piece of kitchen plastic wrap (about 12” square) to the surface of the concrete floor. No matter the weather or season, a laminate wood floor should be a silent expanse that runs through your living spaces. ... Folks, lack of floor preparation is rampant in the flooring business, specifically with hardwood and laminate installations. Uneven Floors. Concrete subfloors are common when it comes to basement and ground floor levels. It also works good on But with concrete, it also needs to have a moisture barrier. If the laminate is laid on a concrete floor, it must be checked for the following defects: cracks and crevices; bumps. Inspect the floor and repair cracks, pits, holes, or other uneven patches. Consequently, you should use two C-clamps and another straight laminate board and lock them together, as in the image. Therefore, use a large spirit level to see if there are irregularities on the subfloor and pour a thin layer of auto-leveling screed if necessary. room appear longer. to replace the baseboards) you can use what they call the club when removing the tackstrip. Installing a wood floor over a concrete sub-floor can be tricky. There’s a long list of things you … to one side so half the room is cleared. First and foremost, you’ll want to know exactly how much flooring … Moreover, the laminate flooring is easy to maintain and durable, if you clean it regularly with appropriate products. You should pay attention to all this steps, as a little error of measurement or of judgment could compromise the whole process. If you have a concrete floor, you must use a self-leveling compound to level the floor out. Knowing which direction the floor is going to lay will determine For … At this point with the concrete floor exposed you need to make sure the floor is somewhat flat. Then I give the floor a good sweeping, check again for any debris. yards of carpet. I use my scraper and scrap everywhere. Where a filter over your mouth and nose. Start by sweeping up any debris. We repeated the process for all laminate boards, and then we connected them with the rest of the flooring. Use concrete filler or a similar floor patching compound to repair the damage. Assuming that the concrete flooring is strong enough to support the underlayment for laminate flooring installation system, let’s start the job. However, laying vinyl flooring over concrete requires a bit more preparation. Manufacturers How to level concrete subfloor preparation for laminate or installing hardwood flooring over concrete how tos diy how to lay laminate flooring on concrete laying laminate floor on concrete slab mycoffeepot org how to level concrete subfloor preparation for laminate or preparing concrete surfaces for laminate flooring installation. The flooring associate at The Home Depot Canada suggested using vapour barrier with tuck tape to seal the concrete. She may have a preference or Lay the boards on the floor and seal them together with adhesive tape. If there isn't any base board on the walls or it doesn't Here in this photo I had to fill in a dip in the concrete. Get ready with the underlay, laminate flooring, level, knife-scissors-tape. Here you’ll learn how to prepare a concrete subfloor for laminate flooring, to make sure everything goes smoothly. Preparing concrete floor for tile. Prepare the subfloor Repair cracks and holes. Installing a wood floor over a concrete sub-floor can be tricky. If you overlook this aspect, you the laminate board won’t fit into location. Be sure to read the flooring manufacturer’s instructions carefully. If the packs are not set level, then they will bend and you won’t be able to use them again. If you do live in the home chances are you may be doing your Concrete is very hard, and laminate isn’t much softer. Removing residues under the door jamb Use an L-square and a pencil to draw the cut line on the laminate boards. Make sure that all grooves are clean before laying the boards,  otherwise the floor would have irregularities on the surface. The sub-floor beneath should be smooth, dry and level. Then I remove the carpet as I proceed. There was no way I could install laminate over this hump. A concrete grinder and moisture test kit can be handy as well. How to lay underlay for laminate flooring. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); And I use a 20 oz. After I finish with removing the carpet, tackstrip and padding I check the floor for any lumps of drywall mud or concrete lumps. Before installing, you will need to be careful about the moisture level. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that the moisture reading of your concrete floor cannot be more than 5%. Viewed 68 times 0. After preparing the concrete subfloor and installing a vapour barrier, it’s now time to lay down your laminate flooring over the surface. BUT from what I have seen if every floor I ever laid had to be fixed within specs, I would have either made a lot of money (leveling a floor can get costly) or I wouldn't have done many jobs. In order to make straight cuts, you have to use two clamps and another laminate plank on top of the the one you want to cut. Lay a moisture barrier If you are installing the laminate on top of concrete floor or any other subfloor that is prone to moisture, lay a moisture barrier on top of the subfloor before installing the laminate to protect it from moisture damage. The most important factor for a successful installation is preparation. Most commercially available floating laminate floor boards boast a click-lock system, whereby the tongues and grooves on the planks are matched during installation. the flooring. If … Adding a layer of laminate padding on top of the moisture barrier will make a noticeable difference in how comfortable the floor is to walk on. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that the moisture reading of your concrete floor cannot be more than 5%. Make sure that there are no stray nails left anywhere and sweep and vacuum the floor. So that the flooring can adjust to room temperature as well as humidity. floor rather then down the length of it. you would like to. Pound down any nails and set any screws that stick up. Step 1 After gathering all your tools and materials together, you will need to leave your laminate flooring materials in the room for a minimum of 48 hours to allow them to acclimatise. Swiss Krono recommends dragging a laminate board on its edge across the floor to find these spots. In order to seal the two boards of laminate flooring, we used a quality wood glue. I'm getting laminate flooring fitted in my lounge, porch and toilet and need to prep the concrete floor before it goes down. Messages 100. Unlike a wooden floor, preparing a concrete … chunks of concrete which leaves little holes along your walls. Here in this photo is a small 4 inch scraper I use. This step is critical for the lifetime of the laminate flooring, so verify carefully the surface more than once. Before leveling, the floor surface should be cleaned. This project is not time consuming, so you will be able to finish laying the laminate flooring on concrete in just one day. Regardless of your subfloor, you always need to use a thin underlay with laminate flooring. Work with great care, otherwise you might scratch the jambs. Laminate Underlay for Concrete with Moisture Barrier. Last but not least, in order to secure the joints, tap them with a mallet and another piece of laminate. Concrete is very hard, and laminate isn’t much softer. After laying the laminate flooring into position, you should draw the cut line on the laminate plank, by using a pencil and using a l-square. you want your floor to go? Unfortunately floor preparation includes doing this. source (such as sliding glass doors or a large window) Moisture will get through, so even if you don’t add an additional underlay, you do need to seal the concrete. It's very easy to use - it's like very running concrete and will pretty much flow into any hollows to level the floor. The laminate floor padding cost is $0.12 to $0.15 (12 to 15 cents) per square foot. If there are large expansion joints or cracks in your concrete, you can fill and smooth them using premixed leveling products from home improvement stores.