Laminate floor buying help/guide/anything really!

Ally

Ok, I spent absolutely ages going around DIY stores looking at all the different floors they had. I was told laminate is easier to care for than real wood and harder wearing ..... OK, we'll go for laminate then!

Then there's the underlay..... was told you only need one type ... the combi type, it had some sort of silver foil covering .... what about that blue plastic sheet? don't you really need that? Is the combi underlay enough to keep it warm? We have concrete floors!

Then there's the expansion gap fillers..... erm. ..... isn't that supposed to be a gap to allow for expansion? And this is gonna sound really silly .... but with the cork expansion gap filler it says covers 11m2 ... does that mean it will do 11m long does that make sense? ... I'll kick myself later, but for now I can't think

Then the little trim things to cover the expansion gaps ... I'm ok with that and the tool kit. Oh and the special tape for the underlay ... looks like ordinary sellotape to me

That's all right? I have read sooooo much and have just confused myself even more! :wall: The cheaper brands have 10 year guarantees like the more expensive ones too. I have read alot about the cheaper ones chipping during the instalation, but that that only happens if you do it wrong, not so much to do with quality.

then I read floors2go were cheapest .... I didn't find they were whilst going in to stores .... but then again ... I could be really tight:o

basically we have to cover 37m2 and it is driving me nuts 'cos i don't want to buy something then regret it later ... but at the moment, even though we really need new flooring (little ones a bratt with liquids) we can't afford to pay what we would like to! And the sales reps all seem to be teling me different things ... in one store we were told we needed 10 packs to cover 37m2, and in another, we were told we needed 15 packs and they both covered the same amount give or take a few cm2

So, thought I would ask the MSE'ers to clear up my current state of confusion and absolute laminate exhaustion! any experts out there ... Pleaseeeeeeeeee!

thanks in advance guys!:wave:

tootles_2

If your little one is prone to spilling stuff, be careful, laminate flooring will lift it it gets wet and it is not wiped up straight away. My Stepson, put down laminate flooring in the flats he owns, they had a leak and the floor is all lifting........If you want good sound insulation go for the thick slab underlay....like everything else you get what you pay for, buy the best you can afford and keep it dry.

I use the brush on the hoover brush to pick up the dust, then one of the static clothes round a flat mop head, if you get a spill clean it up straight away, if you have to use a cloth make sure its very well rung out and dry well with a duster so no moisture gets down between the boards.

Ally

Hiya and thanks! we're not worried about the sound ... got no one to disturb:o just worried about the cold .... I saw ugly looking boards, like recycled cardboard ..... is that what the sound proofing thing looks like?

Do you or anyone else know of the best/recommended places to buy flooring from?

Poppycat

We recently laid laminate in the hallway which is concrete floor. We got the underlay that is green in colour and appears to consist of wood pulp glued. Easy to break off with a sharp blade and lay down. We got the more expensive laminate from B&Q for hallways, itw as around £15, notice they have 10% off today so it says inthe email I received.

We just laid the underlay so that all areas are covered, laid laminate cut with jigsaw. Then left a small gap at the skirting about 5-8 mm. Then used quadrant around the edges to hide the expansion gap. Glued that to skirting with glue that you use a mastic gun, and tacked to hold in for a day. Undid the tacks, the filled with suitable wood filler.

Any areas we couldnt get quadrant tofit, like near the door we just fileld in with filler. Seems okay but I may get some small thinner quadrant to hide it.

OK_Sauce

I've layed plenty of laminate flooring in both my current and previous house.
First of all if you have young kids spillages are inevitable but if spills are wiped up immediately there should be no problems. If you are worried then go for a more water-resistant variety - such as the laminates that can be used in bathrooms.

Depending on the pattern you are after a tile or plank effect, there are plenty of manufacturers around. The B and Q stuff is very reasonably priced and there is a large range. If you order from a supplier you may have to over order in case you run out. Make sure you can return any you don't use. This may need to be agreed in advance. This is where the DIY sheds are easier. If you run out you can just go and get some more!

In my experience 10% over your square meterage is generally okay as when laying the floor you can use any offcuts, unless they are too small, from the previous row to start the new row.

When laying the floor preperation is everything. Firstly lay a board upside down on a piece of underlay next to the door frame. Use the depth of these to saw the bottom of any door frames. You'll eventually need to fit a board cut to the right shape under this to make a neat job. For the expansion gap a 10mm gap should be left around the walls. You can buy wedges specifically for this when laying should you wish. To cover the gap there are two trains of thought. The neatest option is to remove all of the skirting first and then either re-attach it slightly higher or buy new skirting. The other method is to use quadrent painted the same colour as the skirting. You don't need to fill the gaps with anything!

You say you have a concrete floor. Make sure it is absolutely clean and then lay the damp proof plastic sheet first. If laying over floorboards this is unnecessary, but make sure all the boards are nailed down! Then lay the laminate flooring underlay. The tape you use to join these can be anything - it's only used to keep it in place. As for the laminate boards I would recommend the clip together stuff - the joints theoreticlly should never pull apart. Then just follow the laying instructions as per the packet markings. I've used Quick-step loc, B & Q, Homebase and Wickes stuff and they all seem to utilise slightly different methods depenending how the tounge and groove connections have been designed.

Hope this is of some use!

Rhino666

Useful post OK Sauce

So in terms of buying the laminate it would seem that Quickstep is recommended by most and Floors2go seems to be the best place to get it.

Can anyone confirm that the cheaper Quickstep 700 ranges are good enough and suggest the best way to negotiate the best price with Floors2go ?

Ally

Thanks guys ..... very very useful tips there.

I have a questions for OK Sauce ('cos you've done this so many times ) do you think combi underlay is best or the sheet then the board type things that Poppy mentioned??

Poppycat

Ally I have both types, the sheet stuff is much thicker and better for insulation. The other stuff very thin foam with aluminium foil is too thin for my liking. I didnt lay plastic underlay because we dont get water problems.

Laminate is very easy to keep clean, just sweep with one of those cheap plastic sweeps that attach paper tissues one, our cost a £1 and £1 shop. Also a quick wipe with damp cloth (not not wet) or as we do with those paper wet tissues are more than adequate.

OK_Sauce

For peace of mind I would lay the plastic sheet as it is continuous, ie no gaps for damp to seep through. As for thickness, upstairs I used the thick stuff as it is very good at soundproofing, downstairs I used the thinner foil baked stuff as soundproofing wasn't so much an issue.

Hope this helps!

Dennis99

Agree with the advice from OK Sauce, although I felt white quadrant would not look right in mine. I've done 4 in this new house in the last year or so, I agree the B&Q is good stuff. Here's a bit of inspiration, our spare bedroom, an en-suite door , an angled main door and a wardrobe. :eek:

MrsMondragon

I think that Floors-2-Go is rather expensive. Instead I think you would be better off buying your laminate floor from a local retailer. The floor I bought locally was 4 pounds per square metre cheaper than what Floors-2-Go were selling for.