laminate wood floor

[wackii]

Hi all. I'm new here and also a newbie at laminate wood floor. I'm planning to install laminate wood floor for our newly bought home. I went to HD and they quote me $2/sq ft just for installation. That will cost me quite a bit $$$. I'm going to do this for the 2nd level of roughly 700 sq ft. I have been looking at some of the video on youtube and other tutorial sites. It seems to be easy enough to do. I haven't do any of this stuff before. Do you think I can handle this job? I have build a few speakers, cut a few woods here and there... other than that I have no experience at all with this stuff.

I'm planning to use this http://www.lumberliquidators.com/cat...ubCategoryId=0. There's also a stairway. Do you guys recommend installing laminate wood on it also? The stair looks more difficult to do. What's the best way to attack this task? Sorry for lots of questions. I'm totally new and feel lil insecured about doing this myself. Also, I have a jigsaw, circular saw and a router. Are these tools sufficent enough for the job?

Oh, one more thing... I saw some video where ppl nailed down the first slap of laminate... and some video I only see them snap the laminates together a tap them against the spacer? Which the the correct method?

Thanks for any kind inputs. I'm really appreciated this.

Al,

[cabinetman]

I would use solid wood for risers, treads, and nosing. My opinion of wood treads are that they can be dangerously slippery. Maybe a carpeted runner down the middle with some wood showing on the sides would be acceptable.

As for the installation, if you feel competent enough, I would give it a go. Just follow the installation instructions for the particular product. There are many sources on line for the "how to".
.

[radhak]

First of all - welcome aboard, Al! You might have hit the very best place on the 'net for all sorts of friendly advice and people !

Interesting coincidence - I installed a floating floor on my last bedroom last weekend. I know, i need to post pictures...

I am no expert in floor installation, but I have done it for 3 of my bedrooms and a couple more for friends, so might be relevant for you. My first floor I did (3 years ago) without any prior knowledge or even advice, and it went pretty well, so no reason you cannot succeed either. It really is easy, particularly if you have made sawdust before . (I have installed engineered wood, and laminate, both 'floating').

First, tools. I think you need a miter-saw for all the innumerable cross-cuts. I am sure a circular saw could be used, but I'd be wary of going in for such a large scale flooring task without a miter-saw.
(Of course, my tool of choice would be a table-saw, which could both cross-cut and rip-cut, but not if you are not used to a TS. A miter-saw might be easier to learn and handle).

Next, Stairs. Avoid them. I'd even say it's worth the money to pay to install flooring on stairs - and I am a skinflint when it comes to money ! But definitely leave it to the last, as in 'next phase', maybe next year! I could give you a lot of comments on stairs, but maybe when you are done with the regular flooring.

The material you have chosen seems to be pretty good, and thick (12mm) enough, though that might be because it seems to have a pre-attached backing (saving you the trouble of putting in an additional foam underlayment - less work!).

Have you checked what is below your carpet now? Is it concrete or plywood? If it is concrete you'd need to 'level' it for bumps and valleys.

And don't bother with any nails anywhere. Your flooring is the floating 'click and lock' type, with no nails or glue needed.

And yes, try and divide your 700 sq.ft into manageable parts - as in, attack it room-by-room. My estimate is, you'd take around a day (say, 8 hours of work) for each 150 to 200 sqft, so you need to sure how much you can tackle and when - just the weekends, or more, etc. You could use 'transitions' between rooms, or not : you could choose to peel of the carpet just for the room you want to work on for the day and leave the rest available for regular use.

[thestinker]

I did all the cuts for mine with ,y skill saw, but I only put it down in 2 rooms. I have a miter and a table saw, but for no more cuts than I was making, the skill saw was easy enough. Ditto on what radhak said on pretty much everything. The learning curve is pretty quick. The 1st room took me like 5 or 6 hours to do. The second room that was larger I got done in about 2 hrs.

Good luck.
Riley

[tseavoy]

I have done three rooms with laminate flooring. The first one was the old glue together type and it was a little messy, with forcing the planks together and wiping off the glue. The last rooms used the click & lock joints and it was much easier. As for cutting, I used a miter (chop) saw for one room and used a saber saw for the last room. I think the saber saw is easier and less noisy. I just laid the plank back side up on a box and freehanded the cut on a line made with a miter gauge. Ripping is another thing. For that I took it out to the shop and ripped it on my table saw.
Two bucks a square foot for installation is outrageous.
If you google installing laminate flooring you will find a lot of information & tips on how to do it.
Don't do it on steps. When I did my steps initially I bought very pricey clear vertical grain fir. One time I stepped on it in stocking feet, slipped & fell. Now the steps are fully carpeted.
No reason an amateur cannot successfully install laminate flooring.

