Installing
Laminate Flooring... you can do this!!
Taking on a home improvement project yourself can save you
not only money but it can also be very gratifying. Painting
a room, assembling a piece of new furniture, or installing
laminate flooring can all be done by anyone regardless of
how handy they are. It may seem intimidating at first, but
with the proper tools and a good grasp of the steps involved
you can master almost any task around the house.
When it comes time to replace a floor most people first
consider what type of material they want before they even
think about how it will be installed. Depending on the room,
carpeting, ceramic tiles or laminate flooring may be
appropriate. Attempting to put new carpeting in a room
yourself isn’t recommended, but installing laminate flooring
is much easier than most people realize.
Picking out a color is one of the most important steps.
Although many people choose a neutral, somewhat light shade,
others prefer a much deeper tone. The décor of the room
should be the mitigating factor in determining which hue to
go with when installing laminate flooring.
The existing floor should also be taken into consideration.
Many people mistakenly believe that in order to change a
floor you need to completely remove the old one. This isn’t
the case when you are installing laminate flooring. You can
actually place it right over most existing floors. If you
are installing laminate flooring in a room that has
carpeting, it is strongly urged that the carpeting be
removed. The floor may not sit properly otherwise.
It’s a good idea to purchase some lightweight foam that will
be placed between the existing floor and the new laminate
one. This helps to create a much softer feel on the feet and
it also works at ensuring a level surface. This makes it
much easier when it comes to installing laminate flooring.
No glue or adhesive is needed so you don’t have to be
concerned about odors or harmful fumes. When installing
laminate flooring you are going to fit the pieces together
in a tongue and groove fashion. For this reason you aren’t
going to need any nails or screws. You can use a small
rubber mallet to help tap the pieces into place but you do
need to be mindful of how hard you hit the flooring when
installing it as it can crack.
Once the job is complete you’ll want to put trim around the
edges. This is usually in the form of baseboards. Although
you can go with a color of wood for the baseboards that is
an exact match to the floor, that’s just one option.
Consider choosing baseboards that match an accent color in
the room. This can create a fantastic and welcoming visual
when you enter the room.