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Aesthetic and trendy – two words that describe the ideal floor laminate. The best floor laminates do not feel out of place and are placed and laid down to perfection. The process of laying floor laminates is relatively straightforward, and you can do it on your own if you have the proper resources. To lay down new floor laminates in a room, you need two things – the right tools and lots of time. Covering an entire room in laminates may take a little over two days. For large rooms, the number keeps going up. Let’s go about laying floor laminates step by step.
Gathering the tools
It would be best if you could procure the proper tools ahead of the process. Having the right tools goes a long way in making your work easier and quicker. Good quality tools add finesse to your work that nothing else can match. So, what tools do you need throughout your flooring endeavor?
Jigsaw
A jigsaw is a mechanical blade that efficiently cuts wood. You can use it to alter the length of new laminates to suit your requirements. It is a handheld power tool that holds a blade in place. The motor in the jigsaw makes the blade move to and fro, allowing you to cut laminates to your desired length. While other tools may cut better than the jigsaw, it makes this list because it creates less wood dust and is less noisy. You can, however, choose a cutting tool of your choice for the same goal.
Rubber mallet
A rubber mallet is used in flooring circles to even out surfaces without tarnishing the quality of the laminate. Mallets are instrumental in “persuading” pieces of floor laminates to come together at the joints, ultimately evening out the surface completely. You can also use a metal mallet instead, but we prefer rubber because it is quieter. Any kind of mallet is not hammered directly onto the laminate. Instead, it is used along with a tapping block. You are supposed to hit the mallet on the tapping block, which is kept on the laminate.
Pull bar
The name of a Pull bar is tricky. It does the opposite of what it sounds like. When you laminate an entire room, the laminates connected to the wall cannot be tapped into place using a mallet and tapping block. Here, you use a pull bar and mallet to bring all laminates to the surface. The pull bar is a flat ruler-esque bar bent downwards on one end to make contact with the laminate and bent upwards on another end for you to strike the mallet.
Measuring equipment
Measuring tools are arguably the most essential tools you will need to lay down new floor laminate. The most vital element of these tools is the measuring tape. You cannot complete your work without the measuring tape for obvious reasons. It would be best if you also had a T-bevel and a Combination Square for accurate measurements of angles.
Measuring the room
The next step in laying down the laminate involves measuring the room. Use your measuring tape to carefully deduce the length and breadth of the room in which you want new laminates. Once you have the numbers, preferably in feet, you can multiply them together to calculate the room’s square footage. For example, a room that is 10 feet wide and 20 feet long will have an area of 200 sq. ft. That will allow you to calculate how much you will have to spend on laminates.
Generally, a standard box of laminates can cover an area of 30 sq. ft. You can confirm these numbers by contacting your laminate vendor. Then, simply divide the room’s square footage by the square footage of one box of laminates to get the number of boxes you will need for the room.
Measuring the room is an integral part of the process because it allows you to get an overview of the entire procedure before actually breaking ground.
Choosing the laminate
Floor laminates are a fantastic invention – inexpensive and easy to install. However, one of the trickiest parts of the installation process is actually purchasing the suitable laminate for you. There are a couple of factors that y