Step-by-step preparation of the floor for laminate flooring

Before you start laying the laminate,it is necessary to prepare a qualitative surface of the floor. If this is not done, the finishing material for the floor will quickly deteriorate, and further operation will become impossible. The preparation of the floor for the laminate has its own distinctive features in accordance with the starting floor covering, the functionality of the room and the type of the finishing material. The master must necessarily take into account these starting criteria, which will determine the further actions.

What is the preparation?

Laminate has a long service life,if it is properly tended and properly laid. But during the repair will require a lot of effort to create the ideal conditions for the finishing material of this species.

Preparing the floor for a laminate is the following:

• The surface of the floor must be perfectly even.There should be no slightest changes in the form of depressions or hillocks. After all, with active use, an incorrect load distribution on the board due to unevenness leads to a violation of the integrity of the docking seam of the boards.
• High humidity can lead to deformationlaminate board, so you should take care of the quality of the cement screed, remove all cracks and crevices. On a cement screed, in order to protect the material from dampness, a special substrate is laid.
• Care should be taken to insulate the floor andadditional sound insulation. For this, an additional layer of a strong substrate is laid. The screed itself is treated with special means that prevent the formation of fungus, mold and the appearance of insects.

These stages are the main ones for the preparation offloor covering before laying laminated material. If the exploitation of such a floor provides a long-term option, then it is worthwhile to take care of its strengthening.

Additional material

The additional material is determined in accordance with the base surface on which the laminate will be laid. Auxiliary material is a substrate for the main finish:

• To form a quality screed, you must additionally purchase: plaster, packaged mortar, hermetically sealed mass.
• The wood substrate may be a plywood, bitumen-cork base, needles.
• Foam is one of the most popular substrate options in case the room is too moist.

Other components may be needed.Determine the need for other finishing materials can be, if carefully examine the situation. Sometimes auxiliary mixtures and substances for stripping and processing are required.

Required tools for stripping

Preparing the floor for a laminate requires not only experience and supporting material, but also the availability of appropriate tools:

• An electric jigsaw is required for cutting shaped auxiliary substrates.
• Building level, with the help of which an error is established in the unevenness of the floor.
• A drill that is used as a base for mixing the screed solution.
• Roller with needle nozzle, used in the process of pouring screed.
• Spatula for removing the roughness of the old coating.

Additional tools may be needed whensubject to the availability of any special materials or coating conditions. For example, during the installation itself, a screwdriver and a rubber hammer are required.

Algorithm of correct operation

The preparation of the floor for laminate is carried out in several stages:

1. Removing the old floor covering. Dismantling the outdated finishing material is done completely and very carefully, in order to minimize damage to the substrate.
2. Cleaning of construction debris from the floor surface. With the help of a broom or vacuum cleaner you need to remove all dust and small particles.
3. Determination of the unevenness of the floor, calculations for further alignment. It is necessary to clearly understand the numerical value of the lumen, the slope of the floor.
4. Align the surface. To optimize the surface, self-leveling screeds of different configurations are used.
5. Installation of the main (auxiliary) substrate. Depending on the characteristics of the room, you should choose a moisture resistant, natural or artificial substrate.
   

Only after all the steps described above, you can begin to lay the laminate. Otherwise, the quality and further operation of this flooring may remain in question.

Self-dismantling of the old coating

The method of dismantling the old coating depends on theWhat material is present on the floor. If lumens and slopes are normal, and there are no deformations and chips on the surface of the old coating, the laminate can be laid without prior dismantling. This can be implemented with virtually any coating other than carpet. Because it can further shrink, which will adversely affect the laminate.

Preparation of floors for a laminate with their own hands is carried out by dismantling the old coating:

• Carpet or linoleum is removed as follows: you need to unscrew the skirts and plinth, use a metal spatula to pick up the old coating, remove the material and vacuum.
• Плитку или кафель придется демонтировать с using a small chisel and a rubberized hammer. The chisel needs to be fixed in the seam between the tiles at an angle of 45 degrees. Hammer with a hammer on the chisel. All work is done as accurately as possible.
• The floor of the boards or plywood is dismantled, cutting off the parts at the junction of the elements, that is at the seams.

