How to lay laminated foam on floors
Laminated flooring is a great option for people who can’t afford to use real wooden floors. They’re also much more resistant to stains, scratches and fading due to sunlight. They’re a cheaper option too and modern laminates now look so authentic that only close examination will tell that they aren’t made of wood.
Usually laminate floors have an underlayment on the subfloor. This protects it from subfloor moisture and hides minor imperfections found in the subfloor. If you’re looking to install underlayment yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you can pull off the installation successfully, you’ll save yourself a considerable amount of cash on hiring flooring installers.
* If your subfloor is damaged, repair it. Remove or hammer in loose nails that can cause damage to the laminate. If your floor squeaks, use 2-inch shank nails to hold down the subfloor by driving them through the trusses. If your subfloor is made of concrete, level all dips with self-leveling concrete.
* Take a piece of your laminate flooring and another piece of the underlayment and measure their thickness. Sum up the measurements and adjust the height of a jamb saw according to the instruction manual.
* Use the jamb saw to trim the bottom. This is important as it allows you the laminate to wrap around the jamb of the door so that you don’t have unsightly gap.
* Sweep or vacuum any dust or debris on the subfloor especially the corners and areas that tend to gather dirt.
* Measure and cut the laminated foam to size, starting from the longest corner of the room. While those with no moisture barriers can be placed on either side, a combination underlayment will have to be installed with the plastic coating facing up.
* Whether you choose to use a reticulated polyurethane foam or not, the foam should be used to cover the room’s remaining subfloor in the same method. For those problem corners, use small pieces of the laminated foam to cover the areas.
* For the seams in the underlayment, use cloth-backed duct tape. If any piece can’t seem to lie flat, use the tape to hold it in place.
Processing your request, Please wait....