Tom on Marrowstone


CANNON, n. An instrument employed in the rectification of national boundaries.

[rnelson0]

Have you checked what is below your carpet now? Is it concrete or plywood? If it is concrete you'd need to 'level' it for bumps and valleys.

You often need to level plywood, as well. Get yourself some self-leveling compound and a large straight edge (for these purposes, a 2' or 4' level would work).

Because of the leveling issue, I would recommend that you rip out the flooring in all sections ahead of time. You do not want to level one room and then find the transition to the next room messes up the overall levelness. It is rare but possible that you may have to use a LOT of leveling compound across a large area; more likely that it will just be a spot here and a spot there. Not difficult, just time consuming.

The installation is a snap! (ba-dum duh) I would only caution you to take your time and pratice with a few pieces of scrap - assemble and dissemble. A friend of mine put his flooring down and he rushed when connecting a few pieces. The corners of the laminate are now pointed up or down at those joints and IMO is does not look great. Sad, because he saved a total of 5 minutes on an 8 hour job to do that. Worth taking a little extra time.

[Gator95]

Installing glueless laminate flooring is pretty easy if you take your time and plan things out and also make sure your slab or subfloor is reasonably level.

Circular saw is fine for cuts if this is a floating floor. Edges will be covered with trim anyways. Miter saw makes it easier if you have a 12" one- with most laminate the board width is too wide for a 10". I just used my table saw with crosscut sled for mine, was easier then breaking out circular saw.

Might be an excuse to buy a miter saw here.

[wackii]

Wow... Lots of feedback Thank you all.

Here is the situation. I don't have the keys to the house yet Closing date will be July 9th. Right now, the flooring and the stairs are carpets. Bathrooms are tiles. Is it wise to remove the tiles and install laminate woods for the bathrooms? I'm concerned about the water damage. If I decide to keep the tiles, how the transition from laminate woods and tiles are like? What do I put in between to make it looks nice? Is it difficult to remove the tiles or can I just install the laminate woods on top of it?

I would love to have a table saw and/or the miter-saw. But you all know how it's like when you just bought a house. All your $$$ disappeared fast. So I'm really on a budget here. If I don't have to buy tools then I won't. Oh, is it wise to put some glue between the laminate joints so they won't stick up or down in a long run? Will Titebond wood glue works? I still have quite a few of Titebond glue left from the speaker projects.

Thank you all. I appreciated all the feedbacks.

Al,

[radhak]

Oooh, a new house! Congrats on that first!

Well, if it was me, I'd have waited for some time after moving in before replacing a floor - there might be other stuff needing my attention.

But at the same time, if you can delay moving in till you are done with the flooring, it could go really fast, as you'd not have to contend with the furniture and stuff.

But don't even think of laminates in bathrooms. Tile is the best thing there, and your laminate instructions might explicitly warn you not to put in bathrooms.

Transition from wood to tile is very simple - you just need to buy one such transition. If you check the 'Accessories and Trim' portion on the page you linked (Lumber Liquidators), you'd see a nice list of choices. You'd even find more options at Home Depot.
Which one of those will fit? It will depend. I suggest you pull back the carpet close to a bathroom, and measure the height of the bathroom tile above the bare floor under the carpet. This will tell you if your laminated floor will be higher or lower than the tile : ie, if the measured height is more than 12mm, the bathroom floor will be higher than the laminate. (Easier would be to have a small piece of the laminate on hand just to compare the final heights). If the height is nearabouts the same, you'd just use a T-molding.

Like somebody commented, people have used a Jigsaw successfully for flooring. You'd just need a nice flat sawhorse/table to clamp the workpiece while you cut.

And I don't advise any glue, but check the instructions with the laminate. You really don't need any glue, trust me (despite what you might fear, the interlocking of the laminates is very, very strong). In fact, with no glue you'd allow yourself the leeway of being able to manipulate the layout slightly, and also allow for the wood 'movement' (with laminates, that only the mdf swelling or shrinking due to moisture).

