Laminate Installation

LAMINATE INSTALLATION

Floating Floor Installation Laminate is installed using the “floating floor” method. It is not attached to the sub-floor with glue or nails. Instead, the planks are snapped together at the sides using a tongue and groove design, resulting in the laminate floor “floating” above the existing sub-floor.¹

Buyer’s Tip: Although it is more expensive, premium laminate, milled to a higher tolerance and made with a precision locking mechanism, keeps the floor together, preventing gaps from showing at the seams.

If laminate is installed in a “wet” area, such as a kitchen or bathroom, it is necessary to caulk any seams where the laminate floor meets a cabinet or wall (in order to prevent excess water from seeping into the laminate and damaging the fiber core). It is NOT necessary to caulk the seams between the laminate planks. The tongue and groove edges of premium laminate are treated with special sealants to prevent moisture from attacking the inner core.

As stated above, laminate is not permanently attached to the sub-floor, but it is installed over underlayment that is laid on the sub-floor. The type and thickness of the underlayment will be specified by the manufacturer. If the installer uses an underlayment that is not specified by the manufacturer, the product warranty can be voided.

Underlayment offers the following benefits:

• It acts as a moisture barrier, preventing moisture from seeping back up from the sub-floor into the laminate, substantially extending the life of the floor;
• It adds a cushion that makes walking more comfortable;
• It helps to muffle sound;
• It improves the floor’s resistance to dents; and
• It evens out minor irregularities in the sub-floor.

Quarter Round Molding for Laminate

Laminate floors are installed with a ½” expansion gap between the wood and the wall. This gap allows for some expansion and contraction of the laminate with changes in temperature and moisture without causing buckling or other problems. To cover this gap, quarter round molding can be installed around the perimeter of the room to create a subtle and polished detail between the floor and the wall.

Pre-finished quarter round will match with the color and finish of the floor. Paint or stain grade quarter round, which is less expensive than pre-finished, should be used if the customer wants to match the existing baseboard.

Transitions for Laminate

When installing a new laminate floor, transitions are required when:

• There is still a small percentage of laminate (approximately 5%) that is glued together.
• The laminate floor meets another floor surface; or
• There is an opening or doorway into an adjoining room with a different floor surface.

For example, laminate is being installed in a kitchen that opens up to a family room with carpet, or in a living room that opens up to a tiled foyer. In each case, a transition from one surface to the other is required.

The transitions used with new laminate flooring, which are made to coordinate with the color of the laminate, are described as follows:

T-Molding – Sits atop the new and adjoining floor surface

• Transition from laminate to a hard surface of approximately the same height, such as tile, hardwood or laminate.
• Used for transitions in both openings and doorways.
• Not used for transitions to carpet.

Reducer Strip – sits atop the adjoining floor surface

• Transition from laminate to a floor of lesser height, such as vinyl or glue down carpet.

End Cap – Abuts adjoining floor surface

• Transition from laminate to another floor of greater height (or to carpet of the same or greater height).
• Used for transitions to exterior doorways where threshold is less than ¾” above new floor.

Step Nosing – Used as a protective strip along the edge of a laminate floor in a room that “steps down” into another room.