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Handbook for Balta • Handbook for Rustic Elegance *Great for Printing |
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Laminate Installation HandbookThe Do It Yourselfer's Guide To Laminate Installation for Balta and Rustic Elegance
Written and Presented by: Heidemann Flooring Tools Needed For Installation Tools Needed For Installation - ^ Back to Top ^ The following tools may vary with your specific installation, please contact before having to go out and making a purchase. Tapping block (should fit the product's tongue) To repair minor chips, etc., you can use colorfill epoxy
in the same color as the floor. First, surround the area to be repaired
with masking tape to prevent excess epoxy from getting on the rest of
the laminate. Fill the area with the epoxy and let dry. Wipe up excess
with acetone/fingernail polish remover (that contains acetone). To remove a damaged board, have someone kneel or stand on the board that is above the one you wish to remove. Grasp the board firmly and pull up about 3 inches and pull out. It will come out easily when raised. For further installation help, please feel free to call 435-586-4431 and talk to Max, Tom, or Courtney. We offer free installation advice to all of our customers. Cleaning And Maintenance 1. To regularly clean flooring, you can first use a broom, swiffer, or vacuum (no beater bars….use hard surface tool only). When deep cleaning is necessary, only clean a small area at a time (5X5 ft. area) and dry with a towel as you go to prevent streaking. You can use white vinegar and clear warm water (4 to 1) and a wrung out mop. USE AS LITTLE MOISTURE AS POSSIBLE. Follow immediately with a dry towel or cloth to prevent streaking. (If you put a towel down, then push it around with a dust mop, etc. on top, you won't be on your hands and knees.) DO NOT use detergents, as they often leave a residue behind that makes the floor streak when cleaning in the future. For sticky messes, etc., you can use Windex and a dry towel or cloth.2. Place mats at outside doors to collect dirt and debris. Sharp foreign objects in shoes can scratch the floor. 3. Clean up spills as quickly as possible. 4. Use furniture glides (felt protectors or wide base castors) under heavy furniture, equipment, and furniture with metal legs. 5. Be careful when moving heavy objects across the room. 6. NEVER WAX, SEAL, OR POLISH THE FLOOR. It never needs to be sanded or refinished, either. 7. To clean stains….For nail polish, tar, cigarette burns, use acetone (nail polish remover) and it will come right up. What about that expansion gap? 5/16 inch around the perimeter *Installation Concept One of the unique ideas that makes laminate flooring easier to install is that the floor floats over the surface rather than being attached to the surface. Due to the characteristics of wood, laminate expands and contracts with the weather, humidity, and changes of season. It is therefore necessary to provide ample room (5/16 in.) around the entire perimeter, under door frames, and any other area where the perimeter of the laminate may come in contact with any other surface.
Preparing For Installation
1. Remove any carpeting and pad if you are installing laminate in that area.
Linoleum, vinyl, and ceramic tile (as long as it is an even, level area)
can be left. You can install right over them. THE MOST IMPORTANT PREINSTALLATION ADVICE WE CAN GIVE IS TO READ THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE INSTALLING. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THEIR GUIDELINES CAN RESULT IN VOIDING OF THE WARRANTY. This diagram illustrates the correct way to install stairs. Laminate Adjoining A Sunken Room When you are installing laminate in the sunken area only….Finish with quarter round where the laminate meets the carpet. When you are installing laminate in the top area only, you have two choices, doing just the top part of the stair (where you'd finish with the stairnose…see below instructions), ore doing the entire stair/step…see directions below.
Stairs (Enclosed Stairways Only)
If you have an open stairway (no wall on each side), you must have a carpenter
do all the finishing.
Installing Padding
If you are installing additional pad, please adhere to the following:
Installation Of The Planks 1. If you are using a tap together product (Kronoswiss),
it is sometimes easier to get the first few boards together if you'll
wipe the tongue of the product with a slightly damp cloth. Sometimes if
dust or debris gets on the tongue, this locking mechanism is so precise
that it won't allow it to lock. Wiping it slightly allows it to go together
the way it was intended easily.
Door Jambs To go through a doorway and allow laminate to pass through a doorway and go under the door casing… 1. Take laminate (and pad if using additional pad), flip
it upside down and use a jamb saw (handheld saw) to undercut the casing
to the same height.
Fireplaces
Dishwashers
Moldings and Transition Pieces When installing base/and or quarter round, it is best to
use an air brad nailer as it is fast and makes a professional looking
finish. When the floor is finished, simply take out the spacers, put the
baseboard down next to the wall and brad nail it directly into the wall.
(MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT NAIL THROUGH THE LAMINATE.) When putting down the
quarter round, you can brad nail it into the base (making sure that it
isn't going into the floor) at a 45 degree angle, or you can put a bead
of latex caulking around the perimeter and set your quarter round down
in that.
Installing Over Radiant Heat 1. Install the flooring normally. When you wish to use glue….. When installing in wet areas, it is recommended that you use a bead of glue along the locking mechanism to further prevent moisture from seeping through the seams. This is a clicklock product and has a very tight joint. It has been sprayed at the factory with a silicone sealant to help with moisture protection. However, in moist areas, extra steps must be taken to protect your flooring. This is when you may wish to glue your laminate together. To do this, simply put a bead of glue along the tongue, then click the flooring together as you would normally. If you've used an adequate amount of glue, some will squeeze out when you do this. Just wipe up the excess glue with a damp rag. No straps, clamps, or any other items associated with typical glued flooring is necessary due to the locking mechanism on this clicklock product. Moldings and Transition Pieces continue… 2. To install transition pieces, make sure you leave the
proper expansion joint (1/4 inch) on both sides of the track. DO NOT LAY
PAD UNDER TRACK. Cut the track to fit the transition area. If you are
installing over concrete, you will need to use glue to install the track.
You can use liquid nails, but we like polyethylene glue as it is much
stronger. If you are going over a wood sub floor, simply secure the track
with screws. Then, measure the transition area and cut the transition
piece to fit. Snap the transition piece down into the preinstalled track.
You can also use a reducer in reverse if you have the laminate as the low side and another type of flooring (ceramic tile, hardwood, etc. ) that is the high side. You'd simply reverse the reducer. 7. Stairs…Please go to the page that details how to install stairs. *If you are using Quiet Walk pad with the 8mm products, you may need to put in an 1/8 inch piece of masonite or scrap lumber under the molding track (make sure it is the same width as the track) to raise it to the level of the laminate and pad.
Bathrooms And Kitchens 1. Put a 1/8 in. bead of latex caulking around the perimeter
of the room (also around toilet flange, sinks, icemaker inlets, dishwashers,
etc.) when you are finished installing the laminate. Set your trim down
in that latex caulking. DO NOT use silicone, as it will break out and
crack. Pure silicone doesn't work well because it is not as flexible.
The latex will allow for expansion and contraction. It is very flexible.
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| Laminate Flooring Headquarters 260 E. D.L. Sargent Cedar City, UT 84720 Fax: 435-586-6426 Flooring Warehouses Dalton, GA | ||
Email: info@installing-laminate-flooring.com | |||