Best of luck with your new house, and with the flooring. Feel free to ask - makes my 'learning' experience worth while !

[wackii]

Oooh, a new house! Congrats on that first!

Well, if it was me, I'd have waited for some time after moving in before replacing a floor - there might be other stuff needing my attention.

But at the same time, if you can delay moving in till you are done with the flooring, it could go really fast, as you'd not have to contend with the furniture and stuff.

But don't even think of laminates in bathrooms. Tile is the best thing there, and your laminate instructions might explicitly warn you not to put in bathrooms.

Transition from wood to tile is very simple - you just need to buy one such transition. If you check the 'Accessories and Trim' portion on the page you linked (Lumber Liquidators), you'd see a nice list of choices. You'd even find more options at Home Depot.
Which one of those will fit? It will depend. I suggest you pull back the carpet close to a bathroom, and measure the height of the bathroom tile above the bare floor under the carpet. This will tell you if your laminated floor will be higher or lower than the tile : ie, if the measured height is more than 12mm, the bathroom floor will be higher than the laminate. (Easier would be to have a small piece of the laminate on hand just to compare the final heights). If the height is nearabouts the same, you'd just use a T-molding.

Like somebody commented, people have used a Jigsaw successfully for flooring. You'd just need a nice flat sawhorse/table to clamp the workpiece while you cut.

And I don't advise any glue, but check the instructions with the laminate. You really don't need any glue, trust me (despite what you might fear, the interlocking of the laminates is very, very strong). In fact, with no glue you'd allow yourself the leeway of being able to manipulate the layout slightly, and also allow for the wood 'movement' (with laminates, that only the mdf swelling or shrinking due to moisture).

Best of luck with your new house, and with the flooring. Feel free to ask - makes my 'learning' experience worth while !

Thank you, Radhak.

I would like to rip off the carpets and finish the floor before I move in. I have about 3 weeks to do the flooring and paint the house. So far, it looks like it's do-able I do have a sawhorse that I use to cut the mdf boards for my speakers projects. I'm set to go... So no gluing the laminates... just snap and tap and I'm done... Sound easy enough. Thanks for the tip on the trims. I can't wait till I get the house's keys...

Thank you all for the advices.

Al,

[atgcpaul]

In our first house, I put laminate down before we moved in. The only tools I
had back then was a crappy Skil jigsaw, a backsaw and a plastic miter box.
I managed just fine. All your ugly cuts will be hidden under your base molding
anyway. The IKEA laminate I used had to be glued together. What a mess.
Yours will go much easier with the click and lock. Looking back on it, putting
down laminate flooring has to rank as one of my easiest and most gratifying
DIY jobs. All you need are a few tools, a couple days off work, and a radio to
keep your brain entertained.

Protect your laminate with rosin paper during move in. It chips easily if you
drop or drag heavy stuff on it.

Good luck and post pictures when you're done.

[wackii]

In our first house, I put laminate down before we moved in. The only tools I
had back then was a crappy Skil jigsaw, a backsaw and a plastic miter box.
I managed just fine. All your ugly cuts will be hidden under your base molding
anyway. The IKEA laminate I used had to be glued together. What a mess.
Yours will go much easier with the click and lock. Looking back on it, putting
down laminate flooring has to rank as one of my easiest and most gratifying
DIY jobs. All you need are a few tools, a couple days off work, and a radio to
keep your brain entertained.

Protect your laminate with rosin paper during move in. It chips easily if you
drop or drag heavy stuff on it.

Good luck and post pictures when you're done.

Thanks. I'm keep that in mind.

Al,

[wackii]

What order would you do?

I have more questions I'm going to paint the second floor of my house, replace the carpet floor with laminate woods. In what order would you guys do? Should I paint first then do the laminate woods? I'm thinking of painting it first then rip off the carpets then install the laminates. I'm just afraid doing this way when I rip off the carpets all the dust (nasty stuffs) will stick to my newly painted rooms. What would you guys do? Sorry for this simple questions.

Thanks.

Al,

[Pappy]

I would rip out the carpet and clean the floors first. Dust getting into the paint would be less a worry than hitting/scuffing the fresh paint. Paint on the sub-floor won't matter.

[wackii]

I would rip out the carpet and clean the floors first. Dust getting into the paint would be less a worry than hitting/scuffing the fresh paint. Paint on the sub-floor won't matter.

Thanks for the tip. I would do that.

Al,