The styling quality will depend on the optimal deviation parameters: a difference of less than 3 millimeters per 1 running meter and a maximum of 1 millimeter of clearance per 1 running meter.

Features of preparation of a wooden floor

Preparing a wooden floor for a laminate requires two basic points: the difference between the boards is a maximum of 2 millimeters by 2 meters in length; maximum 4 millimeters of slope per 2 meters of space.

Now let's describe the process of preparing a wooden floor for a laminate with your own hands:

• Small defects can be removed by cycling. If the problem is large, then the uneven floor can be mounted with particleboard, plywood.
• Completely exclude squeaks and other extraneous sounds, which in the future can lead to deformation of the wooden flooring and the laminate itself.
• If the alignment with DSP did not give the desired effect, then it is worth considering the complete dismantling of the old wooden floor.
• Sometimes instead of plywood and chipboard use a self-leveling screed, which is mounted in accordance with certain rules.

When the surface is flat and clean, you can mount the substrate. Elimination of large defects between boards is carried out with the help of building foam, sealant.

Concrete floor processing

Preparation of a concrete floor for a laminateis carried out in accordance with the initial state of concrete. Sometimes it is necessary to fill the self-leveling mixture over the entire surface. It happens that it may be necessary to partially restore the concrete base.

The new self-leveling fill is mounted like this:

1. Concrete is primed.
2. It is filled with a screed.
3. It is dug with a prickly roller.
4. After drying, rolling is carried out.

Partial restoration is performed with cement mortar. Focal repair work is carried out in accordance with all the rules: exposure level, grinding.

Features laying laminate in the apartment

В квартирах полы исключительно бетонные, поэтому All installation and dismantling work is carried out in accordance with the conditions of preparation of the concrete pavement. If there is old linoleum on the floor, then it can also be left and laid laminate on the starting surface.

Preparation of the floor in the apartment under the laminate has itsfeatures associated with mounting the lining. If the laminate is laid on the ground floor, then auxiliary waterproofing is required. It is organized with the help of polyethylene with a thickness of 0.01 cm. The polyethylene in the joints is fixed with the help of construction adhesive tape.

The lining creeps along the same principle as polyethylene. Its joints should coincide with the points of connection of the polyethylene base. This will help increase the effectiveness of waterproofing.

Plywood for flooring

Preparation of the floor under the laminate plywood is made quite often. This trick is used to improve the quality of the surface of a wooden floor. Often plywood is also used for the following purposes:

1. Strengthening the wooden floor.
2. Warming flooring.
3. Improved sound insulation.

First lags of small height are recorded.They impose plywood sheets, the height of which is not more than 12 millimeters and not less than 10 millimeters. The distance between the screws - no more than 15 centimeters.

Condition of flooring before laying laminate

Preparing the floor for laying laminate isnot only in the successful formation of a smooth base, but also in the proper installation of the floor covering. The first thing to check is the quality of the self-leveling screed, if any. The screed must be dry. Some brands guarantee full drying in a week. Normally, all moisture from the screed "evaporates" in two weeks.

If the alignment was done usingplywood sheets or chipboard, the seams between the plates need to be sealed with sealant. Polyurethane foam is used less frequently, as this material may shrink over time.

Depending on the characteristics of the microclimatepremises, lining installation. Focusing on it, you need to make the choice of the substrate material. Additional materials for insulation are laid on the lining and fixed with adhesive tapes.

Where can I find the secrets of laying laminate?

To learn some secrets about the correct installation of laminate, you can turn to qualified professionals who independently made the installation and disassembly of flooring.

Do the laminate in the apartment with your own hands.quite difficult, so it is better to seek the help of professionals. If you still want to learn how to lay it yourself, then for you there are special courses or forums for preparing laminate floors, where you can learn how to work with building materials of various configurations. Recommendations can also be obtained using paid specialist advice.