MissLJBeauty

Look no further for some handy hints on how to get your floor laid like a pro and give your room a makeover. 

We’re going to look at laying flooring for the following materials:

• Laminate 

• Hardwood

• Carpet

• Vinyl 

Laminate Flooring 

• Allow your new laminate flooring to acclimate correctly before laying it to prevent movement or warping of the floor. Store it in the room where it will be laid for 48 hours prior to laying. 

• Lay a piece of laminate flooring with underlay next to the door frames and skirting to gauge how much to trim off so it fits underneath. 

• Leave a vertical clearance of 1.5 millimetres between the top of the flooring and the underneath of the skirting and doors.

• When trimming laminate flooring to size, cut the planks from the top side to avoid splintering. 

• If the floor isn’t level you’ll need to add the cost of floor screeding to your budget. Screed needs a drying time of one week per centimetre of thickness before adding flooring. 

Hardwood Flooring

• Before laying hardwood flooring check the moisture level in the subfloor using a moisture meter. Concrete floors should have less than 3% moisture and timber subfloors should be below 12% moisture. 

• Work from 2 or 3 open boxes of flooring so you can spread the full natural range of colour around the floor. 

• Randomly placed joints look more natural and will give better strength to the floor. 

• Underlay is typically not used with hardwood flooring as it is more substantial than laminate flooring or vinyl. 

Carpet Laying

• Before laying carpet sweep and clean the floor to avoid damage to the underside of the carpet and reduce the risk of mould. 

• Leave a gap equal to the thickness of the carpet between the carpet gripper and the wall for a new installation. If replacing old carpet with new, leave the existing carpet gripper in place. 

• Laying carpet does require some specialist installation tools which can be hired to lay your carpet like a pro. 

• Buy 10% extra carpet to allow for wastage. You’ll need 15% extra for a patterned carpet. 

Vinyl Flooring

• Test for moisture content by taping a square of polythene onto a concrete floor. Leave overnight. If there’s moisture on the underside of the polythene the next day this indicates dampness in the floor. 

• Check the level of the floor before installation. If needed use a self-levelling compound. 

• For long straight cuts use a vinyl cutter for a neat finish.

• Cushioned vinyl typically only needs to be bonded to the floor around the perimeter. Non-cushioned vinyl needs to be bonded to the entire floor.

These tips will help you lay laminate, hardwood, carpet and vinyl flooring like a pro and give your room a great new look. With planning and preparation, the end result will be fantastic.