Another Domestic query. Laminate flooring.

[chris-red]

I'm putting laminate down in my office on friday, again I can do it (I think) but thought I'd check with the collective wisdom of BCF before starting.

I have a few questions.

I have a very basic plan of measuring the room then going to B&Q/Homebase/Wickes and picking out the bits I need. Any suggestions things to go for? Things to avoid?

I've seen you can get laminate flooring cutters, is it worth going for? I have a reciprocating saw I intended to use or I can borrow a jigsaw.

Cheers,
Chris
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[chris-red]

Also one of the walls has curve, how would I get the trim round it? I thought about soaking it in hot water and seeing if I can bend it.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[angryjonny]

I would recommend using a jigsaw - they're nice and stable. There are special jigsaw blades for laminate that cut on the downstroke rather than the upstroke so the muck and splinters stay on the underside. I've used these with some success. You'll probably want to mark out your cuts (particularly the complicated ones) on the top side, so cutting upside down isn't really an option.

[Ste]

Jigsaw for cutting the length of the boards.

If you can borrow a mitre saw then that's easy for cutting across the boards.

[sickpup]

Most laminate is crap. It looks cheap because it is cheap. It also comes in various duty types and if you will need the heavy use type if you put chairs on it as they can soon dig through. Good quality laminate or engineered flooring is expensive but very good quality. The difference is VERY obvious and the cheap stuff will lower the value of your property.

Things to keep in mind.

Skirting boards make really good expansion joints. They mean that in hot humid weather when wood absorbs water and expands that you don't notice it. The same applies to Laminate, it needs expansion joints.
Usual way to do this it to leave a small gap of maybe 3-5mm and not butt it up against the skirting and to then attach a bead to the skirting to cover the gap so the floor can expand under the bead.

It is perfectly possible to fit underfloor heating to laminate, gives off a good gentle heat. Even without this I would always fit a heat reflective barrier and depending what it is to be laid on and whats underneath you may even need a vapour barrier.

The difference in cost between cheap and good is big. Around £6 a M2 for cheap to around £25 M2 for good but as I have said the difference in quality is VERY obvious and if I was buying a place with cheap laminate I would lower the asking price accordingly.

[angryjonny]

[stinkwheel]

I've only done it once.

Used a chop-saw to cut the laminate.

I took the skirting off, left an expansion gap between the flooring and the wall then refitted the skirting so it was a touch above the laminate. Painted it at the same time (on a bench outside) and just glued it back onto the wall with a bead of silicone so it can be removed for future painting.

Life's too short to be crawling about on your hands and knees painting skirtings.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[chris-red]

[sickpup]

the bead should be very flexible, its a soft wood.

[mudcow007]

i put bamboo flooring down when we first moved in to our first house.

Its still down now, personally i think it looks a whole lot better than laminate, but its more expensive

i hidden nailed/ glued it together, hardest bit was working out the joints

[Pete.]

I put down oak flooring. It was expensive and took ages to put down but it looks the beez neez and is tough too.

Your skirting boards should have a gap under them. If your lucky your laminate will slide under that and it makes cutting and fitting a lot easier.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Sload]

https://www.amtico.com/ Not cheap though
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Honda Varadero >> Triumph Speed Four >> Honda CBR1100xx

[zark]

Cheap laminate is shite...
It sounds light and hollow when you walk on it, it flexes, the edges and joins collect dust and end up looking black and really obvious

Spend money on it, or don't do it... Packs of planks out the diy shed will probably need a vapour barrier, some sort of acoustic cladding panel and then the floor. It's cold, noisy and looks like cheap shit.
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CBT - Oct 13. Theory - July 14. Mod 1 & 2 - June 15.
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[LustyLew]

I rented a room in a place that used cheap laminate, EVERYWHERE!

The high traffic areas are now white where it has worn through. If it gets wet the MDF backing will expand and never return to its original shape.

Whatever you choose, I'd recommend putting down something to protect the floor form the chair. I have one and wouldn't do without again.
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Like a Yorkie - I'm not for the girls

[Raffles]

Do yourself a favour and bin the laminate idea.
Use LVT instead. It's thinner (around 2mm total thickness), water resistant and more durable than laminate. It can be fixed down with adhesive and doesn't require an expansion gap, thus eliminating the need for unsightly beading around the edges. The only requirement is that the floor that it is applied to is sound and smooth. If it isn't then there is a 'click' version available. That can be laid over any old, shitty surface. You will need to allow for expansion with the click version, though with any luck, it may slot underneath your skirting boards as it is only around 4mm thick. Another good thing about LVT is that it can be cut with nothing more sophisticated than a Stanley type knife.
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A good loser will always be a loser.

[UncleFester]

No practical advice other than to say .....

Watch your fucking fingers!!!!! The edges on that stuff are as sharp as bloody razor blades and if you don't pay attention, you'll look like you've had a good days self harming by the time you're done.
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2017 Z1000SX

[chris-red]

So I did this, mostly great success, I got decent laminate and am chuffed I did it actually has a pucka looking grain cut into it. It took about an hour to put the first 5 bits down then after that I was flying took about 4 ish hours in the end, I left the trim till the next day which took another hour or so.

Problems, it don't click together as easy as I'd thought, I had to leather it to get it to lock in. once you know this it goes much smoother. A couple of dodgy cuts, this was just my ineptitude more than anything. Especially with the trim, I cut the mitres the wrong way several times.

The tool kit had a stepped bit of wood to use to belt it in if you use it the way up they suggest you fuck the joins flipping it and putting the pressure above the join was much better. Also the bent bit of metal that you use to smash in the end bits was great, but make sure you hold it it slipped and ripped the laminate off once.

I have one bouncy bit, when I had the carpet up I noticed there had been a leak or spillage that had made one of the boards swell slightly I thought about replacing it but couldn't be arsed to go back to B&Q so planed it down, looked flat enough after, however you can feel a slight bounce there. I'm hoping it will settle.

Also don't trust thetrim B&Q say to use, my floor was Chestnut wood and the trim to match looked nothing like it I got 'Oak' trim that was a MUCH better match.

I bought a Bosch jigsaw and laminate flooring blades, they were top, cutting was a breeze. No splinters or ruined planks.

The most satisfying part, I bought 4 packs of floor and 5 trims, I nearly bought 1 more of each. I ended up with less that 1/4 of trim an 1&3/4 planks (7 in a packet) I don't know why but it made me very smug.

Will do pictures later.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[smegballs]

[nickyboy4]

In my opinion the beading always makes the laminate look proper shit, rip up the skirting boards, fit the laminate and fit new skirtings so it's just floating slightly above the laminate-nobody can tell me that any beading looks as good as no beading