Plastic Laminate Flooring Installation

Plastic laminate flooring was introduced to the u s.

Plastic laminate flooring installation.

How to install laminate flooring. Market in the mid 1990s and now competes with vinyl as a low maintenance floor covering. Install the underlayment or vapor barrier. A laminate floor is a floating floor meaning it is not fastened directly to the subfloor.

It can be installed over any other tightly bonded flooring making it ideal for retrofits. Tape the sheeting two inches above the floor using painter s tape. It also helps deaden sound. The flooring we re using for installing laminate flooring is similar to snap together plastic laminate floors except that it has a surface layer of real wood.

Installing laminate flooring is a snap literally. In this how to install laminate flooring video we give you a fast track quick walk through of the steps needed to install laminate flooring diy. Guidelines for selecting installing plastic laminate flooring as described in the book best practices guide to residential construction chapter 5 interior finish. Slide the first two rows into their final position and repeat steps 5 and 6 above using the same alternating plank technique to complete the process.

Generally speaking the best that manufacturers can do is offer products marketed as water resistant but even these claims are disputable as the entire manufacturing process works against using laminate flooring in moist locations. Thick snap flooring has specially shaped tongues and grooves that interlock to form a strong tight joint without glue or nails. Tape plastic sheeting directly onto the subfloor lay down a layer of plastic sheeting to create a moisture barrier. This thin dense foam layer helps to absorb sound provides a thermal barrier makes it easier to walk on the laminate and helps the flooring bridge minor gaps and bumps in the underlying floor.

Laminate flooring is supported by a thin rubber underlayment which forms a moisture barrier and adds a cushioning layer beneath the plastic laminate planks.