How to do laminate flooring?

Question

What are the advantages/limitations and do's/ don'ts of laminate flooring? I would like to use it for my kitchen and bathroom. Is it water-proof? Is there a special one for bathroom? Where can I find step-by-step installation instructions as well as helpful tips? Do I need to put on a water barrier layer before installing the laminate flooring? What are some of the good brands of laminate flooring? Any and all comments will be appreciated. I am a novice home improvement person.

Answer 1

I would say no to laminate in wet areas, even though some ranges offer guarantees for their flooring in moist conditions. Get Vinyl or tile for these areas, their more suitable. You can buy a vinyl with a wood replication, it even has the grain (making it slip resistant), This would be warmer, less slippery and alot cheaper. If you have a kitchen with a table and chairs I'd go with the ceramic tile though. Some chairs can rip the vinyl if dragged.

Answer 2

I have laminate in my home. It is not recommended for kitchen and bath, but states that you can use it if you use a sealer. Mine is Armstrong SwiftLock from lowe's. It has step-by-step instructions on the box and also care instructions.  I like this brand because it already has the foam attached to the back and you don't have to deal with laying foam pad and trying to keep it straight while installing the floor. It also cushions the floor when you walk on it. It also has a 25 year limited warranty. We have a doberman in the house and she has not scratched it yet in 2 years. Hardwood would have been destroyed by now. As for as being waterproof, I cut a piece and let stand in water for 2 days and it did not swell, but a friend had some buck up do to it raining in the door on it. Good luck.

Answer 3

Hmm, as a carpenter I wouldn't really advise using laminate flooring for either room, due to the high moisture content in both. If you really do want laminate, the only brand I would use is called Pergo; it's probably the best one in the market, but it's not cheap-you'll be looking at around 25-35 quid a square metre. However, it IS highly moisture resistant, and as such is suitable for bathrooms/kitchens etc.

You don't need to put down a moisture barrier unless you are laying the flooring onto old concrete or screed. To do laminate flooring properly ie to achieve a professional look, mark the thickness of the flooring on each door casing leg that the flooring will be touching. Using a panel saw, cut that amount off the bottom of each casing leg, and the flooring will slide right underneath when you lay it-far too many DIYers simply cut the flooring around the door casing and it looks bloody awful. When laying the floor, leave a 5mm gap between the laminate & the skirtings to allow for expansion, and cover this with a beading. If you are laying the floor in the bathroom, you'll find it a whole lot easier to have a plumber (or do it yourself if you feel comfortable with it) remove the WC pan & wash basin pedestal to allow you to lay the floor. I say use a plumber, as once you have laid the floor, the height that the pedestal & WC sit at will obviously have been raised by the thickness of the new floor & insulation, and it will be easier for a pro to resite them appropriately. Cutting the floor around the WC & pedestal is both time consuming and almost always messy, even for a pro, so my advice is to bring in a plumber to remove the aforementioned sanitary items for you.