Laminated wood flooring

bigfoot125

I have a small area in a porch ,i need to lay down some laminated wood flooring,never done this before.Do i use staples to keep together?
anyone got any tips for this job

dont wanna mess up keep er indoors happy


cheers

sorry duplicate posting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ysabell

No, the strips click together. Go to https://www.wickes.co.uk and download the 'good idea' leaflet on lami flooring http://www.wickes.co.uk/scat/goodidea

arthurp8

Fear not - laying flooring is a really theraputic diy job. I had never done it - however have since gone on to do several rooms in my house and a few for friends, and my DIY is terrible

I would advise a cushion to kneel on! Its not noticeable as you do it - but without one the next day your knees will be v sore!

Also make sure you cut the pieces accurately (saves headaches) - and don't both with spacers - not neccesary really - but the tapping block definitely is!

B&Q also do an excellent coloured sealant which helps to fill in tiny gaps in the beading and around door edges (only 3-4 quid)

Becles

arthurp8 wrote:

I would advise a cushion to kneel on! Its not noticeable as you do it - but without one the next day your knees will be v sore!

Have a look in the garden centre for a kneeling pad. Hubby borrowed mine that I use while weeding, and it said it was great for his knees!

bigfoot125

just wondering where to get a tapping block

cheers

surfergirl_3

Hi Bigfoot 125,

I have seen the tapping blocks at B&Q and Wickes, they can be bought seperately or as part of a floor laying kit.

HTH

Surfergirl

will2208_2

I've just laminated my lounge, dining room & entrance hall. I hadn't laid a laminate floor before but I found it fairly straightforward. I did make a few errors with measurements, but it's quite satisfying once you get into it.

I used a jigsaw to cut the laminate on the underside (side which will be in contact with floor) that way you get a cleaner cut on top side with less chipping. Also, make sure you are absolutely satisfied that each plank is snug against the others once laid, as you'll have to look at it for some time and any gaps will really bug you!

But, my advice would be take a your time and measure twice cut once. Good Luck!!

colbee

Bigfoot125
I've done a few laminated floors on a diy basis and it is fairly easy. If you are doing only a very small area you may get away without using spacers, that is without leaving a 10mm gap all round, but personally I wouldn't risk it. The laminate floors expand and contract according to ambient conditions; if you don't leave a gap the floor will have nowhere to expand to and will buckle. The gap can be covered with beading fixed to the adjacent wall, not fixed to the floor itself. When measuring I found it useful to use a sliding bevel to take account of rooms/walls which were not square.
As mentioned elsewhere you will need a tapping block from such as B&Q, however that won't help when your last piece is against e.g. a wall -you won't be able to get the block in. For that you need an offset tapping iron, also at B&Q. Basically it's a flat piece of metal about 12"x2" with an upturn at one end and a smaller downturn at the other. The smaller one sits over the edge of your workpiece and you tap the upturn with a hammer.
Cushions? If you fancy doing a lot of diy get work pants with pockets for knee pads. Lastly, make sure your laminate is square to the space you are covering, even if the perimeter walls are not square. Oh, just thought of something else. By all means use a jigsaw if that's what you want but personally, unless you use a guide, which makes it time consuming, I find them a bit erratic. I recommend a good quality handsaw such as a Spear&Jackson Predator (about £10 at B&Q), this really zips through the laminate. Cut face-up with a handsaw. If you've got an old handsaw you'll probably find it hard work. I use masking tape to mark the cutting line. Happy laminating!