Laying Laminate floor

[SCOOTERDOG]

Well this has nothing to do with my HT[:'(]

But it will sure add a nice touch to a part of our house. I have been painting, ripping up carpet and hanging ceiling fans and what not to get ready to install about 900 sqft of laminate flooring. Still have to rip out the old flooring i the kitchen but that should go well. Doing 3 rooms, one we call the brown room because it has lots of oak and the wood stove in it, then the kitchen and dining room. Figure it will take me 2-3 weekend with some week nights in there too. Then its off to 2 of the bathrooms for new tile floors and another 2 weeks. My wife is very happy considering the last year was spent doing my HT and neglecting other things she wanted done. Now it's time to make her happy, I can feel the pain in my knees already, knee pads here I come.

scooter

[Speedball]

I've tried a few of the expensive knee pads and they are mostly overpriced gadgets. The $7.00 home gardener knee pads from Meijer have been working the best for me lately.

[colterphoto1]

get one of those 2x3' dollies like movers use to put your material stock on, that way you can keep it nearby. If you can eliminate reaching and crawling around so much it really helps.

M

[formica]

Took us a long afternoon to install about 450ft2... excluding all the

prep time. Demolishing the ceramic and leveling the floor was

more time consuming. A couple of points:

1) The gap the manufactures require around the perimeter forces you to

use wide quarter rounds, or install both the baseboard and quarter

round on top of the flooring. I did the latter since I was

replacing them both but it's just something to think about during the

tear out.

2) It's a two person job... but relatively easy labour. The

second person needs to be the eyes at the far end of the plank as the

first person slides it in place by taping the end (second part of the

snap and slide). Over tapping can easily chip the finish.

3) You must trim all your door trim and stops so the floor slips under.

4) Angled walls are actually trickier than notches and doors... simply

because they don't allow using the "end tool" to snap in the

pieces. When installing a row with an angle... start at that end

with the spacers, and move away from it.

5) The purpose made end mouldings (between two floor finishes) are

pricey, so add them to your budget. Because of the required gap,

every floor intersection requires a moulding to hide the joint.

6) Maybe it's cause I'm lucky... but it wasn't so bad on the knees.

Good luck...

ROb

[ygmn]

Buy high quality flooring...

the cheap stuff is that cheap..and will not last the warranty...

Remember to spend good money on the pad underneath...get one with vapor barrier if going over concrete floor... this makes for a better sound and comfort onfinished floor...

[SCOOTERDOG]

Thanks guy's!

yeah got the knee pads on and started to lay the floor. Tonight spent about 2 hours and finished a 3'w x 20'L section. Looks like it will go great in the rooms.

The flooring I bought is wilsonart, very nice stuff. One of our clients is a flooring store and the owner sold it to me for a very very good price. I'll take some pics when I'm done. I figure it will take me to do everything about 2 weekends which is really just two saturdays and some nights in between. For the next 2 weeks I have to be in Boise on Sunday's which sucks but O'well.

scooter