What mistakes during preparation can spoil the laminate floor

Laminate has long been a leader among flooring, there are many reasons for this. Now every second owner of the house or apartment decides to put it on their own. There are several features in the preparation, in violation of which the laminate coating can deteriorate in the first weeks of operation.

Laying cold laminate

Laminate has wood fibers in its composition, so all lamellas are subject to strong expansion and contraction, which depends on air temperature. Even if such fluctuations are almost absent in a house or apartment, it is very cold in a warehouse compared to a home. That is why the laminate should lie in the heat for at least several hours until completely warm.

 If this rule is ignored after laying, the laminate will swell and this will not be possible to eliminate.

Unprepared surface

The floor must be dry, clean and even before laying.

If the floor is not leveled before laying, then this will prevent the laminate from laying normally. He may not converge in some places, swell. Further, during operation, voids under the lamellas will creak, in some places the board may crack. The best way to level the floor is to install a concrete screed.

Dirt and debris on the bare floor can cause the laminate to creak after being laid. Even slight dust or grains of sand become a source of unpleasant sounds that occur every time you walk. Therefore, before installing the slats, the floor must be washed and vacuumed.

Laminate board has a fairly porous coating from the bottom. Which absorbs water well. For this reason, the subfloor must be extremely dry. Installation of the laminate in damp will lead to swelling of the lamellas and swelling of the coating.

Uncoated laying

The preparation process must necessarily include the installation of the substrate, since it solves several important tasks at once. Regardless of the dry floor, it will be difficult for the laminate to be saved from excess moisture during the entire period of operation, it is here that the substrate that provides high-quality waterproofing comes to the rescue.

Even if the floor is pre-aligned, the laminate will have an air gap with it of about 2 mm. This means that any attempt to walk through the laminate will be accompanied by a loud sound. At constant pressure, the coating may crack.

Also, the substrate under the laminate provides thermal insulation.